On the Rise: Young Professionals Shaking Up the Nonprofit World

There’s a lot of talk in philanthropy about what to expect from the next generation of charity and foundation leaders. Maybe that’s to be expected, but young professionals are already making their mark.

They’re taking on tough issues. Kashif Shaikh, for example, runs a nonprofit that pools donations to amplify the voices of Muslim civic leaders and fight bias. One of his biggest challenges: making sure groups fighting anti-Muslim sentiment have the resources they need without letting the news cycle dictate his grant making.

“I just don’t want to be too reactive,” Mr. Shaikh says.

These rising stars are persistent. When Anna Barber was raising money for the National Museum of African American History and Culture, she called and emailed one philanthropist for two years just to win a meeting. Her tenacity led to a $1 million gift — and important introductions to other donors.

Meet Mr. Shaikh, Ms. Barber, and other exciting emerging leaders we profiled in 2017. Their stories will inspire you — and you just might come away with some new strategies to apply to your work in the coming year.

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A Young Leader Pools Funds to Fight Anti-Muslim Bias