Julian High of United Way of Southern Nevada: 5 Things You Need To Know To Successfully Lead A Nonprofit Organization
Understand that even in the nonprofit business, it is a business. You have to earn a profit, or you are out of business. An example of this would be that many years ago, I had the good fortune of becoming a C-Suite executive with a brand-new children’s museum. While there was a lot of attention paid to ensuring the building was paid for and the exhibits were paid for, there was very little analysis and or planning for the operation of the building once the museum opened. I was brought in on a rescue mission to this start-up business where, within six months, I had to reduce operating costs by more than 75%. It was a painful and draining experience, but it was instructive.
As part of my series about “individuals and organizations making an important social impact”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Julian High.
Julian High has decades of experience in driving change and raising the bar for nonprofits and for-profit organizations, and is passionate about bringing forth transformative change as United Way of Southern Nevada’s President and CEO. He is the first Black leader of United Way of Southern Nevada, and returned to Las Vegas after working on the East Coast to give back to the community in which he grew up.
Thank you so much for doing this with us. Before we begin our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”?
Here are the facts of my life: I grew up on the West Side of Las Vegas in a neighborhood called Regal Estates. They weren’t really estates, but it was the nobility of the residents of the neighborhood that made it regal. My parents and the parents of other people in the community instilled in me how valuable and how important my own voice is in self-determination and in service to other people. Happily married to my husband for many years, we have traveled the world, lived in exemplary places on both coasts, and have an active and full social life filled with music, friends, and books. At the grand old age of 53, I answered the call to become the first African American and LGBTQ+ president of CEO of United Way of Southern Nevada, an organization that has been doing good in the community I love for 65 years.
Can you tell us the story behind why you decided to start or join your nonprofit?
I was in Annecy, France on holiday with my husband when news of the vacancy of the role of President and CEO of UWSN came to me. Knowing that I’ve always loved the United Way of Southern Nevada and followed in earnest all its ups and downs, I was surprised to learn that they were looking for a CEO. In a moment of daring confidence, I decided that I should apply. After some research and maneuvering, I was asked by the board of UWSN to begin an interview process with them. After a serious round of several interviews, I was asked by the board chair if I would accept the appointment as the President and CEO of the organization, and in my complete and utter shock, I said yes.
Can you describe how you or your organization aims to make a significant social impact?
United Way of Southern Nevada’s mission is to unite our community to improve people’s lives. We embrace our mission every day by being the leading convener and collaborator of nonprofits across the valley. We provide public and private funding to 80 nonprofit partners, supporting 1 in 4 Southern Nevadans. Our team is dedicated to ensuring that every person in Southern Nevada has the opportunity to succeed by providing funding for programs in the following focus areas: student success, workforce development, and community supports.
Without saying any names, can you share a story about an individual who was helped by your idea so far?
I had the opportunity to visit my alma mater, Chaparral High School, where I had the honor of being student body president 30 years ago. United Way of Southern Nevada supports a nonprofit program, Jobs for Nevada’s Graduates (J4NG), and with our funding, they are able to host the program at Chaparral. The Jobs for Nevada’s Graduates program helps students facing significant barriers to graduation and entry into career pathways by providing tutoring, job training, and mentorship. When visiting the students, it dawned on me how the student population has evolved over the decades along with the new opportunities available to these students. There was one student’s story who touched me; he shared that his dream was to be an entrepreneur, and the J4NG program helped him discover that career path. If I had been in that classroom 30 years earlier, I would’ve never thought to be an entrepreneur.
Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
The three things that the community, society, and politicians can do to help us address the root of the problems we are trying to solve are to be compassionate, empathetic, and generous. Compassion, as I understand it, means that not only do you feel for someone else, but you care about what they are going through. In that care, you are willing to offer help that may be painful or uncomfortable to you, but you do so out of compassion. Empathy means to me that I can not only see your problems, but I can see them as my own and feel them as my own. Being generous means to me that you are willing to give 51% of what you have or even more to help a person who’s in need, and understanding the laws of the universe that it all comes back to you multiplied.
How do you define “Leadership”? Can you explain what you mean or give an example?
In my view, leadership is how you treat people when there is nobody looking, no benefit for doing the right thing, and sometimes punishment for being of service to others, yet you choose to be of service anyway. There are leaders in every single sector, community, company, neighborhood, and church in the world, and this exultation of the word leadership, does real leaders and real people no great favors. An example of true leadership to me would be a young single mother struggling every day through no fault of her own to make ends meet to raise her young child. And every single day, the odds are stacked against her; she wakes up, puts on her clothes, dresses her child, puts them on the bus, makes sure the child is fed, goes to her job, picks up her child, does homework with the child, tucks that child snuggly into bed, and gets up the next day to do it all again.
Based on your experience, what are the “5 things a person should know before they decide to start a nonprofit”? Please share a story or example for each.
- Understand that even in the nonprofit business, it is a business. You have to earn a profit, or you are out of business. An example of this would be that many years ago, I had the good fortune of becoming a C-Suite executive with a brand-new children’s museum. While there was a lot of attention paid to ensuring the building was paid for and the exhibits were paid for, there was very little analysis and or planning for the operation of the building once the museum opened. I was brought in on a rescue mission to this start-up business where, within six months, I had to reduce operating costs by more than 75%. It was a painful and draining experience, but it was instructive.
- You are only as good as your people. The care and nurturing of people who work around and with you are central to any success. The current example is the amazing staff I get the privilege of working with at UWSN. They are among the most dedicated and smart people I have ever had the pleasure of working with.
- Stay grounded in your life and in the lives of the people around you whom you love. Because the work can be draining, efforts will feel futile, and people will sometimes question your motives. It is important to stay grounded in your life. My example is I understand now that in my initial immersion into this role, I lost my footing in myself and in my own life in order to get up to speed and respond to the challenge that this position presents.
- Analyze the problem you are trying to solve and analyze the market and the people in that market that you are intending to serve. In this role, one of the things that has saved me, in that it has allowed me to make progress, is that I understand this market and the people in it, and I am committed to them.
- Start something that gives you some sacred joy. If you are not interested in the plight of abandoned animals, then do not start a nonprofit to help abandoned animals. If your joy lies in painting, then start a nonprofit that helps people find joy in painting. As an example, one of the things that I considered while I was debating with my husband about what I was meant to do in the final acts of my professional life. We discussed many things; we had the beginnings of a plan to start a political action committee, considered running for office, and thought about using my skills as an executive recruiter to re-enter the for-profit space. When the opportunity to lead United Way of Southern Nevada presented itself to me, I realized that this role combined all those skills. In this role, my joy tank is overflowing because I am so connected to what the work means to me and how it fills me up.
We are very blessed that very prominent leaders read this column. Is there a person in the world whom you would like to talk to, to share the idea behind your nonprofit? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them.
The person I would like to see this column is Elon Musk. He would be a perfect recruit for the cause of Southern Nevada because he has projects in our great state. I would love to have the opportunity to sit down with Elon Musk and make the case for his support of United Way of Southern Nevada.
Can you share your favorite “Life Lesson” Quote? How is that relevant to you in your life?
“Sometimes life doesn’t give you something you want, not because you don’t deserve it, but because you deserve more.” In my own life, this idea presents itself many times repeatedly both professionally and personally. During the loneliest time of my life when I was single for 10 years, I yearned for a romantic relationship and wondered often why it wasn’t happening. The same thing is true professionally, where before this role, I was selling flowers in a flower shop, which I thought was the penultimate thing for me to do. Now, I pinch myself every day at the reality that I get to serve as President and CEO of United Way of Southern Nevada.
How can our readers follow you online?
One of the things that UWSN is meant to do is to amplify the voices and the stories of those most in need in our community. We tell those stories often and we also need a way to connect our stakeholders to this organization. To that end, we employ several marketing and public relations strategies that help us claim a voice for those in the community we are meant to serve. So, you can find the team and me amplifying those voices on:
Facebook:
@UnitedWaySN
@JulianHigh
Instagram:
@UWSN
Twitter:
@UWSN
@JulianHigh_
LinkedIn:
@United Way of Southern Nevada
@Julian High
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success in your mission.
Julian High of United Way of Southern Nevada: 5 Things You Need To Know To Successfully Lead A… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.