Organization SPOT 127 Youth Media Center Leadership Senior instructor: Trevor Gahona Annual Budget $400,000 OriginSPOT 127 is a creative hub where young people can learn about broadcasting and storytelling. It was created through a collaboration between the nonprofit Friends of Public Radio Arizona, Rio Salado College and KJZZ 91.5 FM. The Maryvale center opened in 2012, […]
Organization: Arouet Leadership: Alison Rapping – CEO | Dana Campbell Saylor – Board Chair Annual Budget: $1.1 million Origin Arouet was founded in 2011 to prepare women for success after they leave prison by providing them with education, employment and life skills. Its CEO, Alison Rapping, came to the organization after helping her brother launch […]
Organization: Sleep in Heavenly Peace Leadership: Jordan Allen – executive director | Joe Genovese – Phoenix chapter president Origin In 2012, Luke Mickelson built a bed for a family in need in his hometown of Twin Falls, Idaho. What started as an act of kindness exposed something very few think about — children having no […]
Organization: Chai Arizona Leadership: President & co-founder of Ezras Cholim and the Arizona Kosher Pantry — Yecheskel Friedman Origin: Chai Arizona is the umbrella organization for Ezras Cholim, Tomchei Shabbat and the Arizona Kosher Pantry. The organization prides itself on strong relationships within the Jewish, Muslim, Christian and secular communities and serves everyone, regardless of […]
Organization: The Nash Leadership: Managing director — Steve Maun Executive director — Joel Goldenthal Origin: The Nash is part of Jazz in Arizona, Inc., a nonprofit founded in 1977 to celebrate and build the Valley’s jazz community. Attorney Herb Ely and jazz pianist Joel Goldenthal dreamed of creating a jazz performance venue and education center. […]
Helping child abuse victims heal Organization: Defenders of Children Leadership: Founder — Donnalee Sarda CEO — Johanna Fierstein, MSW Origin: Defenders of Children was founded in 2007 by Donnalee Sarda as an Arizona offshoot of the national organization, Justice for Children. Defenders of Children was borne of a desire to do better for child abuse […]
Organization: Elaine Leadership: Founder: Vivienne Gellert CEO: Eric Barr Annual Budget: $330,000 Origin: Elaine is the brainchild of Vivienne Gellert, who created the organization when she was a pre-med student at Arizona State University’s College of Health Solutions. She noticed emergency rooms were filled with people who didn’t know how to access timely and appropriate care, so […]
Organization: The Larry Fitzgerald Foundation Leadership: Founder — Larry Fitzgerald Jr. Executive director — Danielle Frost Origin: Former NFL wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald Jr. founded The Larry Fitzgerald Foundation in 2005 in honor of his mother, Carol Fitzgerald, who died of breast cancer in 2003. Since then, the foundation has worked to provide youth with […]
Organization: The Kyah Rayne Foundation Leadership: Founder: Lisa Cohen Origin: Lisa Cohen launched the Kyah Rayne Foundation (KRF) in August 2019 to honor her daughter, Kyah Rayne, who died of anaphylactic shock at the age of 21 after mistakenly eating peanut sauce during a family vacation in Mexico. Cohen considers it her life’s work to […]
Organization: Greasepaint Youtheatre Leadership: Executive and Artistic Director: Maureen Dias-Watson Board President: Lance Ross Origin: In 1965, Scottsdale Community Players built the theater Greasepaint calls home with private funds on land that the City of Scottsdale owns. Greasepaint became the sole tenant of the Stagebrush Theatre after the theater company was founded in 1984. By 2006, Greasepaint […]
