The annual “Global Day of Giving” is upon us this holiday season and what better way to give back to your community then joining in on #GivingTuesday by donating to the organizations that make Santa Barbara a place we are proud to call home.
It is no secret that this year has been full of challenges. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, now more than ever, local nonprofits need your support. Our annual Good for Santa Barbara Nonprofit Section provides all the resources you need to donate this holiday season.
In this interview, Noozhawk spoke with Harry Grammer, PhD, President of the Board of Directors of Pacifica Graduate Institute Alumni Association (PGIAA), to learn more about how the nonprofit is dedicated to supporting Alumni and their local communities – offering annual scholarships, awards recognizing alumni accomplishments, and through its numerous community programs.
Pacifica Graduate Institute Alumni Association (PGIAA)
Question: What is the name & mission of your nonprofit?
Answer: The name of our nonprofit is the Pacifica Graduate Institute Alumni Association (PGIAA) and its mission is to develop and operate an educational and charitable organization that supports alumni from the Pacifica Graduate Institute in their efforts to serve the communities in which they service in the pursuit of developing their intellectual, spiritual, altruistic, and professional capabilities. The alumni, who primarily work in human services type activities engage in varied charitable and educational activities and programs, including, but not limited to, the following:
• Providing a telephone CareLine service for alumni and the public call during time of need. In came into existence as a way to assist with two local emergencies by offering free temporary services for the First Responders, many of whom with their own families experienced intense emotional, physical, and psychological stresses. Approximately 75 trained mental health care professional volunteer to respond to calls to this service.
• The Offering of free public programs and activities of an educational and/or charitable nature such as the Pondering Peace weekend.
• Provide need-based scholarship programs for students attending the Institute;
• Provide Public discussion groups, forums, panels, lectures on topics in the Institute’s alumni’s fields of study, such as community writer’s symposiums, alumni film series, and mental health seminars;
• Events centered around charitable and/or educational activities that offer alumni the opportunity to connect with each other while “doing good” and/or learning, such as non-profit fund-raisers, community environmental cleanup projects, educational retreats, etc.
• Community outreach programs (particularly in under-served areas), such as junior high/high school student mentoring and tutorial programs.
Q: How long has your nonprofit been in service and whom was it started by?
A: In 2011, an invitation went out from Pacifica Graduate Institute to all alumni inviting them to a Steering Committee meeting to explore the development of an Alumni Association. Fostered by Pacifica Graduate Institute’s (PGI) Office of Alumni Relations, eighty alumni came together that weekend to explore and envision what an Alumni Association made of PGI alumni might look like as it grew. Momentum from this meeting led to the establishment of an Executive Committee comprised of interested alumni who would work with the Office of Alumni Affairs to build an association. Alumni were once again invited to come to additional annual meetings in 2012 and 2013 where breakout sessions delved into exploring the aspirations of the association and committees formed to explore the how to best serve the needs and interests of alumni. By 2013, the Executive Committee, in response to the widespread accord of fellow alumni for the association to become its own independent organization—decided to apply to become a separate, tax-deductible nonprofit organization. The Pacifica Graduate Institute Alumni Association (PGIAA) was incorporated as an autonomous 501(c)3 nonprofit on April 17, 2013.
Q: What was the inspiration behind your nonprofit?
A: Their learning and Pacifica’s motto – ‘tending soul in and of the world”, inspired our alumni PGIAA extends this concept beyond the confines of Pacifica and even Santa Barbara by supporting, developing, promoting community.
Q: How has COVID-19 impacted your nonprofit?
A: If there are positive impacts of Covid-19, it has been the untiring dedication our team has given to supporting those in need. While our funding decreased significantly, we have learned to be creative, consistent and effective in stretching effective in our ability to continue all our programs.
Q: How is your nonprofit primarily funded and what are your greatest needs?
A: PGIAA is funded primarily by donations from alumni and occasional grants for special events from various groups. The association has no dues for membership and depends upon the kindness and generosity of its alumni and other organizations for its funding. Unlike large educational institutions, the association has no corporate sponsors or athletic organizations that provide assistance.
Our alumni span the world, not just the United States. Most of our alumni serve in human services type work areas such as providing psychotherapy, teaching, writing, film, the arts, and various nonprofit work. Support of our alumni in their human services work is given by sponsoring local gatherings of alumni in the communities they live to maintain their connection with a supportive community that they became a part of while at Pacifica and to have that continued support in the communities they live and serve. Our greatest need is to help our alumni continue to be active, positive, giving, and effective in helping the communities they serve.
Q: In what ways does your nonprofit utilize its funding?
A: PGIAA in partnership with Pacific Graduate Institute sponsors free public programs that anyone may attend. These programs include the very popular Pondering Peace Program which is dedicated to remembering victims of violence in communities around the world.
PGIAA maintains a robust website where alumni and the public can connect and that the public can participate. It sponsors many events promoting peace, social justice, the promotion of racial equality, community involvement, support of service organizations such as fire response crews, disaster response crews, etc. In response to recent disasters such as the California fires and mudslides, shootings around the globe, hurricane destruction, and other events, our alumni community have come together to find ways to service and support their communities. The PGIAA Support Network was developed in response to disasters in order to support not only its alumni but also the public who may also use this free service. Information regarding our various programs can be seen on our beautiful and informative website.
Q: Describe the changes that have been made to staffing models and internal operations due to COVID-19. Are there changes that are expected to last beyond the short term?
A: There are no employees in our nonprofit. The PGIAA Board of Directors, who work in partnership with our beloved Dianne Travis-Teague (Alumni Relations) are all volunteers and serve a defined term on the board and are non-paid. The give their time to the association pro-bono and come onto and off the board per its By-Laws. The Pacifica Graduate Institute donates to the associating by employing the Director of Alumni Relations who devotes her time in service to all Alumni and stewards PGIAA through direct service and receives no funding from PGIAA. No employees, officers, or faculty of the Pacifica Graduate Institute may be on the board of PGIAA even if they are alumni of the graduate institute.
Due to COVID-19, in-person weekend gatherings have been postponed indefinitely. These events are vital to the continuance of the alumni association and generate partial funding of our yearly budget. COVID-19, has affected us greatly.
Q: What type of fundraisers and/or programs does your nonprofit run?
A: PGIAA’s annual events such as the Coming Home weekend program and our solicitation to our alumni are the main fundraisers. COVID-19 has had a detrimental financially impact to many alumni. Many of our members had to abruptly stop the in-person services they provide and were burdened, like so many people around the world, of trying to find alternative ways to provide services, or stop completely.
Q: What makes your nonprofit different from others?
A: Most of our alumni work in the helping professions as psychotherapists, teachers, writers, artists, musician, etc… Our graduate institute is small so we do not have the various sports teams or large corporate connections that universities depend on to fund their alumni organization. In addition, like all such alumni associations, not all alumni of our institute are able or willing to be an active member of our alumni association. We are dependent upon the generosity of good people.
Q: What is one best kept secret or fun fact about your nonprofit that not everyone knows?
A: Our alumni members thrive when helping others. We cannot say that this is always fun or whether it is a best kept secret. What we do know is that helping others, whether in crisis or not, feels good. Perhaps that is our best-kept secret (and we wish it were not!).
Click here to support the Pacifica Graduate Institute Alumni Association’s (PGIAA) mission to assist alumni from the Pacifica Graduate Institute in their efforts to better their communities.