Cindy Adams joins the movement

Sep. 9, 2016

Pacific Business News
September 9, 2016

Photo credit: Tina Yuen

Cindy Adams traded the world of technology two years ago for the opportunity to lead a nonprofit that was trying to adapt to a changing world. Before joining Aloha United Way as president and CEO, she was vice president of sales and marketing for CBI Polymers, a Hawaii company that had moved to Dallas. She also was the founding executive director of the Hawaii Meth Project from 2009 to 2011.

Adams oversees a staff of 35 employees and a $3 million annual budget. It raised $11.2 million last year to spread across more than 300 member agencies in three major areas: education, combatting poverty and creating a safety net for those in need.

Earlier this year, AUW became a conduit to get $4.7 million in state funds into the hands of some 20 local agencies to help homeless residents find housing and prevent those at risk from losing their homes. The partnership with government is part of what Adams describes as an expansion of AUW’s role beyond its traditional fundraising mission.

Adams sat down with PBN Contributing Editor Jim George to discuss how AUW is reinventing itself.

You came to Aloha United Way two years ago from the for-profit world. How has the transition been from for-profit to nonprofit?

Many of the for-profit skills are adaptable to the nonprofit area. The difference is the product. But the biggest difference is the motivation of the employees, which is much higher in the nonprofit area.

How has Aloha United Way changed since you became president and CEO?

We’re much more focused on our relationship with our donors and spend a lot more time with them. We’ve grown our high-end donors who give at least $10,000. The Bennet Group and our team have created an integrated marketing strategy. We’re also participating more in the community. Fundraising is our vehicle, not our mission. We’re taking on a much bigger leadership role, pulling government and the community together with nonprofit leadership. It’s a role we haven’t traditionally played in the community. It was clear to me that we needed to make these shifts, to add value and relevance. Smaller nonprofits say they appreciate what we’re doing because they don’t have the resources to get the word out.

The Hawaii economy has been healthy in the past two years with low unemployment, record visitor numbers and growth in high-paying construction jobs. How has that affected charitable giving?

One very, very significant effect has been in the visitor industry. Many hotels have supported us over the years but have taken it to a whole new level. The Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association will run our workforce campaigns in the visitor industry.

Describe the latest workforce campaign.

It’s called Join The Movement and the social media campaign is #JoinTheMovement. Our goal is $9.3 million. Giving has declined slightly over the years, but we’re optimistic that we’ll change that this year. As the baby boomers retire we’re changing our focus to foster a philanthropic spirit among millennials. We’re also becoming what we call “agency agnostic” — which means more cause-focused. We have a committee focused only on millennials, and we have a separate campaign for Waikiki.

Donors to AUW can designate that their contributions must go to specific agencies, in which case 100 percent of that money is passed on. Why should donors give to AUW rather than simply writing checks to agencies of their choice?

There are many people who would not think to write a check, or prefer to give in smaller monthly segments. The vast majority of our donors give through payroll deduction.

Change can be difficult for employees. How have all the changes you’re making affected your staff?

The cultural shift we’ve made over the past two years might be perceived as a subtle shift by the community. For our team it was, and continues to be, a significant effort. For example, revisiting the donor relationship process, creating alignment across departments, and executing an integrated public relations and marketing strategy have substantial internal implications. I feel fortunate to have a fantastic team at Aloha United Way that is enthusiastic and committed. We are already seeing benefits with our donors, partners and our employees, and it is positive reinforcement and validation as we continue on the journey to understand our relevance and the implications of aligning strategy and impact.