Fil-Am exec masters art of 'asking for aid' for humanitarian causes
SAN MATEO, Calif. – A Filipina-American has shattered the glass ceiling for people of color in nonprofit management and she is showing why she deserves company brass.
Clarice Veloso, 37, is the new development director of Human Investment Project (HIP) Housing, a 41-year-old San Mateo County-based nonprofit serving low-income families and individuals.
Development is commonly defined as the “systematic use of scientific and technical knowledge to meet specific objectives or requirements.” In practical terms, it is the process that raises capacity to fulfill goals. Simply put, development is fund raising.
Hired last fall, one of the few known Filipino American executives in a private county-funded agency lost no time in sharing her expertise with another humanitarian organization.
Take pride
There is no shame in soliciting donations for a worthy cause, Veloso reminded members of ALLICE, an all-volunteer community education organization that operates purely on donations for its twice-yearly violence prevention seminars and resource fairs.
In fact, stressed the development veteran, cause-oriented organizations should take pride in dedicating themselves to improve of the lives of others. Volunteers, in particular, should walk with their heads up knowing they are offering personal resources for the general welfare.
“It’s understandable if we are reluctant to ask for money even if we know it is not for ourselves,” Veloso told the Kumares and Kumpares, as the Daly City-based community educators call themselves. “We Filipinos are non-confrontational. We consider it ‘nakakahiya’ to request monetary donations for our organizations.”
Veloso then showed that she has done her homework, homing in on a cultural trait that may both help and hinder progress.
“We are very respectful, always careful not to offend others,” she touched on a value common among those from her native Philippines. “And that’s OK, unless extreme caution prevents us from meeting our objectives.”
Veloso was speaking at the group’s Feb. 9 team-building retreat sponsored by the San Mateo County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services and Union Bank.
“Her presentation was enlightening,” said Jose Antonio, ALLICE 2013 vice president and branch manager of Union Bank Westlake. “I feel empowered to go out and invite my colleagues in the corporate world to invest in our movement to promote healthier homes and communities.”
Prior to her current post, Veloso was director of communications and institutional giving with the Non-profit Housing Association of Northern California.
Armed with 10 years’ work in the field of affordable housing, her undergrad from the Manila’s University of Asia and the Pacific plus her master’s degree in public administration from San Francisco State University, Veloso offered tools and techniques for overcoming solicitor shame.
Reframe
“First: Reframe the ‘ask,’” she recommended. “Switch the approach from pity to investment.”
Just because the organization needs money, it is not asking for alms – “hindi naglilimos,” she clarified.
“You’re not begging for funds. You’re actually inviting others to make an investment. In your case it’s for a safer, healthier community,” she affirmed the mission of her host organization.
Shifting the mindset comes easier by mastering the histories of both home and target organization, Veloso emphasized.
“You can only do a compelling ‘ask’ if you know and believe what your organization is all about. Be ready to answer questions,” she said. “Find out if your prospect has donated to other groups, which ones and how much. And don’t walk away from a meeting without asking for a follow-up get-together.”
Veloso speaks from experience.
The San Francisco resident also oversees her employer’s communications, allowing the organization to provide creative affordable housing solutions.
Solutions
Every year, HIP Housing helps 1,400 people find and maintain affordable housing. It responds to 3,000 calls for case management and housing related referrals annually.
“Our mission is to invest in human potential by improving the housing and lives of people in our community,” Veloso said. “We do this by providing creative, affordable housing solutions for low-income individuals including families, seniors, veterans and those with disabilities. Our programs promote self-reliance by creating access to one of the most basic necessities – a decent, stable and affordable place to live.”
Housing is already a challenge for a multitude in this stubbornly sluggish economy. For those living in San Mateo, the barriers are higher.
“San Mateo County has become one of the most expensive places to live in the county, second only to New York City and tied with San Francisco,” Veloso explained. “Rents have increased exponentially in the last year. The County of San Mateo Economic Indicators Report by Sustainable San Mateo cites that the average one-bedroom apartment in San Mateo County rents for $1,925 per month, an increase of more than 14 percent since 2011. A person needs to make over $82,000 a year to afford this rent meaning that someone making minimum wage would have to work 183 hours each week to qualify.”
While jobs indeed are available in Silicon Valley, Veloso pointed to the California Employee Development Department finding that “majority of job growth anticipated in the County will not be high paying, high tech jobs but rather positions paying less than $50,000 a year such as home health aids, retail, food service, and tourism.”
The situation is exacerbated by the shortage of affordable rental housing.
“Every Section 8 waitlist in the County is closed,” she said. “With the loss of the Redevelopment Agencies and other supplemental funding sources for affordable housing, there is no pipeline for new housing stock meaning we have to use what we have even more efficiently.”
San Mateo workers often live beyond the county line to avail themselves of less prohibitive housing cost.
“Because of the crisis in affordable housing, 170,000 people commute everyday to work,” said Veloso. “For those at the lowest income levels, this means that as much as 70 percent of their income is going to housing and transportation leaving little for food, medicine and other essentials.”
Home-sharing
HIP Housing helps address the crisis “by providing a variety of innovative housing solutions designed to break the cycle of poverty and help those in need to build an independent and self-reliant future.”
The agency is noted for its three programs: Home Sharing, Self-Sufficiency, and Property Development.
It acquires property that it rehabilitates and leases at below-market rates for those in desperate need. Its welfare-to-work program includes education and job training programs. It matches homeowners or occupants with those needing shelter.
“Our largest program, Home Sharing, serves 1,900 people every year with an affordable and efficient use of existing housing stock,” Veloso said. “Unfortunately, as a result of the financial struggles of those hit hardest by the economic downturn, HIP Housing is experiencing an inequitably high ratio between those who can provide space in their home (home providers) and those in need of place to live (home seekers.) For every six individuals who come to HIP Housing looking for an affordable home, there is currently only one home provider.”
Veloso is inviting the community to consider involvement by joining the HIP Housing pool of home providers.
For more information contact Veloso at 650.348.6660 or visit www.HIPHousing.org and www.facebook.com/HIPHousing - Philippine News
Clarice Veloso, 37, is the new development director of Human Investment Project (HIP) Housing, a 41-year-old San Mateo County-based nonprofit serving low-income families and individuals.
Development is commonly defined as the “systematic use of scientific and technical knowledge to meet specific objectives or requirements.” In practical terms, it is the process that raises capacity to fulfill goals. Simply put, development is fund raising.
Hired last fall, one of the few known Filipino American executives in a private county-funded agency lost no time in sharing her expertise with another humanitarian organization.
Take pride
There is no shame in soliciting donations for a worthy cause, Veloso reminded members of ALLICE, an all-volunteer community education organization that operates purely on donations for its twice-yearly violence prevention seminars and resource fairs.
In fact, stressed the development veteran, cause-oriented organizations should take pride in dedicating themselves to improve of the lives of others. Volunteers, in particular, should walk with their heads up knowing they are offering personal resources for the general welfare.
“It’s understandable if we are reluctant to ask for money even if we know it is not for ourselves,” Veloso told the Kumares and Kumpares, as the Daly City-based community educators call themselves. “We Filipinos are non-confrontational. We consider it ‘nakakahiya’ to request monetary donations for our organizations.”
Veloso then showed that she has done her homework, homing in on a cultural trait that may both help and hinder progress.
“We are very respectful, always careful not to offend others,” she touched on a value common among those from her native Philippines. “And that’s OK, unless extreme caution prevents us from meeting our objectives.”
Veloso was speaking at the group’s Feb. 9 team-building retreat sponsored by the San Mateo County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services and Union Bank.
“Her presentation was enlightening,” said Jose Antonio, ALLICE 2013 vice president and branch manager of Union Bank Westlake. “I feel empowered to go out and invite my colleagues in the corporate world to invest in our movement to promote healthier homes and communities.”
Prior to her current post, Veloso was director of communications and institutional giving with the Non-profit Housing Association of Northern California.
Armed with 10 years’ work in the field of affordable housing, her undergrad from the Manila’s University of Asia and the Pacific plus her master’s degree in public administration from San Francisco State University, Veloso offered tools and techniques for overcoming solicitor shame.
Reframe
“First: Reframe the ‘ask,’” she recommended. “Switch the approach from pity to investment.”
Just because the organization needs money, it is not asking for alms – “hindi naglilimos,” she clarified.
“You’re not begging for funds. You’re actually inviting others to make an investment. In your case it’s for a safer, healthier community,” she affirmed the mission of her host organization.
Shifting the mindset comes easier by mastering the histories of both home and target organization, Veloso emphasized.
“You can only do a compelling ‘ask’ if you know and believe what your organization is all about. Be ready to answer questions,” she said. “Find out if your prospect has donated to other groups, which ones and how much. And don’t walk away from a meeting without asking for a follow-up get-together.”
Veloso speaks from experience.
The San Francisco resident also oversees her employer’s communications, allowing the organization to provide creative affordable housing solutions.
Solutions
Every year, HIP Housing helps 1,400 people find and maintain affordable housing. It responds to 3,000 calls for case management and housing related referrals annually.
“Our mission is to invest in human potential by improving the housing and lives of people in our community,” Veloso said. “We do this by providing creative, affordable housing solutions for low-income individuals including families, seniors, veterans and those with disabilities. Our programs promote self-reliance by creating access to one of the most basic necessities – a decent, stable and affordable place to live.”
Housing is already a challenge for a multitude in this stubbornly sluggish economy. For those living in San Mateo, the barriers are higher.
“San Mateo County has become one of the most expensive places to live in the county, second only to New York City and tied with San Francisco,” Veloso explained. “Rents have increased exponentially in the last year. The County of San Mateo Economic Indicators Report by Sustainable San Mateo cites that the average one-bedroom apartment in San Mateo County rents for $1,925 per month, an increase of more than 14 percent since 2011. A person needs to make over $82,000 a year to afford this rent meaning that someone making minimum wage would have to work 183 hours each week to qualify.”
While jobs indeed are available in Silicon Valley, Veloso pointed to the California Employee Development Department finding that “majority of job growth anticipated in the County will not be high paying, high tech jobs but rather positions paying less than $50,000 a year such as home health aids, retail, food service, and tourism.”
The situation is exacerbated by the shortage of affordable rental housing.
“Every Section 8 waitlist in the County is closed,” she said. “With the loss of the Redevelopment Agencies and other supplemental funding sources for affordable housing, there is no pipeline for new housing stock meaning we have to use what we have even more efficiently.”
San Mateo workers often live beyond the county line to avail themselves of less prohibitive housing cost.
“Because of the crisis in affordable housing, 170,000 people commute everyday to work,” said Veloso. “For those at the lowest income levels, this means that as much as 70 percent of their income is going to housing and transportation leaving little for food, medicine and other essentials.”
Home-sharing
HIP Housing helps address the crisis “by providing a variety of innovative housing solutions designed to break the cycle of poverty and help those in need to build an independent and self-reliant future.”
The agency is noted for its three programs: Home Sharing, Self-Sufficiency, and Property Development.
It acquires property that it rehabilitates and leases at below-market rates for those in desperate need. Its welfare-to-work program includes education and job training programs. It matches homeowners or occupants with those needing shelter.
“Our largest program, Home Sharing, serves 1,900 people every year with an affordable and efficient use of existing housing stock,” Veloso said. “Unfortunately, as a result of the financial struggles of those hit hardest by the economic downturn, HIP Housing is experiencing an inequitably high ratio between those who can provide space in their home (home providers) and those in need of place to live (home seekers.) For every six individuals who come to HIP Housing looking for an affordable home, there is currently only one home provider.”
Veloso is inviting the community to consider involvement by joining the HIP Housing pool of home providers.
For more information contact Veloso at 650.348.6660 or visit www.HIPHousing.org and www.facebook.com/HIPHousing - Philippine News
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