A Lobbyist Prepares to Increase Local Philanthropy in Foundation Role

Starting a new job is always tough. Starting it in the midst of one of life’s storms is even tougher. Such was the case for Andrea Bazan-Manson, 37, the new president of Triangle Community Foundation, in Durham, N.C.

She faced an emotional goodbye from El Pueblo, the Latino advocacy organization she helped create in nearby Raleigh more than a decade ago.

She also was dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, which flooded her parents’ New Orleans home. Beyond the personal impact, Katrina posed an unexpected challenge for Ms. Bazan-Manson, as her local community formulated its response to the disaster and aided families that were relocated to the Triangle region, which includes the cities of Durham, Raleigh, and Chapel Hill.

As if that weren’t enough, on the day before she started her new job, in October, her 4-year-old daughter tumbled off a chair, breaking her arm.

“I guess that’s just the way my life has always been,” Ms. Bazan-Manson says with a resigned laugh. “But I feel very centered now. I’m very satisfied sitting at this desk. It’s been a very smooth transition.”

As executive director and chief lobbyist at El Pueblo, Ms. Bazan-Manson, who is herself Latina, expanded the organization into one with a 23-person staff and $1.5-million budget. She pitched state and federal lawmakers on issues such as Latino health, education, and immigration. In addition to becoming attuned to the political process, her lobbying experience gave her key connections that she says will now benefit Triangle Community Foundation.

Ms. Bazan-Manson, who started her career working for organizations that focus on public health, says her lobbying efforts helped lead to increases in state spending for English-as-a-second-language programs in public schools, for housing programs that serve the poor, for community colleges, and for health-care issues that disproportionately affect minorities, such as HIV/AIDS, diabetes, and obesity.

“I am most proud of establishing myself as a credible lobbyist — and someone who could work with both sides of the aisle,” she says.

Peter Meehan, Triangle Community Foundation’s board chairman, says Ms. Bazan-Manson’s knowledge of the state’s Latinos and lawmakers are key assets for leading the organization. North Carolina’s Latino population is one of the fastest growing in the country. From 1990 to 2004, Hispanics accounted for almost 28 percent of the state’s population growth.

Mr. Meehan stressed, however, that the totality of her professional background was the deciding factor in choosing her for Triangle’s top job. “Everything she has done in North Carolina has been in service to others,” he says.

Ms. Bazan-Manson’s current challenge is to expand the foundation, whose mission is to increase private philanthropy in Wake, Durham, Orange, and Chatham Counties. Shannon St. John, the foundation’s only prior leader, retired in August after 21 years.

During her tenure, Ms. St. John, whom her successor calls “a wonderful visionary,” helped the foundation grow from its original seed money of $3,000 to more than $100-million in assets.

“Frankly, I wasn’t looking for a change,” says Ms. Bazan-Manson, who was recruited by a search firm. “I didn’t know I’d be heading down this road, but now that I’m here I get more and more excited about the possibilities every day.”

In an interview, she discussed her advocacy background and the future of Triangle Community Foundation.

How will your experience as a lobbyist be an asset in your new job?

I never really planned to be a lobbyist, but certainly I’ve made good connections with the leadership and others in the state General Assembly. Many were happy to hear of my new position and want to get more engaged with our foundation.

What has it been like moving from an advocacy group to one with a broader vision?

That certainly was part of the appeal — to be part of an organization that looks at the entire region was exciting to me. It’s a unique region that covers four counties that have a lot of rich history and a lot of challenges, including poverty, crime, health-care access, and problems associated with the rapid growth of the region.

I am trying to take my time to really understand the community and our organization’s role. This is a new sector for me. I have been on the advisory side, and have experience in government, nonprofit, and academic sectors. This is exciting because it has pieces of all those sectors.

What is your vision for the foundation?

I am a big proponent of making a community impact. One of the unique aspects of our organization is that 65 percent of funds are donor-advised — meaning the donor creates a fund and then contributes to it. I really want to move beyond writing the check. I want to make philanthropy more meaningful for the donor and the community.

Do you see any particular threats or opportunities for nonprofit organizations on the current political landscape?

I often encounter the misconception that nonprofit organizations are not allowed to lobby under IRS rules. This is simply not true. Even organizations that employ several lobbyists fall well under the limit that the IRS sets for nonprofit lobbying. I strongly believe that in order to fulfill a community-focused mission, one must become involved in advocacy. Those of us in philanthropy have a responsibility to help educate nonprofits, other funding sources, and the public about the importance of participating in the process.

Based on my experience as a lobbyist, I see many opportunities for nonprofit organizations to become involved in the political landscape as advocates, as experts for our elected officials as they weigh decisions, and as spokespeople to garner public support or opposition on issues.

Over the past three or four years, we have seen a small number of nonprofit organizations, mainly national ones, get investigated for their political activities. But these should not be seen as threats to this important function. They should instead be seen as motivators to our sector to become more knowledgeable and involved.

Are you concerned that the response to Hurricane Katrina will lead to donor fatigue?

Certainly, that is always a concern, but I would say Katrina has also raised awareness. I think Katrina raised issues of race relations, poverty, and how quick a disaster can devastate. I have seen increasing donor interest and awareness. We had a lot of donors who were doing good work. I also think that local people saw images on television and realized we are dealing with a lot of those same issues locally.

ABOUT ANDREA BAZAN-MANSON, PRESIDENT OF TRIANGLE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

Education: Earned a master’s degree in social work and a master’s degree in public health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology at Millsaps College, in Jackson, Miss.

Previous employment: Helped create El Pueblo, a Latino advocacy group in Raleigh, N.C. Also worked as a research associate at the North Carolina Office of Minority Health, Department of Health and Human Services; served as training coordinator at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Public Health.

What she’s reading: Watching TV Off the Back of a Fire Truck: Voices From the Floyd Flood in Eastern North Carolina, published by the North Carolina Humanities Council.