Here’s a summary of Episode 9 of the Connect Vegas podcast featuring Karen Alonso, Vice President of Marketing for United Way of Southern Nevada:

Highlights:

1. Karen Alonso's Role and Impact: Karen Alonso oversees marketing and leads the Women United Affinity Group at United Way of Southern Nevada, focusing on community impact through three pillars: student success, workforce development, and crisis support.
2. United Way’s Local Programs: The organization offers crucial programs like Project Reach (utility assistance for seniors) and Nevada Ready Pre-K (free preschool for children from low-income families), serving over 225,000 people in Southern Nevada last year.
3. Challenges in Marketing Nonprofits: Karen explains how marketing nonprofit organizations requires compassion and storytelling to show donors the direct impact of their contributions, which can be a challenge for nonprofits with limited budgets.
4. Women United Affinity Group: Karen leads the Women United group, which funds scholarships for female high school seniors attending Nevada colleges. The group also organizes community volunteer efforts and networking events.
5. Career Background: Karen shared her career journey, starting in New Jersey, transitioning from studying biochemistry to marketing, and eventually moving to Las Vegas to work with nonprofits, where she found her passion in impacting the local community.
6. Fundraising and Storytelling: Karen emphasizes the importance of storytelling to connect with donors and secure funding, highlighting United Way’s role in vetting local nonprofits and helping tackle community challenges on a broad scale.
7. New Grant for Language Access: Karen discusses a recent $1 million federal grant to support non-English speakers, which will provide resources to ensure they can access United Way’s programs, enhancing inclusivity in Southern Nevada.
8. Advice for Nonprofits: She encourages nonprofits to focus on compelling storytelling to stand out in a crowded market, emphasizing the importance of showing donors how their contributions make a tangible difference.