Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Jean Siao. Read her story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.
Jean Siao wants AAPI New Yorkers to have every opportunity to succeed in their city, and she’s doing whatever she can to make it happen. As the Board Secretary of the Asian American Federation, an organization whose mission is centered on amplifying the influence and enhancing the well-being of the pan-Asian American community, Jean guides the CEO on goals and budgets, advises on strategy, and fundraises year-round, especially for the Impact Awards gala. Pulling from the detail-oriented nature of her professional career as a scientist, she diligently prepares for the monthly Executive Committee meetings and quarterly board meetings, where she’s responsible for tracking tasks for the board committees, compiling meeting notes, and serving as a source of support for the Board Chair and CEO on organizational strategy, particularly in areas of research and data collection.
She also works to cultivate an active donor base, channeling funds into the organization so they can help to strengthen small businesses and direct service nonprofits, aid owners in navigating compliance and digital marketing, and turn data into insights that inform policymakers. During her time with the organization, Jean’s diverse accomplishments have included working on the federation’s Hope Against Hate campaign, which provides safety tools and advocates with government while aiding victims of anti-Asian bias. She’s also launched a Mental Health Awareness initiative and built the first local map of in-language providers, helping to advance civic knowledge and rights.
Looking forward, Jean hopes to continue being an active participant in crafting the future of the organization. They just hired a new associate director, and she’d love to be more hands-on with this person and craft the future direction of the research arm. Of course, she’s planning to continue fundraising and seeking out additional board members who can advocate for the organization. Jean believes there is plenty of work to be done ahead of her, and she’s eager to channel her passion for volunteer work into bettering her community.
What inspired you to get started with this initiative?
I went to an event with some work colleagues and met someone at this event, and she turned out to be the chair of the board of directors at the Asian American Federation. We started talking about current events in 2017, and we talked about what we cared about in terms of socioeconomic situations in the country. Then, I went to a couple of galas, which are fundraising events for the Asian American Federation, and I was blown away by the passion and the enthusiasm from both staff and the board of directors. I was inspired to join them.
What inspires you to volunteer?
I’ve always liked the idea of volunteering, but never really had time. I would instead donate money, especially once I started working after school. But I felt at the time that I really wanted to do more for my community and to do more to amplify our voice in the community where we live. Also, as a scientist, I’m very passionate about data. The federation actually has an arm of the organization that’s dedicated to collecting and analyzing data and then publishing reports on it. That, plus the fact that I wanted to do something for the community, made me decide I wanted to devote the time to this. Initially, it was four board meetings a year, so it wasn’t really tough. Once I joined the executive committee as secretary, that took that started to take more time.
Tell us about your volunteer role with the Asian American Federation.
It’s a lot of meetings. It’s great because we get to really talk about the ongoing activities, celebrate the successes, and plan for the future of the federation. Big-picture-wise, it very much feels like I’m making a difference both to current goings-on as well as helping to plan the future direction of the organization. Practically speaking, most of it is trying to get other board members to take action. It’s really joining in whenever I can with ideas or suggestions or taking on actions that we end up discussing. Then the other part of what I do is actually fundraising. We have one fundraising gala a year, and we also do regular fundraising events throughout the year. I talk with folks that I know or organizations or groups that I know to see whether or not I could drum up funding for the organization.
What’s been the most rewarding part of your work?
Interacting with the hardworking and very passionate staff. The federation has member agencies and partner organizations in the community, and so I also get to meet the staff and some of the community members that they serve. The federation ourselves aren’t always making contact or connecting with individuals in the community, so it’s really impactful when I get to meet the people that we serve and the staff that is out there day to day doing the hard work.
What have you learned through your experiences as a volunteer?
I’ve learned that volunteering is hard, but making and maintaining those connections that I have started is really important for any initiative, whether it’s networking for work, networking for fundraising, or other goals. Maintaining those relationships is really important. I’m constantly making outreach and reinitiating contact just to say hello.
Why is it important for others to get involved with causes they care about?
I think It’s because it’s really satisfying to be working on something. Giving dollars is really nice if you can do it, because it’s also satisfying in a way. There’s a concrete, tangible goal for giving that money, but giving time is probably even more impactful for me, partly because we don’t have that much time, so every minute does count. Also that it’s just an additional point of satisfaction that I’m doing something that makes a difference. It’s something that I care about, and it’s goals and people that I care about. It just makes that much more important for me to do.
Any advice for people who want to start volunteering?
Sign up for something that they do care about. Figure out if it’s food insecurity, combating poverty, or education. Whatever it is they care about, find that first volunteering effort. That very first touchpoint establishes that contact, and it should only take a couple of hours, but it’s so worth it. Hopefully that’ll get them going to do more and more and more.
What do you want people to learn from your story?
Volunteering can take on so many facets. There are so many ways that we can contribute to the community. It’s whatever I could give at the time. When I was still in school and I couldn’t afford to contribute financially, I would give $10 to the food pantry, or I would volunteer a couple of hours on the weekend repacking food. But once I was able to make that financial contribution, that is what I ended up doing. What I want folks to know is what I’ve learned, which is that whatever way I could help others is the most impactful way. It really doesn’t matter what that looks like or how much that is. It’s what I can give at that moment.
Do you want to make a difference in your community like Jean? Find local volunteer opportunities.