CHICAGO – When Monique Hanson sold her first box of Girl Scout Cookies at age 8, she got hooked on fundraising.
She went from selling cookies door-to-door to raffles in high school and then, after college, a career helping organizations like the Alzheimer's Association, the YMCA of the USA and National Public Radio raise money.
Hanson was on the board of the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois for a decade before joining the organization as director of development earlier this year. Her charge at the nearly 71-year-old organization is to increase its donor base and embrace what she calls the "next generation" of philanthropists aimed at keeping the group's mission — promoting civil rights and criminal justice, among other issues — alive.
Hanson, 53, sat down with the Chicago Tribune to discuss philanthropy and how to convince people to give.
Q: What are the ACLU's biggest challenges and priorities today?
A: Our priorities are the work in racial justice, women's rights and reproductive rights, the rights of children in foster care, and people with disabilities. The primary challenge is resourcing the work adequately in a time of budgetary constraints.
Q: Why did you get involved in the ACLU so many years ago? Why is it important to you personally?
A: My father was an immigrant — South Asian, and as a newcomer to this country, he believed, and I believe, this is the greatest country in the world. I learned very early that what makes this country special is our Constitution, our rule of law.
