Thank Your Mentor Day
Mentorship is invaluable for our careers and lives. At WOC, we’re highlighting Zena for her work in our Mentor Match program.
We Asked Zena
How many WOC members have you mentored to-date?
I’ve been a mentor since the programs’ inception in 2021. In my first year, I mentored 18; overall, I’ve mentored 29. This past year, three of the 10 mentees I have are those who started with me three years ago and six others from two years ago. I know of at least one early mentee who is now a mentor herself.
Why is mentorship important?
For those of us who have more wisdom and experience under our wings, pay it forward and become a mentor, informally and/or formally through WOC’s Mentor Match program. I personally gain as much, if not more, from my mentees as I share with them. These are some of my most valued relationships.
What advice would you give to women of color in the fields of fundraising and philanthropy?
The advice I have for BIPOC women in fundraising and philanthropy is to build and nurture your community. It’s never too early -or too late- to cultivate a mentor (or multiple mentors) to be that external sounding board or occasional shoulder to lean or cry on.
We need all those peers and role models who understand our field and our motivations for doing what we do and giving what we give. They can be amongst our most trusted advisors.
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Mentor Match
