Though Kristen Merrifield now serves as the CEO of the Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits, she did not start out with plans to work in the nonprofit sector. Initially, she wanted to be a banker because she loved numbers. In fact, when she began working at the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce as the Director of Small Business, she thought the position would be outside of her comfort zone.
“I didn’t think I would like it because I’m an introvert, and it seemed to require a more outgoing personality,” Merrifield recalls. “But I loved it, and it really helped me get out of my shell.” With the realization that she loved this type of work, she decided to focus her career on associations. She worked next as an Events Specialist at the Arizona State University Foundation, and then as the COO of the Arizona Small Business Association. In the latter position, Merrifield served for nine years, digging into the work of serving a particular sector of organizations. Then in 2015, she joined the Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits as the organization’s CEO.
“Our mission is to unite, strengthen, and advance the Arizona nonprofit sector,” Merrifield says. Beyond advocating on behalf of the sector, the Alliance also teaches and empowers their members to advocate for themselves. For member organizations, the Alliance provides education, training, and other tools like insurance anddiscounts on a variety of services.. Currently, the Arizona legislature is in session, and the Alliance is tracking the progression of a number of bills.
“Our mission is to unite, strengthen, and advance the Arizona nonprofit sector.” – Kristen Merrifield
“At the federal level, we were able to advocate to limit further erosion of the Johnson Amendment in the new tax bill,” Merrifield says in regards to the amendment that prevents nonprofit organizations from endorsing political candidates. “This is important because it keeps politics out of the critical work nonprofits do on behalf of the community,” Merrifield adds. The Alliance also recently finished its strategy session for the next two years. Merrifield mentions one initiative the organization is introducing, which she refers to as “building a new table.” In the nonprofit sector, Merrifield says that we often talk about “being invited to the table” for important discussions, but she suggests a more proactive role.
“Instead of asking to be invited, let’s create a conversation, convene people, and bring them to our table,” Merrifield says. She encourages the Alliance’s members to take on this philosophy. In the year ahead, she hopes to help position the nonprofit sector as an essential partner. Her goal is to ensure that nonprofits are recognized for their important role in our local and state economy, just like their counterparts in businesses and government, because she knows that nonprofits are not always valued in this way.
“Instead of asking to be invited, let’s create a conversation, convene people, and bring them to our table.” – Kristen Merrifield
“If you listen to the media, the nonprofit sector can sometimes have a negative perception because of a few bad apples,” Merrifield says. In her view, the conversation should focus on the efficiency and innovation of the majority of nonprofits, and the work they are accomplishing. Rather than focusing on only one statistic, like overhead percentage, Merrifield encourages others to look more holistically at the impact of the sector. Nonprofits in Arizona are doing important work, and part of Merrifield’s work is making sure others know about it.
