Dr Jun Love Young of Beloved Arise: 5 Things You Need To Know To Successfully Lead A Nonprofit Organization
Do you really need to start a non-profit? Yes, I know you see something wrong in the world and want to make a difference, but do you need to create a new non-profit organization to do so? Launching and sustaining a non-profit takes a lot of blood, sweat, and tears! It could also potentially duplicate efforts and dilute already limited funding resources. So to me, the first question should always be: Is this even necessary? With over 1.5 million tax-exempt non-profits in the U.S., chances are there’s an organization out there doing this work and would welcome your support as a donor, volunteer, or even board member. If that organization doesn’t exist, maybe you can find a close match and convince them to add services or programs that address the issue you care about. Or you could start by organizing folks in your community and online and see what you can accomplish together without forming a non-profit. In my case with Beloved Arise, I spent months researching other organizations and looking for good reasons NOT to start a new non-profit. I eventually concluded that nothing like Beloved Arise exists out there, and I just couldn’t live with that.
As part of my series about “individuals and organizations making an important social impact”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Jun Love Young.
Dr. Jun Love Young is the founder and director of Beloved Arise. He is a passionate advocate for the spiritual flourishing of those in the LGBTQ+ community. In 2020, he founded Beloved Arise, the first national organization dedicated to celebrating and empowering LGBTQ+ youth of faith.
Thank you so much for doing this with us. Before we begin our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”?
I was born in the Philippines and spent my childhood there until we immigrated to the United States in 1982. Even as a kid, I had dreams of becoming a leader and entrepreneur, and making a difference in the world. My parents, who were both nurses, didn’t really know what to do with me, but they were supportive. I was the first in my family to go to university, pursue a master’s, and earn a PhD. After over a decade in the tech industry, I decided to start my own business — a marketing creative agency. With 11 years under my belt as a business owner, I felt ready to pursue my next venture — a non-profit called Beloved Arise.
Can you tell us the story behind why you decided to start or join your non nonprofit?
Growing up in conservative Christian environments, I struggled with accepting my sexuality for most of my life. But then four years ago, I fell in love with an amazing man, and I decided that I would no longer be ashamed of who I am. But when I came out as a gay Christian, I experienced such harsh opposition from my faith communities. I basically got kicked out and told I no longer belonged. This was a difficult season in my life, but also became the source of inspiration and clarity behind my work with the LGBTQ+ community. It opened my eyes to the ongoing marginalization and persecution of LGBTQ+ people, particularly in faith spaces. I began meeting other queer people, including many youth and young adults, who were similarly rejected by their faith communities. And I thought, we have to do something to change this. We have to stand up for who we are — ALL of who we are. I felt compelled to do something to change the narrative around faith and queerness. I wanted to create a world where our LGBTQ+ youth know that their faith is valid, valuable, and holy. And that’s how Beloved Arise came to be.
BTW, that man I fell in love with four years ago is now my husband! ☺
Can you describe how you or your organization aims to make a significant social impact?
There’s an ongoing misconception that queerness and faith don’t go together. But the reality is the LGBTQ+ community is beautifully diverse and includes youth and young adults who value faith as an integral part of their identity. In fact, according to a report by the Trevor Project, one in four LGBTQ+ youth say their faith is important to them. But sadly, in many faith communities today, young believers are exposed to toxic theologies and queer-phobic belief systems that condemn queerness. As a result, many youth become spiritual outcasts. Others experience such despair, shame, and self-loathing that they lose their will to live. An estimated 1.8 million LGBTQ+ youth and young adults seriously consider suicide each year. So, at the heart of our work is a somber awareness that we are literally fighting for the lives of queer youth, and in particular, those in religious spaces.
Since Beloved Arise began two and half years ago, we’ve served as a beacon of hope for LGBTQ+ youth who have experienced shame and rejection from their faith communities. We are the only national youth organization dedicated to championing the needs of queer youth of faith. We offer resources, support, and community that aims to bring healing and hope to queer youth. Most of our outreach and engagement with youth happens through our social media accounts on Instagram and TikTok, where we share positive, uplifting, and educational content designed for queer youth and young adults who come from a variety of faith traditions. We try to keep the message simple: you are beloved just as you are!
Without saying any names, can you share a story about an individual who was helped by your idea so far?
I think 15-year-old Alex Churchman — who has shared his story publicly — is a beautiful example of the difference we strive to make in the lives of LGBTQ+ youth. Like so many other queer youth, Alex faced rejection and condemnation from his faith community. Depressed and suicidal, Alex ended up in the hospital. Alex’s mom, Ashley Churchman, found Beloved Arise on Instagram and asked our community for support. Within a day, we gathered more than 40 encouraging letters and sent them to Alex. Since then, Alex has found a community of other LGBTQ+ youth of faith through Beloved Arise.
Another great example are our youth ambassadors who were selected earlier this year as part of Queer Youth of Faith Day — an annual Pride Month event hosted by Beloved Arise. Our ambassadors, who come from Christian, Jewish, and Mormon backgrounds, have been able to share their stories with local and national news outlets — and in doing so, they are challenging the narrative and showing us that queer youth of faith have an important place in this world. I think this is important because prior to Beloved Arise, queer youth of faith have been somewhat silenced and unseen.
Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
Over the last year, we’ve seen some of the most aggressive anti-queer and anti-trans legislation upheld in several states. And many of them seem to target the lives of LGBTQ+ youth who are already the most vulnerable people in the LGBTQ+ community with 45% of queer youth seriously considering suicide in the last year. We need all hands-on deck to protect the lives of queer youth. Within the context of our work at Beloved Arise, the most important thing we can do is challenge this assumption that queerness and faith are incompatible. We do this by, 1) challenging our own deep-seated assumptions; 2) publicly advocating for the rights of LGBTQ+ people (especially youth) to practice and express their faith; and 3) urging our own faith communities to care for and protect the lives of queer youth.
How do you define “Leadership”? Can you explain what you mean or give an example?
I define leadership simply as the desire to help and make a difference. Sometimes we think in order to be a leader, we have to have a big role or title. I think everyone can be a leader if they are willing to roll up their sleeves, get their hands dirty and do the work that needs to be done.
Based on your experience, what are the “5 things a person should know before they decide to start a non profit”. Please share a story or example for each.
- Do you really need to start a non-profit? Yes, I know you see something wrong in the world and want to make a difference, but do you need to create a new non-profit organization to do so? Launching and sustaining a non-profit takes a lot of blood, sweat, and tears! It could also potentially duplicate efforts and dilute already limited funding resources. So to me, the first question should always be: Is this even necessary? With over 1.5 million tax-exempt non-profits in the U.S., chances are there’s an organization out there doing this work and would welcome your support as a donor, volunteer, or even board member. If that organization doesn’t exist, maybe you can find a close match and convince them to add services or programs that address the issue you care about. Or you could start by organizing folks in your community and online and see what you can accomplish together without forming a non-profit. In my case with Beloved Arise, I spent months researching other organizations and looking for good reasons NOT to start a new non-profit. I eventually concluded that nothing like Beloved Arise exists out there, and I just couldn’t live with that.
- What’s your business plan? Establishing successful non-profits require business-minded folks who know how to create a non-profit business plan, accurately assess funding sources, and secure the alliances and partnerships required, especially in the early phases. Even with my years of experience running a successful business, I felt ill-equipped to build a solid non-profit business plan and relied on the wisdom of friends and colleagues with non-profit experience. I strongly urge anyone thinking of starting a non-profit to work on a solid business plan before you do anything else. No website. No campaigns. No events. Pitch your business plan with potential major donors and possible board members for at least six months before you move forward with anything else.
- How best can you contribute? As a founder of a non-profit, I expected to wear all the hats as we got the organization off the ground. It was actually a lot of fun at the time! But I made the grave mistake of allowing this to continue for almost two years, even when we had a staff onboard who were willing to take on some of my responsibilities. I was afraid that if I didn’t do it, it wouldn’t get done or it wouldn’t get done “right.” I nearly drove myself into the ground, neglecting my relationships, my health, not to mention my full-time job running another business. This mistake also led to some frustrating organizational challenges which I attribute to my poor leadership and inability to spend the time needed to build trust and empower others. One of my mentors helped me realize that taking on more than I am able is not the best way for me to contribute to the mission of Beloved Arise. Since then, I have let go of most of my operational responsibilities and focused my time and energy on the roles that play to my unique strengths as a leader and as a creative marketer.
- Besides donations and grants, how else can you get funded? Most non-profits rely on individual donations and grants for their funding sources. So, if you’re starting a new non-profit, it may benefit you to think about other creative ways to fund your work besides asking people to give you money. Sell products or services. Build strategic partnerships. Create a separate monetization channel that funds your work. Get creative! I used to serve on the board of a non-profit that ran several entities, including a radio station and a private school which generated enough income to support the other entities. A brilliant example of this is what Carlos Rodriguez is doing with his The Happy Givers online shop which generates enough income to fund his non-profit work in Puerto Rico.
- Who are your customers? The non-profit world doesn’t typically talk about “customers”, but when you think about it, every non-profit hopes to “sell” something to a group of people. For example, the homeless youth shelter where I used to volunteer had to engage effectively with three primary “customers:” 1) the youth staying at the shelter; 2) the volunteers running the shelter; and 3) the donors providing for the shelter’s operational costs. Each of these “customers” are needed for the shelter to fulfill its mission and thrive as an organization. And each of these “customers” have different needs, values, motivations, aspirations, and expectations. “Selling” the shelter to youth requires something altogether different than selling to volunteers or donors. I’ve seen new non-profits falter because they haven’t done a thorough “customer profile analysis” or they devote disproportionate time with one customer segment while neglecting others.
We are very blessed that very prominent leaders read this column. Is there a person in the world who you would like to talk to, to share the idea behind your non profit? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
I dream of partnering with Glennon Doyle and Sir Elton John on this work. I just know they would get excited about what we’re doing to lift up the voices of LGBTQ+ youth of faith!
Can you share your favorite “Life Lesson” Quote? How is that relevant to you in your life?
I love the quote commonly attributed to Mother Teresa: “We can do no great things; only small things with great love.” This is how I approach most of my endeavors. Instead of trying to do big, grand things that typically end up overwhelming me to the point of inaction, I focus on the small things and do them with deep compassion and care. I find that the love behind my work goes a long way, and in the end, makes all the difference.
How can our readers follow you online?
I’m active on LinkedIn and Instagram. Search for @junloveyoung
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success in your mission.
Thanks so much!
Dr Jun Love Young of Beloved Arise: 5 Things You Need To Know To Successfully Lead A Nonprofit… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.