By Ji Hyun Lim | AsianWeek Staff Writer

Jan Masaoka, 51, sits humbly at the helm as executive director of CompassPoint Nonprofit Services — one of the West Coast’s leading national nonprofit consulting firms. This year, her dedication, creativity and leadership has been honored by The NonProfit Times, the leading business publication for nonprofit management, as Nonprofit Executive of the Year for 2002.

When asked how she felt about receiving such an honor, Masaoka calmly retorts, “They were giving the honor more to the organization and not just me.”

Laughing, she adds, “I hope the award results in lots of foundations giving us tons of money. Seriously, though, it made my mom really happy and my mom said my father who died about six years ago would be so proud of me. I think for any Asian daughter, that’s the best thing anyone could say.”

Masaoka attributes her humility to being raised by “a good village,” a community made up of family, friends, churches and other grassroots organizations. She sees herself as a product of a long history of community and family activism and says many of her values and organizational theories are derived from these concepts of community service and nurturing the talents of those around her.

Mike Allison, associate director of CompassPoint comments, “It’s really about trying to influence the shape of society in a progressive and influential way. That’s a voice or perspective that is not the mainstream. A lot of people are drawn to the work as an advocate for that perspective and that is really something that has distinguished Jan for the last few years.”

Allison points out that Masaoka aims high and her vision to expand the resources of CompassPoint includes the creation and anticipation of new opportunities. Masaoka is also noted for her “down-to-earth” style of leadership, never losing “touch with the real reason the work exists.”

Down-to-earth, she is. Masaoka grew up all around the Bay Area. She attended UC Santa Cruz, spent some time away and finished her degree in economics at San Francisco State University. For four years, she was a checker at Lucky’s grocery store and eventually began to work for nonprofit organizations and women’s employment oranizations as a researcher.

Masaoka attests that her involvement with nonprofits stemmed from her family’s deep involvement with Japanese American movements. Her father worked as a lobbyist for the Japanese American Citizens League in Washington D.C. in 1953. Her family also contested the Alien Land Law before the California Supreme Court. The 1952 case challenged the law that stated that children of immigrant issei, first generation Japanese Americans, could not hold titles for land.

“[The case], pierced the corporate veil,” Masaoka said. “I think that in California now, every issue is an Asian American issue. Now that 35 percent of the children in San Francisco public schools are Asian, public education is an Asian American cause.

“Healthcare, Alzheimer’s care, civil rights and toxic waste are all Asian American causes. We shouldn’t be under the illusion that somebody else is going to address social problems.”

Masaoka’s philosophy of being both accountable and proactive has been at the crux of her leadership style. She works with organizations such as the API Wellness Center, the Chinatown Community Housing Corporation and the Japantown Task Force.

“Organizations and communities of color are often not just service providers but they’re also community leaders,” Masaoka argues. “They’re activists and that’s part of what’s so interesting and so important about working with them.”

CompassPoint has been a key player in the success of many nonprofits on the West Coast. Masaoka’s 12 years of work, nine of them as executive director have resulted in more than 300 nonprofits turning to this thriving organization as a problem-solving vehicle. CompassPoint’s work reaped $3.5 million dollars last year, despite the current economic downturn.

With a staff of 41, located in offices in San Francisco and San Jose, CompassPoint is funded by donations and local government grants.

Allison adds, “In the last few years, [Masaoka has] really been recognized as one of the leading thinkers in the sector nationally and the quality, thinking and vision of what’s possible continues to be a big source of inspiration.”

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Reach Ji Hyun Lim at jlim@asianweek.com