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Ghassan and Manal Saab
James Jabara
Rita Mansour
Nuha Nakib
Ghassan and Manal Saab
Flint, MI
We are deeply proud to announce that Ghassan and Manal Saab have been awarded the 2010 Russell G. Mawby Award for Philanthropy – the most prestigious philanthropy award in Michigan! Nominated by the Community Foundation of Greater Flint, the Saabs are the first Flint-area philanthropists and the first immigrants to receive this award!
The Saabs have dedicated their lives to serving communities in the U.S. and abroad. With their philosophy of “giving back and paying forward,” they have touched the lives of many people and made a lasting impact that will be felt by future generations worldwide. With their financial contributions, as well as time and talent, the Saabs are an admirable example of commitment and passion.
As members of the CAAP Professional Advisory Board and the Arab American National Museum’s National Advisory Board, the Saabs have been instrumental in moving both projects forward and positioning them as a powerful national presence. We are grateful for their friendship, guidance, and leadership. Changing the world through their generosity, they are a true inspiration.
.jpg) James Jabara
Plymouth, MI
For Jim Jabara, the third child in a family of seven, philanthropy begins at home. “I start with the community and try to set an example for others. Eventually, you can make changes in your community and the surrounding areas. Change does not happen overnight.”
Jim’s commitment to giving back to his community began as a teenager in his father’s grocery store in a small town in northern Michigan. “Our father was a very generous person. In a lot of instances, he gave credit to people, though he knew in his heart that he would not get paid.” Jim’s father instilled in him a sense of responsibility to community. He also taught his children the values of service and hard work. “Having been raised as a first generation American with a strong work ethic was a plus that I did not realize until later in life.”
Jim first started giving back as a young man in Grand Rapids by helping elderly neighbors with outdoor chores in the winter and the summer. Since moving to Plymouth, Michigan in 1959, Jim has started a Kiwanis club, served on the board of directors of the Salvation Army for over 30 years, spent 16 years on the City Commission, served on the Library and Chamber of Commerce boards and recently started a Community Foundation in Plymouth to support local nonprofits.
Jim says, “When I get involved, I wear my nationality on my arm. A lot of people are afraid to do that. But when you get involved as an Arab American, people look at you differently and, by being involved, you break down the barriers and the discrimination that some people have about Arabs.”
Toledo, OH
As the Senior Managing Director at Thomas McDonald Partners, an investment management firm in Ohio, Rita Mansour has had plenty of experience with financial planning. When asked how Arab Americans should approach philanthropy, Rita emphasized the importance of setting forth a plan. “Arab Americans are very generous but there is often no planning in their giving.” Rita believes that education is the first step in making one’s giving more strategic. “Giving people knowledge so they can find their passion for giving is very important to me. As a financial advisor I enjoy connecting people to their passions. And someone who finds their passion will be much more likely to give.”
Rita’s passion for philanthropy began at an early age. Her religious upbringing as a Muslim, the teaching of her parents in adhering to giving to charity, and the Catholic high school she attended engrained in her the importance of giving back to the community. The first time Rita gave was in elementary school when she assisted a family in need by raising money at a lemonade stand. “I remember it making me feel good—like I was helping.”
Later, while attending college at The University of Toledo, Rita’s passion for philanthropy grew with the stewardship she witnessed of her sorority sister and best friend, Sue Hague-Rogers. “She was always sacrificing her time and trying to raise money for people in need. It made me realize that I should do the same thing—that giving money and time is a responsibility.”
The notion that giving back to the community is a social responsibility has stuck with Rita far beyond her college days. In addition to her career at Thomas McDonald Partners, Rita serves as a board member of organizations such as the Arts Commission of Greater Toledo, the Toledo Opera, the Toledo Children’s Hospital Foundation, and the Toledo Community Foundation. Additionally, Rita is a founding member of Chicks for Charity, a group of women who aim to fulfill their philanthropic potential by financially assisting one non-profit group a year through various fundraisers. Rita hopes that one day she will start a family foundation with her siblings and relatives so that she can make an impact not only in her community but in the greater community as well.
With so many commitments to various organizations, as well as ambitious plans for her future, Rita still finds time to serve on the Leadership Circle of the Center for Arab American Philanthropy (CAAP). “Yes I’m involved with a lot of organizations, but to me CAAP ties everything I do together. Giving back to the community doesn’t necessarily have to mean giving money. It can mean giving your time, or even just learning about giving.” Rita realizes that many people never have the opportunity to learn about the various ways to give, and this is why the mission of CAAP to promote, facilitate and celebrate Arab American giving through education, training and donor outreach and services, is so important to her.
In recognition of all of her philanthropic work, Rita recently received the 2008 Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals. “It felt good to be recognized for all of my work, but I also felt that there were many other people who do more than I do who deserved the award.” Rita is accustomed to being an advisor, but maybe if we were to give her some advice we would tell her to have a little less humility and appreciate the fact that she has undoubtedly become a role model in the field of philanthropy.
Chicago, IL
Nuha Nakib, an associate professor at the University of Illinois College of Dentistry and successful periodontist who recently established a Donor-Advised Fund with the Center for Arab American Philanthropy (CAAP), began thinking about how to give back to her community over 25 years ago. Inspired by her father, who was a very giving man and supported many educational causes, Nuha’s first experience with philanthropy was the giving of her time and skills to help educate others about dental health, disease prevention, and the importance of regular dental treatment. Nuha was even part of a group of physicians and dentists who formed a committee to raise funds to equip a small clinic in a refugee camp in the West Bank. She told CAAP staff: “It’s important for me and other Arab Americans to get involved because I believe a community becomes stronger and more respectable when its members get involved and make contributions.”
Later in Nuha’s life, personal tragedy made it even more important to her to become involved in giving back to her community. “In two consecutive years I lost both my husband and my father, and I wanted to do something in their name. I wanted to give back to them by giving to the community, because education was so important to both of them. Educating our future is the best way to honor them,” she said. So when the Arab American Association of Engineers and Architects (AAAEA) contacted her regarding their scholarship program to help students pay for college, Nuha knew that she wanted to help. Nuha believes that supporting education will help students “be productive members of their community so that in the future they will support the same community that helped them.” Her Donor-Advised Fund directed to AAAEA, and established at CAAP, will not only help students pursue their educational dreams, but will also leave a philanthropic legacy for her father and husband by naming the funds in their honor.
In addition to her involvement in programs that educate the community and encourage the next generation to further their knowledge, Nuha is also active in the Arab American Medical Association and the Arab American Business Association. She hopes that one day she will have the money to build a school or a hospital for the needy. Nuha believes that it is important for Arab Americans to get involved in philanthropy because “it is very rewarding to contribute your time and money to worthy causes, knowing that you can make a difference in someone’s life and contribute to the progress of our community. It’s a great feeling.”
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