Remembering Fred

It was with deep sadness that New York Nonprofit brought to our readers the news of the passing of Fred Scaglione, the publication’s founder and original editor, on Aug. 6. Since then, we’ve received an incredible outpouring of thoughtful and emotional remembrances from the New York Nonprofit community, many of which we’ve included below.

Fred Scaglione, founder and editor emeritus of New York Nonprofit Media, who was widely considered a leading journalistic voice for the state’s nonprofit sector, died on Aug. 6 after a long battle with cancer. He was 65. He is survived by his sons, Thomas and Adam Scaglione, as well as his close friend and partner, Wendy Conway.

Scaglione’s work with New York Nonprofit media – which was originally founded under the name New York Nonprofit Press – conscientiously and thoroughly covered the triumphs and challenges of nonprofit agencies. Long based in Chatham, New York, NYNP was founded under the maxim of “serving people who serve people,” and Scaglione’s in-depth reporting highlighted the efforts of agencies from across the state, from the tip of Long Island to New York City, the Capitol Region and beyond. 

Known for his fastidious interviewing, compassion for the work of human services organizations and acute understanding of budgetary matters, Scaglione was able to distill the complex inner workings of government and nonprofit agencies down to cogent analyses. The publication’s “Agency of the Month” feature became a sought-after honor during his tenure, and his breakdown of the state’s budget was often a vital source for nonprofit executive directors and government agency heads alike.

In May, when Scaglione was honored at the Council of Family and Child Caring Agencies’ annual meeting, Gerald McCaffery, president and CEO of MercyFirst, reflected on NYNP's – and Scaglione’s – impact on the state’s nonprofit sector.

“It pointed out to me that we now had a public forum, a place to identify and press issues we believed were important about our sector and the work we did,” McCaffery said. “We would be able to get the attention of the powers that be in more public ways than ever before. People at every level were reading and paying attention to what was printed in New York Nonprofit.”

Scaglione was born on Nov. 16, 1949, in New York City’s Queens Village, where his parents, Frank Scaglione and Winnefred “Peg” Avis, settled after World War II. His father and mother met during the war while his father served as a medic in the Eighth Air Force in England.   

As a child, Scaglione loved Western films and baseball, and was a dedicated Cub Scout and Boy Scout, with his mother serving as his troop’s leader. As an adolescent, he was an avid and successful swimmer at Bishop Reilly High School.

Thomas Scaglione, one of Fred's two sons, said the environment of postwar Queens, combined with the family’s tradition of work for the public good, helped set Fred on his eventual career path.

“His dad, ‘Pop Frank,’ was part of the (Works Progress Administration) and helped build the baseball fields around Queens,” the younger Scaglione said. “As a kid, whenever Fred played baseball on those fields, he would brag to his friends, ‘My pop built this.’ He also always described himself as a city kid, and everything that being a city kid entails – like taking public transportation everywhere – really gave him the overall sense that New York City is one big community.”

Upon graduation from high school, Scaglione continued his studies at Queens College, where he pursued a degree in urban affairs and policy analysis. He would later receive a Master of Public Administration degree from The New School. 

During his time as a Queens College undergraduate, Scaglione supported himself by working as a cab driver, which gave him an even more intimate knowledge of the city. It also had its dangers, and Scaglione was robbed three times. The final hold-up became an enduring story for the Scaglione clan.

“The third time he got robbed, it was by a group of kids,” the younger Scaglione recalled. “He jumped out of the cab and chased down one of the kids, tackling him to the ground. But of course Fred, being a peaceful man, couldn’t bring himself to do anything violent. Instead, he took the kid’s wallet. Later that night, he paid a visit to his mother so that she could hear all about what her son had been up to.”

After a series of jobs, Scaglione eventually landed his first true introduction to public service and city government: a post as director of inmate workers programs at Rikers Island. Under his leadership, the inmate workers program quadrupled in size and his efforts made the Rikers Island bakery a profitable enterprise.

Building on his successes at Rikers, Scaglione transitioned to the Child Welfare Administration (now the Administration of Children’s Services) as an analyst, and later as assistant commissioner in charge of budgetary matters. 

“His understanding of the many challenges of funding – or lack thereof – for the agencies was very reassuring,” said Paulette LoMonaco, executive director of Good Shepherd Services. “While at ACS, Fred’s main concern was always the good of our program participants and the well-being of the agencies.”

It is this understanding that Scaglione would, many years later, channel into his dream project: a dedicated news source for the men and women of New York’s human services sector. With the help of publisher Robby Long, art director Marcia Kammerer, and support and encouragement from dozens of the state’s nonprofit agencies, Scaglione was able to publish New York Nonprofit Press’ inaugural edition in 2002. 

“It was a tremendous financial and personal risk for him, as he had a family,” LoMonaco said, “but he was motivated by a desire to give voice to the agencies and those we serve.”

While the task of operating an independent newspaper was never an easy one, Thomas Scaglione says that the crux of his father’s 13 years of work on New York Nonprofit was a deep admiration for the nonprofit organizations he covered.

“He always said that it was easier to write about this stuff than to do it,” Thomas Scaglione said. “Actually running an agency or working at one – that’s the difficult work. Of course, there were also some negative stories – cracking cases on people that were doing illegal work and holding organizations accountable. That was important to him, too.” 

“But he always had a tremendous amount of respect,” Thomas Scaglione added. “He was always very impressed by the work that people did.”

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“The top reason why I loved Fred Scaglione was his great sense of humor. The fact that we shared a similar sense of humor – ironic, world-weary but not jaded – created our bond. But this formed only one part of our bond and mutual respect. The other critical piece for me about Fred was that behind his sense of irony was a sense of real compassion and caring and an unrivaled gentlemanly spirit. Fred was a true believer in this work of helping people in need. That belief shone through everything he wrote and did. His sense of outrage was often correct and always fueled by his belief that poor and sick people were getting hurt or not getting a fair deal. An old boss of mine once told me that the flip side of every cynic is an idealist. That was Fred. I will miss him. I already do.”

– Nancy Wackstein, United Neighborhood Houses

“Fred's legacy of the New York Nonprofit is an invaluable contribution to the sector and to all of our efforts. It has been, for many years, a central place for us to get and share our news. Fred was smart and committed. We are sorry to lose him and grateful for all he has given us.” 

– Lesleigh Irish-Underwood, United Way of New York City

“Fred had the conscience of a saint, the heart of a lion and the brains to champion social causes that truly matter. A social worker and a journalist – rare indeed! He was reasonable and frequently kind toward those he admired for doing good work. NPCC often benefitted from his attention. He also could be scathing toward those who didn’t pass his smell test. Fred saw his mission then and every year since as explaining and exploring the complicated, hard work of helping people, particularly in the human services. He did his homework, brought real passion and depth of experience to every piece, and wound up creating a journalistic legacy that will profoundly influence journalistic coverage of nonprofits for years to come. I’m not sure we will soon see Fred’s like again, but we surely will sorely miss him.” 

– Michael Clark, Nonprofit Coordinating Committee of New York

“Fred cared deeply about our sector. He knew our work, understood the nuances and his clear and honest voice improved these lives of kids and families in New York and beyond.”

– Dr. Jeremy Kohomban, The Children's Village

“Quite simply, he was one of the first champions of the nonprofit community. He founded NYNP on the premise that we needed accurate reporting from someone who understood our perspectives and challenges. He did this while holding us all accountable – funders and government alike. I was proud to call him my friend. He will be missed.”

– Doug Sauer, New York Council of Nonprofits Inc.

“Fred reached out to me before he started the New York Nonprofit and shared his plan for the publication. I admit I was skeptical of such an effort, having seen two newspapers dedicated to human services in earlier years go out of business. Under Fred, NYNP far surpassed what came before, reflecting sound reporting and opinion, and always at the cutting edge of what was affecting the sector. I was especially appreciative of his including developments within the social work profession. He was smart, respectful, incredibly productive, and had a deep sense of integrity.”

– Bob Schachter, National Association of Social Workers,  New York City Chapter

“I was really impressed by his dedication, loyalty and advocacy for the disabled. Fred was an entirely selfless individual. He had a mission to help the disabled by highlighting both the organizations that worked with them and the challenges they face.” 

– Jill A. Warner, Jawonio Inc.

“Fred was long a supporter of the nonprofit community, informing the public and telling the whole story when it came to nonprofit news. His in-depth reporting influenced both perceptions and policy. Personally, he was an all-around good person and a good friend to us. We are so pleased we had the opportunity to honor Fred for his support at our annual meeting in May. He will be sorely missed.”

– James F. Purcell, Council of Family and Child Caring Agencies

“I saw changes in city or state policies, which – if only they could be implemented – could greatly increase the numbers of people being helped or the quality of services they were receiving. But was I, just like so many other executive directors, ready to take on a new advocacy effort that might take years and never succeed? That's when I'd call Fred. I'd talk with him about the policy proposal and the facts I had, trying to convince him to write a story. And often he did, which became a piece that could be sent around, help to create a coalition for change. A regular editor would almost surely not have done this; it was too soon in the process to know if the idea had attraction. The typical media editor was just interested in the facts. Fred was a much-needed editor-supporter for the nonprofit field, which gets little attention for its dreams and visions. Fred Scaglione, on a personal and professional level, was a great treasure for nonprofits, and for society.” 

– Allan Luks, Fordham Center for Nonprofit Leaders

“I knew Fred for the past 21 years, beginning in 1994 when I became an assistant commissioner at the New York City Administration for Children’s Services. Fred mentored me on budget issues and was a terrific colleague. When I moved from government to Catholic Guardian Services, I reconnected with Fred in his capacity at NYN. He was passionate about the new venture he had undertaken. His friends and colleagues came together and marshaled the resources to do just that because we believed in Fred personally. We wanted our story told, but more importantly, we believed that Fred had the integrity and fortitude to carry the message forward in the proper spirit. He was a pioneer, entrepreneur, journalist and good citizen. On a personal level, I tremendously valued both his friendship and our professional relationship. I could always count on him. And I really liked him. He was such a good person.”

– Craig Longley, Catholic Guardian Services

“Fred was a natural journalist because he was genuinely interested in people and what was going on. He wasn’t just easy to talk to – he was impossible not to talk to. I looked forward to every conversation with Fred. He had a way of making you feel like he appreciated it very much when he was helping you and your cause.”

– Jeff Foreman, Care for the Homeless

“Fred was the reporter you called with good news (man did NOT get bitten by dog today) and he would print it. He cared about the work the sector did and the people who did it. He never played 'gotcha.' On tough issues, he gave you time to think and respond thoughtfully – but if you waffled, he would gently but strongly put you back on the hook. He was also the guy to call to find out what was going on – he knew what was happening from Staten Island to the Upper East Side. And he not only knew what was happening now, but the history of why it was happening, who the leaders were, and what they were trying to accomplish. Everyone trusted him. I am just one of many who have admired him for many years and appreciated his extraordinary dedication. Together we lamented many a thing gone wrong, but we also shared many a good laugh. The young journalists walking in his shoes have a lot to live up to.”

– Fran Barrett, state interagency coordinator for not-for-profit services 

“He created an important means for people to follow and understand nonprofit human services. It is good to see you working to carry it forward.” 

– Jack Krauskopf, Baruch College