Liz McCusker

Executive Director 

Tu Nidito Children & Family Services

By Loni Nannini

For 28 years, Liz McCusker has calmly and creatively carried on the business of building Tu Nidito, a unique nonprofit dedicated to supporting children and families dealing with death and serious medical diagnoses.

“There is no one like us really in the whole country that provides the continuum that we do. Our vision is that no child grieves alone, no family grieves alone, and we provide a sense of community,” said McCusker, who jumped from a 10-year career in healthcare marketing to the nonprofit sector more than three decades ago.  

The move was serendipitous. As regional director for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, McCusker learned of Tu Nidito, which at the time was a local children’s hospice. She joined “The Little Nest” in 1997 and in 2000, through a merger with Children to Children, added bereavement support for children, teens and young adults. It is now Tu Nidito’s largest program.

The organization continues to provide support to families who have a child with a serious medical condition and support for children who have a parent or caregiver with a serious diagnosis. Last year, it served more than 1,100 individuals through free one-on-one and group support and an additional 1,000 through crisis response and education. Services are available in English and Spanish. 

“In Arizona, one in 10 children will experience the death of a parent by age 18 and one in 285 children will be diagnosed with a serious medical condition by their 20th birthday. There is no support for them unless they are in the hospital. We are their support out here in the community,” said McCusker.

Adamant that “surrounding yourself with amazing people” is vital, McCusker credits Tu Nidito’s success to effective board members and staff and 150+ dedicated volunteers. In turn, they are inspired by her passion.

“Liz’s steady leadership is characterized by unwavering commitment and quiet confidence, coupled with her ability to tackle challenges,” said Supriya Bakshi, a financial services professional with New York Life insurance company and board president for Tu Nidito. “That inspires trust and stability and is key to her strong leadership.

“Liz has also cultivated a transparent, inclusive, collaborative culture where staff, board members, and volunteers feel valued and empowered to contribute. It is not about her. It is about empowering all of us.”

The ultimate reward for McCusker is the long-term impact on children and families.

“The beautiful thing about Tu Nidito − and really all nonprofits − is that when you leave at the end of the day, you say, ‘It mattered that I showed up,’” McCusker said. “There are not a lot of places in the world that you can say that.”