Newspapers / Philanthropy Journal of North … / Dec. 1, 1994, edition 1 / Page 5
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December 1994 Philanthropy Journal of North Carolina YOUTH Continued from page 4 We have a unique perspective. Listen to us.” Most of the nearly 700 conference participants, who represented non profits and foundations from throughout the U.S., embraced the youthful message. They cheered the young speakers and praised their wealth of nonprofit work, which ranges from the founding of an AIDS hotline to the publication of a com munity magazine. “It’s so thrilling to be in the pres ence of such great hope,” said Anne Cohn Donnelly, executive director of the National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse; after she was intro duced by 17-year-old Janet Brito - a Chicago high school student and vol unteer. “Janet, it’s people like you, who are our future. Thank you so much.” Some nonprofit officials went so far as to invite youngsters attending the conference to join their nonprofit boards. Jeremy Graham, a 23-year- old intern in Raleigh with North Carolina Public Allies, was tapped at the conference to serve on the advi sory board on rural youth issues for Future Farmers of America. “I think that the conference high- lifted issues that are about the sur vival of the independent seetor,” said Jason Scott, director of North Carolina Public Allies. “There needs to be a diversification of the leader ship of the sector as the demograph ics of the country are changing. ... I think the conference really changed T I h here needs to be a diversi fication of the leadership of the sector as the demographics of the country are changing... I think the conference really changed perceptions about a lot of our institutions. JASON SCOTT Carolim Public Allies Durham perceptions about a lot of our institu tions.” One band of eager young people wearing yellow badges stencil^ with the logo “Youth on Board,” worked conference ballrooms, speaking out on the need for nonprofits and foun dations to include young people on their boards. “It’s so important to include young people on boards of nonprof its, especially those with missions that deal with youth,” said Karen Young, director of Youth on Board, a nonprofit based in Somerville, Mass. Not all participants warmly wel comed the focus on youth. Some bris tled in the face of the outspokenness of some of the young participants. “What’s up with this youth thing?”, one participant asked during a dinner discussion overheard by a North Carolina nonprofit director. Vanessa Kirsch, the 29-year-old founder and president of Washington-based Public Allies, sug gested that some adults may have been frustrated by some of the more outspoken youth. Public Allies, which has branches throughout the U.S., works to cultivate young leaders by placing them in paid internships with government or nonprofit organiza tions. “Sometimes, we [young people] forget to acknowledge those who came before us,” Kirsch said during a panel discussion called “Celebrating Intergenerational Collaboration in Our Sector.” Several young participants has just criticized what they view as “ageism,” or dis crimination based on age. “I was at a meeting once,” Kirsch said, “and turned to a woman beside me and said, ‘So what can I learn from you?’ She looked at me and said, ‘To say, “Thank you’.’ I sat down and thou^t, ‘Geez, what’s her problem?’ “But I realize now that she had an important point. We do need to say ‘thank you’ and recognize the efforts of those who came before us. We think sometimes the world began when we were born.” Most nonprofit participants at the meeting had more praise than criti cism. Elizabeth Locke, director of edu- e go ^6^0 sgy "thank you" and recognize the efforts of those who came before us^ We think sometimes the world began when we were born. ^ VANESSA KIRSCH Pmnder and President ’ -'BMic Allies . Wiuihiitt/loti.D.C. cation and communications at the Duke Endowment in Charlotte, said the yoimg leaders inspired her. “There’s an enormous amount of talent,” she said. “I was inspired by their presence and what they’re doing. The discouraging thing is when we have this kind of talent and interest in working for the public good and there are no jobs. Why can’t we find employment?” Independent Sector elected two young adults - Kirsch and Jeffrey Trujillo, 24, a program officer for the El Pomar Foundation in Colorado - to its board of directors during the meeting. And Independent Sector leaders promised to follow up the meeting LEADERS Continued from page 4 ing, collaboration, community-build ing and dealing with the life-cycles of nonprofits. “Nonprofits start as entpre- neurs,” said Bill Spencer, president of the Foundation for the Carolinas and a participant in the retreat. “But we often see that success traps them.” Corinne Allen, executive director of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Education Foundation said nonprof its must deal with a rapidly changing environment. “Nonprofits, like for-profits, are in a state of flux, needing to deal with change and technolog5'.” The recent five-hour brainstorm ing session will be followed by cre ation of a board of advisers, as well as task forces and focus groups. They will try to refine the ideas raised at the retreat and develop a mission for the proposed nonprofit program. The followup meetings also will be looking at existing programs that provide nonprofit studies and leader ship training, such as Duke University’s continuing education program in nonprofit management and the Center for Creative Leadership in Greensboro. Edwards, the School of Social Work dean, says the aim of the new program will be to complement those existing programs and not to dupli cate them. People attending the retreat had numerous questions about how the program at UNC-CH mi^t tie into or learn from the one at Duke. Representatives of Duke’s program, however, were not invited to the retreat. Jill Gammon is coordinating plan ning for the new progam at UNC-CH. For information, call her in Ralei^ at (919) 787-7499. PROGRAMS Continued from page 1 Colorado and Belgium. The center’s Corporate Program teaches basic leadership skills and costs $4,500 for a six-day training session. In addition to local and statewide programs, there are programs tai lored for specific groups of people. For example, NC Equity, a Raleigh- based women’s advocacy center, runs the Women’s Agenda Program and the Women of Color Leadership Institute. Similarly, the NC Rural Economic Development Center in Raleigh spon sors the Rural Economic Development Institute for rural lead ers involved in rural economic devel opment. Overall, methods for teaching leadership are changing, says Katherine Knott, program associate for the Center tor Creative Leadership. “We’re moving from a top-down approach [to leadership] to a more team-oriented, participatory approach.” Similarly, ideas about who can be a leader are changing. Leaders are no longer seen as outspoken, outgoing people, says Pat Brinkley, president of the Western North Carolina Development Association and graduate of the Rural Economic Development Institute. “Leaders can be very quiet. Leaders are people who promote and develop other people and give credit to other people.” This change may be what has fueled new leadership programs, such as Leadership North Carolina, a statewide program in Greensboro, and the Wildacres Leadership Initiative, sponsored by the Blumenthal Foundation in Charlotte, to seek out a diversity of participants in their leadership programs. Both programs aim to bring together people from aE walks of life and from the for-profit as well as the nonprofit sectors. Both look for peo ple who are leaders in many different capacities. Clay Thorp, executive director of Wildacres, says developing strong leaders now is an investment in the future of the state. “The demands of the 21st Century in terms of multiculturalism and technological change require that we invest a lot now in terms of who will be leading in the future.” While many nonprofits are taking advantage of the new leadership pro grams, high costs and business-ori ented programs discourage some nonprofits from participating. For example, only 3 percent of organizations that participated in the Center tor Creative Leadership’s programs during 1993 identified themselves as nonprofits. Even the smaller programs spon sored by chambers of commerce tend to attract those working in the for- profit sector. Although Leadership Carteret attracts a few participants from the nonprofit sector, Cindy Ferguson, membership and special projects director for the program, characterizes it as “basically a busi ness class.” Programs that offer free partici pation or programs that are working hard to establish a diverse network of participants from throughout the state could be changing the land scape of leadership development in North Carolina. Changing concepts of leadership that break away from the tradition^ mi^t open the doors to people work ing in nonprofits who previously may not have been identified as leaders. “All of us have leadership [poten tial],” says Brinkley of the Western North Carolina Development Association. “Unless we’re given the skills or opportunity, we may not develop it.” Although programs are adapting to changing needs, some participants are critical of a lack of opportunity to put the skills they learn into action in the programs themselves. Andrea Harris, executive director of the Institute for Minority Economic Development in Raleigh, has participated in several pro grams. Although she recognizes a need for leadership development, she finds it disappointing that, “The training programs are not tied to anything else. You can step inside these programs, but they’re not con nected to anything larger.” • consultation • board/staff training Ao’'' • program evaluation organizational development Are you spending too much board and staff time at meetings going around and aroimd on issues? When you need a facilitator to break the deadlock or reframe the discussion, call Maggie. 106 Watters Rd. • Carrboro, NC 27510 • phone/FAX (919) 968-7953. Duke University Certificate Program in Nonprofit Management is proud to announce publication of the first "Duke Statewide Nonprofit Management Catalogue" offering classes in 13 sites throughout North Carolina. For information about courses available near you. please contact the following: Course locations •Western N.C. •Fayetteville area • Greensboro, High Point, Winston-Salem •New Bern area • Rocky Mount, Wilson, Greenville area •Wilmington area Contact John Williams, 800-621-0008 Jennifer Borton, 910-678-7212 Susan Larson, 910-334-5677 Susan Moffat, 919-638-5781 Chet Mottershead, 919-977-3800 Diane Brann, 910-350-3193 • Classes at Duke Marilyn Hartman, 919-684-3255 • Statewide Coordinator Don Wells, 919-732-1648
Philanthropy Journal of North Carolina (Raleigh, N.C.)
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Dec. 1, 1994, edition 1
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