Get on Board

Serve your community through nonprofit board service

Young Leaders of Northeast Indiana’s Get on Board Initiative is an effort to encourage young professionals to serve their communities through nonprofit board service. 

We found that young people (you!) want to serve your community, but aren’t sure whether you’re ready for nonprofit board service and might not know where to find nonprofit board opportunities.

We also know that many area nonprofits are hungry for young leaders but aren’t sure how to find or recruit you.

YLNI has teamed up with the Paul Clarke Nonprofit Resource Center to address these challenges by training you for board service, connecting you with organizations and supporting you once you have committed to board service. Our activities are made possible through a grant by the Foellinger Foundation.

Train

For Emerging Leaders: Board Bootcamp

Board Bootcamp is a free training series to help those with little or no experience prepare for nonprofit board service. Each series of three programs is led by expert facilitator Mike Stone from Impact Strategies, Inc. If you already have two+ years' experience serving on a nonprofit board but still crave training, contact the Paul Clarke Nonprofit Resource Center at nrc@acpl.info to learn about alternative options. Space is limited, so sign up for the YLNI newsletter to be among the first alerted.

Three 90-minute sessions include:

  • Session I: Thursday, May 2, 11:30 - 1:00: The Nonprofit Sector and Nonprofit Boards 
  • Session II: Thursday, May 16, 11:30 - 1:00: Board Roles and Structures 
  • Session III: Thursday, May 30, 11:30 - 1:00: Finding Your Place

All sessions take place at the downtown Allen County Public Library. 

 

For Nonprofit Boards: SpringBoard!

SpringBoard! is a series of five programs to help nonprofits recruit, retain and engage a new generation of board members.

Connect

Where Boards and Emerging Leaders meet: BoardnetUSA

Create a (free!) online profile at BoardnetUSA, a matchmaking site for potential board members and nonprofits.

Of course, we aren’t suggesting that you pluck an organization from the list and marry – you will need to spend time and energy getting to know each other. We encourage you to get to know an organization by attending board meetings (if allowed as a guest), volunteering, and serving on special committees.

If you are an organization and you want to find young leaders for your board, you may also create a (free!) profile on BoardnetUSA.

“Get Connected” Events

Where you can meet local nonprofits in person.  Get Connected: Nonprofit Speed Dating offers young professionals the opportunity to meet with nonprofits face-to-face to ask questions and learn more about the organizations. Due to the intimate nature of this event, space is limited. Board Bootcamp graduates will have the first opportunity to register to meet nonprofits. If space is available, we will offer registration to dues-paying YLNI members.

Get Connected
Nonprofit Speed Dating
Who: Young professionals and Nonprofits (by invitation only)
When: November 7 5:30-8:00
Where: The Fort Wayne Museum of Art, 311 East Main Street
Cost: Free!

 

Support

Once you have joined a nonprofit board, you may find that you have questions or need advice. Over the next two years, Get on Board will host a series of events to give you the opportunity to meet and learn from excellent board members.  Watch the YLNI newsletter for more on these events.

If you need immediate advice from an experienced board member, we have the tools to help you find the counsel you need. The Paul Clarke Nonprofit Resource Center has created a database of Rolfsen Stewardship Nominees who are interested in sharing their governance experiences with emerging leaders in subjects like, “Capital Campaigns,” “Evaluating Executive Directors,” “Fundraising,” etc. Contact the Center at nrc@acpl.info for more information or to reach out to a nominee for one-on-one support on a board governance topic. 

For more information, please visit our partner’s website or contact us at getonboard@ylni.org for more information or to join the Get on Board Committee.