Governance Training

Welcome!

Your decision to embark on leadership training has a far reaching impact.  Our nation, our world needs good leaders and certainly our non-profit community in America needs leaders who understand the history and cornerstone role that social services provide.

The training that follows is the first step in discovering your personal interests and strengths.  This is the first step in determining if you want to accept the responsibility that comes with leadership.  Initially, we hope you finish this training and ask for an opportunity to audit one of the board meetings of a local volunteer caregiving program.  Perhaps you enjoy that meeting enough that you volunteer to serve in an ad hoc position.  An ad hoc position will allow you to continue to participate with one purpose in mind.  That purpose can later be defined by you and the Board Chair.  For example, you might serve as a liaison to a project or committee and report to the board on related developments.

You may find that your passion for the mission of Volunteer Caregiving motivates you to become more deeply engaged in your local program.  Or, you may find that your calling takes you down a different path.  These experiences are all part of the journey, and each experience will inform your resume.

I’d like to recommend two videos, one of which is a personal and all-time favorite.

 

The way we think about charity is dead wrong

Activist and fundraiser Dan Pallotta  not only provides a great historical perspective on nonprofits, he calls out the double standard that drives our broken relationship to charities. Too many nonprofits, he says, are rewarded for how little they spend — not for what they get done. Instead of equating frugality with morality, he asks us to start rewarding charities for their big goals and big accomplishments (even if that comes with big expenses). In this bold talk, he says: Let’s change the way we think about changing the world.  This TED Talk is one I have shared widely with colleagues and board members.

This second video is one I found on Indeed.com.  The article is excellent, and the video about Servant Leadership is one way to start visualizing the professional you want to be.

On behalf of the National Volunteer Caregiving Network, thank you for including us in your portfolio.  We welcome your continued support, and we especially welcome your feedback on this training module in Governance for Young Leaders.

Warmest Regards,

Tammy I. Glenn

Executive Director