Philadelphia nonprofits, I have good news for you. This city is filled with smart, talented, and passionate young professionals who are quickly becoming the next generation of nonprofit donors and supporters.

That’s why we, at Young Involved Philadelphia (YIP), have developed a community of motivated young adults who are eager and equipped to serve on your board and to help promote positive change in the city. As the co-organizer of YIP’s Board Prep Program, I hope you’ll invite them to join you in your work.

Board Prep is a respected, comprehensive training program for young professionals interested in serving on nonprofit boards. It provides an introduction to the key components of board service, including financial management, ethical leadership, fundraising, community engagement, and building an inclusive and diverse leadership team. The program also affords students the opportunity to learn from and meaningfully connect with charitable organizations like yours, opening doors to new partnerships and relationships with young Philadelphians.

Our Board Prep alumni find the program valuable, and walk away highly motivated to engage in nonprofit and community service. “The Board Prep program really helped me to understand the ethical responsibilities of Board service and the importance of finding an organization that is the right fit. The Program also introduced me to a cohort of likeminded peers, some of whom have become my closest friends,” said Megan Maltenfort, a 2015 Board Prep graduate who serves as Campbell Soup Company’s corporate responsibility and sustainability director and co-president of the Vassar Club of Philadelphia.

Local nonprofits such as the Uplift Center for Grieving Children endorse the Board Prep program and have recruited our graduates to join their boards. “The Board Prep Program is a uniquely valuable recruitment resource for Uplift’s Young Professionals Board. The program alumni that have joined our board are among our most engaged board members. We always look forward to participating in the program’s networking events,” said Elliott Wilson, Uplift’s Young Professionals Board Chair.

Our Fall 2019 Board Prep Program kicks off September 8. By the end of October, we will have 30 new graduates who will be ready to bring their skills, energy, and passion to your board. We invite you to meet them and other Board Prep alumni at our graduation ceremony on October 30.

Board Prep is part of how YIP fulfills its mission of empowering, connecting and promoting civic engagement among young adults in Philadelphia. We invite our city’s nonprofits to recruit our graduates to join your boards. At YIP, we believe that young adults can help charitable boards enhance their community-building efforts, develop a more comprehensive strategy for engaging this new generation of adults, and improve their organizations’ financial and social health.

YIP and its Board Prep graduates are excited and equipped to help you fulfill your mission. Let’s work together to make Philadelphia the best city it can be. We’re starting Sunday, at the Fall 2019 Board Prep Kick off. We look forward to working with you soon!