Over the past few weeks, DWH Director Jeremy Cosby completed “Committing to Community: Nonprofit Board Training.” This program was put on by the Association for Corporate Growth of West Michigan (ACGWM) and geared toward helping business professionals identify and evaluate opportunities to serve on nonprofit boards.
During three interactive sessions, participants were exposed to a variety of topics concerning the West Michigan nonprofit landscape, board membership and learned what it takes to serve successfully as a nonprofit board member. Several community members were brought in to share personal stories of successful and unsuccessful board memberships. Participants quickly realized that the first step to being a successful board member is to serve with organizations you are truly passionate about. One of the most common mistakes is to accept an invitation to join a board simply out of excitement for being asked. The third and final session provided attendees the chance to network with several local nonprofit leaders during a reception. It was the ideal way for participants to match up personal passions with community volunteer opportunities, and possibly even board-serving opportunities.
West Michigan is full of dedicated organizations, and even more dedicated people looking to make a difference in the community. This training was an exceptional way to showcase both while generating excitement for the dozens of participants who want to make a positive impact. A huge thanks to Julie Metsker and the ACGWM for putting on this event, Varnum for hosting the sessions, and to everyone who stopped in to the session to share stories.
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