Shared Effort Spring 2011

Spring 2011

Volume 14, Number 2

New Emerging Leaders Program to Launch June 5 Princeton AlumniCorps’ Emerging Leaders professional development program is launching this June in Washington, DC! The program has already generated a great deal of interest from area nonprofit employees and alumni of the Project 55 Fellowship Program.

We plan to announce our first class of Emerging Leaders over the 2011 Reunions weekend.

Emerging Leaders is designed to transform young professionals working in the public interest into invested nonprofit leaders. Participants will develop the leadership capabilities, management skills, and confidence to accelerate their careers while yielding tangible results and lasting value for the nonprofit sector. Over the course of ten months, participants will

In This Issue 2

Keystone Society

3

Interview with AlumniCorps Board Chair Kenly Webster ’55 and President Bill Leahy ’66

develop leadership competencies and sector-specific skills, benefit from mentor and peer support, and practice ―leadership-inaction.‖ The program has the twofold potential to transform the caHilary Joel ’85, Stan Katz h’21 and Margarita Rosa ’74 reer trajectories of those who show promise as future execute a specific goal within their leaders of the nonprofit sector, and, as organizations. a result, to have a transformative imThe lead facilitator and trainer for pact on the sector itself. Emerging the Emerging Leaders curriculum is Leaders welcomes participation from Hilary Joel ’85. Joel is an executive graduates of Princeton and other unicoach and management consultant versities who are committed to innova- with 25 years of experience across nutive leadership in the nonprofit sector. merous industries. With the program’s The pilot program, set to begin on promising outlook, AlumniCorps June 5, will include full and half day hopes to develop a tested, scalable cursessions taking place once a month riculum that can be adapted for use until April 2012. The curriculum inwith future cohorts in cities around the cludes a ―stretch‖ project where the country.

Email : participants will plan, manage, and EmergingLeaders@alumnicorps.org.

Join us during Reunions 2011!

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Regional Updates

Alumni in Action: The Opportunity & Challenge of Public Service

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Marty Johnson ’81: Volunteerism in Perspective

With panelists Doug Borchard '82, Margarita Rosa '74 and Wendy Selig '86

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Development Update

Visit Shared Effort online to read these articles and more! blog.alumnicorps.org

2:00 - 4:00 p.m. • Friday, May 27, 2011 • McCosh 28 Princeton AlumniCorps Open House Reconnect with classmates, former fellows, mentors, and other alumni.

Celebrate 21 years of PP55 Fellowships, and our two newest programs for alumni of all ages: Emerging Leaders and Community Volunteers!

4:00 - 6:00 p.m. • Friday, May 27, 2011 • 12 Stockton Street

The Keystone Society — What Better Way! Forward-thinking donors who include Princeton AlumniCorps and Project 55 fellowships in their legacy planning comprise the heart of The Keystone Society. In order to become a member of the Keystone Society, one indicates in writing that they have made a planned gift to Princeton AlumniCorps. George Hackl ’55 is the Chair of the Development Steering Group and a charter member of the Keystone Society. As a charter member, George leads the way for others to help sustain and grow our impact.

It is not a hard leap from there to ask: ―How do we keep this going?‖ Our class has built a solid organization. We have brought younger alumni and others onto the Board of Directors to perpetuate the process. There are hundreds more volunteers around the country playing Young Princeton graduates, one after another, followed significant roles. These John Fish and Chet Safian into inner city agencies in Chiyounger people are taking cago and New York to learn what programs—whether in this work to a higher level education, housing, community or healing—work well to under a new umbrella lift society. The graduates number in the thousands now, name, Princeton working in cities all around the country. They come from universities far beyond Princeton. We know there are many AlumniCorps, serving graduates of all ages. The institutions in our society that don’t work well and these George Hackl ’55 enthusiasm, the knowledge, young people are finding out why, taking responsibility, the inspiration, even the name, The Princeton Project 55 and changing them. We need thousands more leaders just Fellowship Program, are the heart of Princeton Alumnilike them.

Corps.

I spent a good part of my retirement years with Project Time is running out for all of us. How do you keep this 55, encouraging and helping lead this work. It takes dediwork going? What better way? Ann and I decided to make cated people. It takes organization. It takes money. I see a bequest in my will to Project 55 and Princeton how grateful these young people are for the experience, for AlumniCorps to cover my annual contribution from interest the knowledge it brings to their future civic roles. I have heard many of them say, ―Project 55 changed my life‖, and payments.

I realize this has been the most significant part of my It’s a gift that will make a real difference and will build retirement years. civic leadership indefinitely. What better way! A bequest Embracing this 20-year endeavor is the way many of our classmates responded to the questions ―If not us, who? If not now, when?‖ And I ask myself, ―What better way is there?‖ This has proved to be a remarkably successful journey.

celebrates what we have done and what we can continue to do long into the future. I hope you will join me in the Keystone Society.

To learn more about becoming a charter member of the Keystone Society, please contact Kathleen Reilly, Executive Director, at kreilly@alumnicorps.org.

Keystone Society Charter Members      

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Thomas D. Boyatt '55 Stephen M. Boyd '55 Charles W. Bray '55 Milton J. Deitch '55 Sara H. Deitch S'55 John H. Fish '55

     

James A. Gregoire '69 George C. Hackl '55 John D. Hamilton '55 Richard L. Herbruck '55 Peter Jefferys '55 William Leahy '66

    

Oral O. Miller '55 A. Chester Safian '55 John C. Tucker '55 Nelson H. Wild '55 Alan M. Willemsen '55

Shared Effort

An Interview with AlumniCorps Board Chair Kenly Webster ’55 and President Bill Leahy ’66 Princeton AlumniCorps Board Chair Kenly Webster ’55 and President Bill Leahy ’66 were interviewed for Shared Effort by Jim Lynn ’55. Plans are underway for Kenly’s replacement as Chair after his three year tenure expires this June.

KW: I do not think so. Financially, we have, for 20 years, raised the money to do what we wanted to do. There are many supporters of the organization to draw upon. From the standpoint of staffing there are ways to ensure that projects have less demand on staff and that staff has efficient participation in the projects. In sum, you have two safety belts: one is strong staff organization (and hiring outside people to help), and the other is a wide network to attract funding.

Q: Kenly, you’re finishing up your second hitch as Chair. How did the problems you had to deal with change between the first hitch and the second?

KW: Roughly three years ago we [then Princeton Project 55] adopted a new mission statement that was the product of a Board no longer dominated by Class of ’55 members, with the assistance of a PP55 President from another class. Transition was a major new challenge. With transition came a strengthening of the responsibility of the Executive Director and much more centralized control, which took patience to accomplish.

Q: What was your biggest challenge as chairman?

KW: The biggest challenge clearly was to implement, without contention, the transition. Smooth transition was critical.

BL: I think that as President in this transition, my role was to assist in expanding the board, looking for individuals from the younger classes.

Q: Was there ever a time when you worried that this really might not work out well?

KW: The doubt came about nine years ago when we were experimenting with other forms of succession that did not materialize. Mainly, we sought to identify another class to pick up the management of PP55, and that turned out to be a concept that other classes were not willing to undertake as a class.

Q: What’s the next big challenge facing the organization?

President Bill Leahy ‘66 and Board Chair Kenly Webster ‘55

expand the program. This was all beyond our control, and it’s been heartening to shore up last year – a year that could have been a profound deficit – by establishing the [20th anniversary] gala, which made it a profitable year instead. This financial challenge, of course, will continue into the future.

The other challenge which we have worked with over the last couple years has been integrating individual classes with Princeton AlumniCorps. It has been difficult because this organization began with a camaraderie of a group within a class. This is the kind of spirit the University kind of instills in each class, and when you bring institutions together and try to merge them and their interests, sometimes you end up not being able to do it because of individual spirits – ―we should be in charge‖ or ―it has to be a class number.‖ The name change allowed for other generations to feel engaged with our organization.

We’ve initiated two new programs: the Community Volunteers program, which I think is going to be another way of engaging people who have had no true relationship with the original organization, and secondly the Emerging Leaders program, which should allow us to sustain many of our PIP alumni into the nonprofit world – which I hope in turn will bring them back for Board positions with our organization.

Q: Is there any danger now that Princeton AlumniCorps might be spreading BL: All of us were affected profoundly by itself too thin with two new programs at the economic downturn. Regardless of once along with a very well-seasoned how the transition was going, the reality and successful Princeton Project 55 Felwas that finances were going to potentially lowship Program (formerly the PIP)? affect what we could do to sustain and

Volume 14, Number 2

Q: Now’s your chance to answer any questions we should have asked but didn’t.

BL: Any organization goes through its adolescence and into its early adulthood, and this organization was doing that as they approached their 20th year. What happened was the development of discipline within the Board – some very individual subcommittees, with designated rules and procedures, which are going to be very important as we go forward, because an organization really can’t survive when it meets on an ad-hoc basis and without any kind of internal discipline. This is very important for the issue of perpetuity.

KW: How is transition going to ensure perpetuity? I think we have put in place a very strong organization comprised of the Board, board committees and staff. Although we have the transition in place, we’re going to have to fight each year to keep it permanent. To do this we have targeted programs that are designed to attract leadership and financial contributions from alumni classes from all decades after the ’50s.

A second force in perpetuity may well be attracting leaders from graduates of the PIP program. Almost all of the current leadership comes from graduates of Princeton, who as such have a common bond. But there is a second common bond among the PIP graduates who have all vastly benefited from the program. Therefore there is an additional fertile leadership source from these program graduates. But I would not expect a president of the organization to come from the PIP alumni for yet a number of years.

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Regional Updates -Bay AreaThe Bay Area is continuing its efforts to grow its program. Two new partner organizations, including the Boys and Girls Club of the Peninsula, where Peter Fortenbaugh ’89 is the Executive Director, are currently interviewing applicants for fellowship positions next year. The local committee has also begun brainstorming possible seminars for 2011-12 fellows, and looks forward to continuing its partnership with Stanford’s SPIN and Harvard’s CPIC program for these events.

-BostonFellows, AlumniCorps supporters, alumni and local members of the class of 1955 recently attended a seminar at The Food Project, where they visited the organization’s greenhouse. Looking ahead, AlumniCorps and the Harvard Center for Public Interest Careers will be volunteering at CitySprouts’ school gardens in Cambridge, MA for a half day of service. Boston is always looking for new Project 55 partner organizations to increase the number of placements! If interested, visit the Boston area page on the AlumniCorps website.

—submitted by Rebecca Nemec ’05 -ChicagoOver the last few months, the Chicago Area Committee has continued to stay busy, organizing weekly seminars with the Northwestern and University of Chicago Public Interest Programs as well as regular events for fellows. In February, fellows explored the city's emerging arts scene as part of the Chicago Arts District Gallery Night. On March 5, PP55 Fellows, mentors, and Area Committee members gathered at the home of Amanda Peluse '02 to discuss, over wine and cheese, fellows' experiences thus far. Finally, we're excited to announce our upcoming Page 4

be moderated by the First Lady of Princeton AlumniCorps in New York, Judy Hole Suratt.

—submitted by Kristen Smith ’03 -PhiladelphiaCarol Rosenfeld ’05 and Katie Thaeder ’09 have teamed up to strengthen the Philadelphia program. They met with the Princeton Club of Philajoint AlumniCorps/Princeton Club of delphia in February and Carol has led a Chicago precept on "The Future of successful effort to recruit new partner Education Reform in Chicago", organ- organizations for the 2011-12 fellowized by Committee members Erica ship year. If you’re interested in volunJones ’06 and Stacy McAuliffe '98. teering in Philadelphia, visit the PhilaThe precept will take place on May 17 delphia area page on the AlumniCorps and will feature a panel of local website.

Princeton alumni active in the education sector. Executive Director Kath-Washington, DCleen Reilly will be attending.

After a workshop on "Career Next —submitted by Aiala Levy ’07 Steps" in January, the DC program is wrapping up its seminar programming with a string of content-based sessions, -ConnecticutTwo fellows have already signed on covering education reform, federal to be a part of the 2011-12 fellowship government service, and health care year in Connecticut, both at Norwalk reform. In February, AlumniCorps Community Health Center. Two other Board Member and Managing Director organizations are currently interview- of the National Council for Teacher ing applicants and Harry Berkowitz Quality, Arthur McKee ’90, joined ’55 is hopeful that we’ll be able to con- Shantelle Wright of Achievement Prep tinue to grow the program.

Academy to discuss the challenges and promise of DC public education. In March, fellows heard from a panel of -New YorkOn March 23, Dr. R. Gordon Doug- alumni working across the federal govlas '55 moderated our seminar on Sus- ernment, and in April, they'll be jointainable Food and Public Health. Pan- ing a health economist at the Departelists included Nancy Easton '88, Co- ment of Health and Human Services Founder/Executive Director of Welland one of President Obama's senior ness in the Schools. We also invited fellows from Harvard, Stanford and Dartmouth to participate in the semiThe Project 55 Fellowship nar. On April 3, Mike and Lois RobProgram is proud to welcome bins '55 hosted the first ever Princeton new fellows AlumniCorps Alumni Fundraising Phone-a-thon during which 136 sucthus far! cessful calls were made. We are also Visit Shared Effort online to looking forward to welcoming more fellows to New York and participating see the current list! in our annual "Politics and the Press" seminar which will

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Shared Effort

Volunteerism in Perspective

Marty Johnson ’81

Thanks to the AlumniCorps for organizing last month’s ―Engaged At Every Age‖ (EAEA) Conference to explore volunteering from a variety of perspectives. While a schedule change prevented me from joining as a panelist, I enjoyed the chance to sit in on an afternoon panel.

It triggered some thoughts about what I’ve learned over the last 30 years as a manager at Isles, a nonprofit community development and environmental organization based in Trenton that works with over 1,000 volunteers annually. In addition, I serve as a volunteer with organizations statewide and nationally. AlumniCorps asked me to share a few of those lessons here.

Volunteerism in Perspective Historians and social scientists write about voluntarism as a uniquely American concept. With over one million private, registered charities across the country, burgeoning numbers of Baby Boomers reaching retirement age, and millions in search of more ―mission-driven‖ and meaningful lives, an entire industry of voluntarism has arisen. A Google search of Volunteer

Opportunities offers over 15 million hits.

No wonder that voluntarism often becomes an end goal. Questions like, ―What’s a good volunteer opportunity?‖ often quickly move to a discussion of technique (Does the organization make it easy for volunteers? Do they manage them well? Are there clear, identifiable objectives, etc.?). Or the discussion will turn to the type of organization that works best for volunteers. At the EAEA Conference for example, some speakers suggested that small organizations are better for volunteers than big ones, ―staff driven‖ organizations are worse than ―volunteer driven‖ ones, or that organizations that volunteers can really influence are better (at least for those from Princeton) than those you can’t influence.

To me, this focus on technique or type of organization is a part of the picture, but not the main part. The real goal for organizations is to perform at the highest level in relation to the resources (money, volunteers, etc) flowing into them. The best organizations are those that focus on being the best organizations—not the best volunteer opportunity.

What we hope, is that organizations can perform highly while also effectively involving volunteers—because volunteers add to their performance.

In my experience, I have seen volunteers destroy organizations, and I have seen staff do the same. I have witnessed large organizations give volunteers better experiences than small

ones. I’ve been a volunteer board member of a staff-driven organization (think Princeton University) that functions quite highly. And I have seen ―smart‖ volunteers that tried to control organizations and systematically undermined them.

So what’s the best advice for those seeking to volunteer?

1. Keep your eyes on the prize.

Life is short, so try to find the best organizations working on the things you care about. ―Best‖ organizations ask hard questions of themselves and others, maintain continually improving systems to manage information (financial, contacts, volunteers, etc.), admit that which they are not doing, and strive to get upstream or to the ―core‖ of the challenges they address.

2. Remain humble.

You may or may not know what the organization should do. Be open to being wrong. Be open to how volunteers can get in the way. The art of managing nonprofit organizations is a relatively young specialty, and bringing your ―business‖-like approaches may not be what’s needed. We are all learning as we go.

3. Then ask about the techniques and types of organizations out there.

There’s a place for this discussion.

It’s just at the bottom of the list.

Marty Johnson ’81 is President and Founder of Isles, Inc., a nonprofit that fosters self-help approaches to community development, education, energy efficiency and urban environmental restoration. (www.isles.org)

2 Months Left to Reach Our Goal!

Amount raised as of April 15, 2011

Amount left to raise by June 30, 2011

Thanks to those who have given, we are at 73% of our goal to raise $228,000 from individual donors this year.

Make a gift today to help us reach 100% by June 30!

Volume 14, Number 2

Page 5

Princeton AlumniCorps Board of Directors R. Kenly Webster ’55, Chairman William R. Leahy, Jr., M.D. ’66, President Jessica D. Johnson ’98, Secretary Charles F. Mapes, Jr. ’55, Treasurer Thomas D. Allison ’66 Illa Brown ’76 Margaret Crotty ’94 Andrew Goldstein ’06 James A. Gregoire ’69 John D. Hamilton, Jr. ’55 Stanley N. Katz h’21 Katie Ko ’09 James D. Lynn ’55 Kathleen McCleery ’75 W. Arthur McKee ’90 Dominic F. Michel ’70 Kathryn A. Miller ’77 Paula Morency ’77 Ralph Nader ’55 Anthony Quainton ’55

Michael D. Robbins ’55 Margarita Rosa, Esq. ’74 Marsha Rosenthal ’76 Warner V. Slack ’55 Samuel T. Suratt ’55 Scott Taylor ’75 Richard E. Thompson ’55 Richard O. Walker ’73 Lindsay Wall ’02

Princeton AlumniCorps Staff Kathleen E. Reilly, Executive Director Carrie Diaz-Littauer, Office Administrator Sara Gordon, Project 55 Fellowship Program Manager Arti Sheth ’08, Development Officer John Shriver, Program Director, Community Volunteers

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