We gathered emerging social change leaders on May 26 and 27 to learn more about their experiences as members of YNPN Boston. Through these focus groups, we learned a lot about what membership means to you, what value we offer to young leaders in the sector, and how we can better serve you in the years to come. We’re buzzing with ideas and can’t wait to share a few of our favorites!
Based on your feedback, here are 5 things you may not know about YNPN Boston. Think of these as insider hacks, from us to you.
5. We’re more than a listserv – we’re part of a movement.
We were delighted to hear that our listserv is serving you! Focus group participants shared stories about getting their start, finding their next step, or learning of a professional development opportunity. More than 3,000 young nonprofit professionals subscribe to the YNPN Boston Listserv and we are proud to serve our mission of empowering and connecting tomorrow’s nonprofit leaders in this way.
And that’s not all we offer. YNPN Boston is part of a national movement to develop a stronger, higher impact nonprofit community. We do this by engaging young leaders (that’s you!) and their organizations in professional development through events, leadership opportunities (more on these in a moment), online engagement, and, yes, our beloved listserv!
4. We have a leadership team!
As we recently announced, we just became an official 501(c)(3) nonprofit! It takes a village to provide high-quality professional development and networking opportunities to emerging social change leaders. Luckily, we have a village in the form of our all-volunteer YNPN Boston Leadership Team. You can learn more about us by visiting our Leadership Team page.
By day, YNPN Boston Ambassadors and Board Members work in or with nonprofits of all sizes and with a myriad of missions, representing a cross-section of the sector in Boston. By night, they dedicate their free time to planning events, executing communications, managing operations, fundraising, and ensuring that you have a great experience as members. We recruit for leadership team members regularly, so keep your eyes peeled for an announcement later in the year if you are interested.
3. We host our own events.
In addition to providing our listserv as a resource to get the word out about other organizations’ events, we also host our own. Signature events include Networking with a Twist and Nerding Out to Get Ahead, in addition to other types of professional development opportunities. Look for our logo on event invitations sent through the listserv and on our event registration pages – that’s how you’ll know you’re RSVP-ing to an official YNPN Boston event! You can get ahead of the curve by signing up for our next one now.
2. You can get a daily digest of our listserv.
The YNPN Boston Listserv is a gift that just keeps on giving – and giving, and giving. Though many of our members learned about their jobs from our listserv, it can be a little overwhelming to keep up with the influx of new announcements. That’s why we have the option for members to subscribe to our daily digest. To take advantage of this feature, follow the instructions at the bottom of any YNPN Boston Listserv email.
1. You’re a member!
We saved the best for last! By our current definition, a member is anyone who subscribes to our listserv, attends our events, volunteers on our leadership team, ‘likes’ us on social media, or reads our blogs. That means you! YOU are a member of YNPN Boston. And we’re so glad you are.
You now have the inside scoop to make the most out of your YNPN Boston membership. It’s our priority to build connection with all of our members – including you. Be on the lookout for opportunities to engage further with YNPN Boston, including through additional focus groups in the fall. We’ll be posting to our listserv (look for our logo) and our social media accounts. We can’t wait to see you!
Written by: Alyson Weiss. Alyson is an independent social media coach and a Marketing Specialist at Year Up, a training program that empowers low income young adults ages 18-24 to go from poverty to a professional career in a single year. She is also a Communications & Marketing Ambassador for YNPN Boston. Her passion in life is translating abstract concepts into concrete action steps to further social justice.