Behind every thriving nonprofit are champions whose decisions shape the impact you see throughout Greater Atlanta. You won’t find these leaders on the payroll or in staff meetings—you’ll see them sitting around a boardroom table. And as our Volunteer Involvement Program (VIP) director Janice Robinson says, there are always empty seats.
Since 1992, our VIP program has equipped and empowered nearly 4,000 diverse leaders to sit at board tables in close to 2,000 organizations, both in Greater Atlanta and across the world. What started as a once-a-year offering has grown into five leadership network cohorts annually, building a vibrant network of engaged community leaders.
In the early 1990s, United Way recognized two critical gaps among our nonprofit partners: too few people ready to serve on organizations’ boards, and a lack of representation that reflected the communities they served. United Way Worldwide answered this problem with an initiative called Project Blueprint, and United Way of Greater Atlanta modeled our VIP initiative after their research.
“When you have people from different backgrounds, cultures, and lived experiences at the table, you get a broader perspective—and that leads to better decisions. A diverse board helps ensure the organization is truly in touch with the needs of the people it’s trying to help. That’s how you build trust, both inside the organization and out in the community,” said Janice Robinson, Director of VIP since 1997.
According to the National Center on Charitable Statistics, 1 out of 3 new nonprofits fail within the first 10 years. Even longstanding Atlanta nonprofits have been strained this year, between federal grant cuts and higher reported needs in our city.
In organizations both big and small, board members are the ones who keep the organization on track, helping them navigate fundraising and strategic direction so they can stay true to their mission and continue the work through difficult seasons. And thanks to VIP’s board training, we’re making sure that those at the helm are prepared for the journey.
VIP training: A 40-hour crash course
VIP participants take 40 hours of workshops on a variety of leadership network topics, from fundraising and marketing to legal compliance and governance, led by experts in each field.
Janice’s favorite part of each cohort is the lesson on legal and ethical decision-making. In it, presenters share about potential challenges organizations can face and remind participants of the responsibility that comes with leadership. For example, one year a presenter shared about a daycare that didn’t have proper licensing. And ultimately, when sued, it was not the staff’s fault—it was the board’s.
“It’s the moment when every participant truly understands the weight of board governance—the importance of being actively and intentionally engaged, and the real consequences when you’re not,” Janice said.
Afterward completing the program, VIP alumni join a thriving network that continues to support each other’s leadership journey through board recruitment fairs, networking events, and a community that celebrates shared successes.
For 2019 VIP alumna Anna Tabke, that network proved invaluable. Regular updates on board openings led her to an urban nature preserve where she now serves, living out her passion for environmentalism and protecting native plant species.
Anna first joined VIP because her work with nonprofit clients at her day job sparked a desire to get involved as a community member as well. Now, she chairs two boards and evangelizes board service to countless young professionals in her community as a way to use their skills to make a difference.
“I think there’s a lot of misconceptions about what it takes to get on a nonprofit board. There are plenty of ways that people can get more involved in the community without writing a six-figure check—and that’s one thing that I think VIP is really helpful with,” she said.
“Board service is very accessible as long as you’re willing to take on the responsibilities. If you feel like you’ve got skills to bring and want to give back at a higher level, but don’t quite know what that means yet and aren’t really at the stage yet where people are knocking down your door asking you to do this proactively, VIP is a good sweet spot for people who have time, energy, skills to really start getting involved in boards.”
United is the way we can create lasting change
It will take more nonprofits—and the boards that lead them—than just United Way of Greater Atlanta to solve the interconnected problems facing our region. Our city is ranked last on the economic mobility rankings. A child born into poverty in Greater Atlanta has only a 4% chance of escaping it by adulthood. Currently, 77,000 children live in neighborhoods where their access to well-being resources is not just bad: it’s declining.
We’ve served Greater Atlanta for 120 years, but even from the beginning, we could not do it alone.
Whether you’re a new neighborhood grassroots organization addressing a hyperlocal need, or a longstanding partner on our original grant roster, one constant stands out among our partners: strong boards bolstered by tight leadership networks build resilient nonprofits, and resilient nonprofits create lasting impact. Thanks to VIP’s leadership network, we’re already 4,000 individuals closer—and counting.
Would you like to join VIP’s leadership network program? New cohorts are offered each fall, spring, and summer. You can sign up here to be notified when applications open.
Serving on a board is just one way you can build a more equitable, resilient community. You can begin making a difference in the well-being of children across our region by donating today.