New Leaves

During my sabbatical, a goal I created was to find ways to give back to my local community, as well as the world in general. My career included giving back to young children and their families, and I did that for 35 years. I plan to continue contributing to early education with my consulting business, but as I move forward, I’ve decided to focus on other issues besides education.

I have an interest in volunteering or working for a nonprofit organization. My last job was with a nonprofit, but it didn’t operate as a nonprofit in many ways. I decided that before I embark on devoting my time and possible financial resources to any organization, I should learn more about what a nonprofit organization is and how it is supposed to function.

I enrolled in an online free certificate program to learn about nonprofits. It was a simple-to-follow yet informative format in which information was presented with testing afterward. Once completed, a certificate was issued. The program was offered through NonprofitReady. NonprofitReady is a signature program of the Cornerstone OnDemand Foundation—a nonprofit committed to transforming the way people help people. I completed the entire series, which included information about nonprofit essentials, leadership, fundraising, grant seeking, financial management, marketing, and nonprofit board members. It was a good foundational learning experience that helped me understand what nonprofits are all about.

Next, I decided to pick a few issues to which I would like to devote my time. Here are my choices: food security, homeless outreach, physical and mental health support, senior services, and art and culture. Once I became more educated about nonprofits, I realized there are thousands of organizations needing support. Before making any decisions, I wanted to learn more about which organization I’d like to be involved with. I came across a nonprofit organization called Charity Navigator that provides free access to data, tools, and resources to guide philanthropic decision-making. Using Charity Navigator prior to making a commitment will be a useful tool to ensure my time and money are well spent.

Once a month, I plan to explore organizations that I’d like to contribute to. I’ll write a blog post called “Giving Back Tuesday,” sharing the issue and some nonprofits I’m considering. I may make a donation, volunteer, or both. Most importantly, I will find organizations to support my interest in giving back.

One side effect of my reflection time is that I can devote time to contributing to making the world a better place. I’m grateful for this opportunity and plan to make good use of it. Wish me luck.