If you’re part of the Fort Wayne group, NextGen Digest, you have likely noticed our recent intermittent posting and lack of email communications. We weren’t gone entirely, but had shifted focus to becoming a chapter of the YNPN national network. We kept communications to a minimum in the hopes that we would soon have YNPN communication tools including a website.
After careful consideration, the Fort Wayne chapter has decided to exit our YNPN association. When we joined YNPN, our intent was to strengthen our existing group, add value for group members via a national network, and gain access to useful communication tools and resources.
Instead, we spent the last 6 months trying to fit the YNPN structure to the detriment of our group members. After tracking our progress since joining in May, we found a sharp decline in our attendance and interactions as a direct result of our shifting focus to YNPN requirements instead of focusing on our relationships with local young nonprofit professionals, or more directly – you.
We are recommitting to you and our local community and carrying on in our original capacity.
We fully support the YNPN mission and organization, but our local young nonprofit group is better served by the Executive Committee focusing on building on our previous successes rather than starting down a different path. Had we known the details of what it would take to become a YNPN chapter, we would have had made different decisions and perhaps avoided a rocky six months for our group.
Thank you for your continued interest in supporting other young nonprofit professionals. Here’s to a fantastic 2010!
This was written by Lettie Haver, founder of NextGen Digest, and posted by Jennifer Renner on behalf of the Executive Committee which consists of Lettie Haver, Andrew Hoffman, Andy Welfle, and Jennifer Renner.
Andrew Hoffman said
Great post Jennifer.
I believe this is the right decision for us as we begin to solidify our own identity in our own community and continue developing the partnerships and associations in the works.
Expect a great year in 2010 for local non-profit professionals and the NextGen community.
Andrew
Fort Wayne’s Young Nonprofit Professionals Opt Out of National YNPN Structure. Will Others Follow Suit? | Rosetta Thurman said
[...] Jennifer Renner posted this candid message on behalf of the executive committee for NeXtGen Digest, a networking group for young nonprofit [...]