As someone who works closely with Long Island’s nonprofit sector, I’ve had the privilege of watching passionate, community-minded professionals rise through the ranks of local organizations. They are smart, driven, and deeply connected to the communities they serve. They speak the language of the neighborhoods they work in—sometimes literally—navigating cultural nuances, building trust with families, and using technology to solve problems in ways older leadership may not have considered.
And yet their talent can go untapped. Not because they’re unqualified. Not because they lack ideas or initiative. But because nonprofit culture hasn’t figured out how to make room for them at the table—beyond assigning them to run social media accounts or “freshen up” the website.
It’s time for a change.
Read “@TheLongIslandLobbyist: Empowering Young Nonprofit Leaders on Long Island,” authored by Nicole L. Weingartner and published by Long Island Business News. (Subscription)