Young Philanthropic Professionals
By Liz O’Donnell (Boston)
Alison Devenny, a twenty-three year old Trust Manager for Deutsche Bank in New York, works in a demanding, high pressure field. Yet she still makes time to serve as the President of the Junior Advisory Committee of the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance (OCNA). Devenney is part of a growing trend of young professionals in their twenties and early thirties who are trying to make a difference in the world of non-profit organizations.
The arrangement between the OCNA and Devenney is a win-win. The organization wants to tap into the energy that younger professionals can bring to the cause and Devenney is looking to broaden her skills and network beyond her work experience.
Says Faryl Greller, Director of Communications and Marketing for the OCNA, “The Junior Advisory Board is playing an important role in OCNA’s awareness and outreach efforts by reaching out to the young professional community in New York. By hosting local fundraising and networking parties, the Board is bringing attention to ovarian cancer and raising awareness about one of the deadliest cancers affecting women today.”
For Devenney, serving on the OCNA committee provides a social outlet and a community that can be hard to find in a big city like New York.
“This work allows me to connect with people outside of the office,” says Devenney. “There are career benefits too. When you’re working you can become focused on one industry. Non-profit work allows young professionals to use totally different skills like planning an event or creating an outreach strategy.”
Junior committees have been gaining in popularity in recent years. One reason for this is that many established non-profits have an aging board population. Junior committees can be a much-needed breeding ground for future directors. Another reason is these committees remove some of the barriers to entry that young professionals often face when getting involved with philanthropic activities.
“We have no financial commitment and no time commitments for members of the committee,” says Devenney. “We’d rather not turn away talent.”
Lisa Christensen- Mayer concurs. Christensen-Mayer, a twenty-six year old business development executive in the technology industry, is also the Vice President of Communications for the Cincinnati Habitat Young Professionals group. Cincinnati Habitat YP is part of the Habitat for Humanity International organization. Christensen-Meyer’s group was the first of several young professional groups nationwide for Habitat. Habitat YP groups fill the gap between the organization’s campus initiatives and upper age bracket support. For example, members of Habitat YP use social networking sites like Facebook and LinkedIn to reach constituents. More established boards can be slower to adopt new technologies for fundraising and outreach.
“The purpose of our team is not only to help build houses for those who need them most, but also to build awareness about the mission of Habitat for Humanity among the young professional community who might have a different perspective or even some innovative, fresh ideas to add to Habitat,” says Christensen-Meyer.
Young professionals are an untapped resource according to Alison Carl White. White is the Executive Director of Seattle Works, a group that helps 20 and 30-somethings find board seats and volunteer opportunities with Seattle’s non-profit community. Seattle Works has strong relationships with young professionals in Seattle’s law and technology industries. This demographic, she says, wants to make an impact in a short period of time. As a result, many of them are looking for short term assignments.
“Board positions are not always the best use of their time,” says White. “Boards can be dysfunctional and this group desires a meaningful experience.”
