THANK YOU to Our Outgoing Steering Committee for 5 Years of Leading EDGE!

Since 2022, our Leading EDGE Student Internship Program has been making an impact, largely thanks to our Steering Committee of professionals who volunteered their time and expertise to give college students access to career opportunities in the nonprofit sector. Leading EDGE began because of the critical disconnect between college students with strong desires to contribute to the social good, and awareness of relevant professional pathways. We recognized the need for programming designed to introduce students to the breadth of career opportunities within the nonprofit sector.
In addition, creative solutions were needed to overcome three major compounding challenges: talent shortages that undermine organizational capacity and effectiveness, inequitable access for students in underrepresented and first-generation communities, and the missed mutual benefit for employers and students to elevate each other through learned experiences and resources.
In our effort to address this disconnect, these committee members jumped in to play a critical role in designing and fine-tuning program processes and offerings, from events to mentorship to employer relations. As a result, Leading EDGE grew in numbers and impact with:
✨ 59 internship matches
✨ 1,700+ student applications
✨ 50+ schools reached
✨ 7 full-time hires
✨ 31+ Mentor Directory mentors
✨ 71% interns from underrepresented communities
✨ 86% increased interest in the nonprofit sector
Our Steering Committee demonstrated the exceptional value of volunteers and their ability to make a difference. They asked the right questions, set goals and trackable metrics, identified areas of improvement, and most importantly, believed in us when we most needed it. As we enter the next chapter of the Leading EDGE program and watch many of our Steering Committee members go on to other things, we can’t say “THANK YOU” enough to this incredible team of volunteers for being our cheerleaders when we needed motivation, our eyes and ears that kept us on the pulse of what’s happening today, and the hands and feet on the ground when things needed to get done.
Thank You & Job Well-Done!

Tom Cook
ROI Solutions
Kim Postulart
Alzheimer’s Association
Lance Slaughter
The ALS Association
Lori Archut
K2D Strategies

Diane Hardy
Moore
Dara Igersheim
Avalon Consulting

Shayla Titley
The Public Theater

Elizabeth Goral-Makowski
SOAR! Support Our Aging Religious, Inc.
More work needs to be done!
Leading EDGE goes beyond a single placement. By paying interns fairly, removing financial and social barriers to entry, and surrounding students with mentorship, professional development, and a network of peers and sector leaders, the program creates a lasting pathway into nonprofit careers. In doing so, Leading EDGE strengthens the sector’s talent pipeline and helps build a nonprofit workforce that reflects the communities it serves.
You and your organization are invited to join us in our continued efforts to usher in the next generation of nonprofit sector professionals. Become an employer host or contact Shelby Truxon to ask about our volunteer opportunities.




