C05 Session: What's Age Got to Do With It

Baby Boomers, many of whom have spent their work life building nonprofit organizations for social change, are nearing the age of retirement, raising many questions about the future.  This session will address the generational transfer of leadership and its impact on building organizational capacity for social change in the US.  Findings from a study of generational differences in leadership, results from focus groups held with young leaders across the country, and three case studies of generational change will be presented followed by an in-depth discussion with participants.  Participants will be encouraged to explore (1) challenges and opportunities facing the next generation of nonprofit leaders interested in social change, (2) how the Baby Boom cohort can support the next generations, and (3) the role capacity builders can play.

There has been increased interest and attention on the aging of the current leadership in nonprofit organizations and accompanying concern about the need to identify and train younger leaders.  However, the numbers alone tell only part of the story.  A 2002 study of generational differences in leadership shows the transfer from one generation to the next is complex, raising questions of experience, education, race, style, trust, and interests.  In addition, recent studies challenge the assumption that there will be a mass exodus of older leadership, noting that Baby Boomers may stay in the nonprofit sector because they are living longer, have an ongoing interest in continuing to make a contribution, and face financial uncertainty ranging from health care costs to lack of pensions that will keep them in the job market.  The generational transfer of leadership needs to focus both on the plans of older leaders and those of the next generations.

The second part of the session will draw on the experiences of the practitioners in the room.  The facilitators will lead an interactive discussion in small groups focused on the methods capacity builders can use to integrate this information into their practice.  Participants will discuss how preparing for generation change affects their organizational development work including strategic planning, coaching, fundraising, and building alliances.  They will also be asked to identify the skills and resources they need to integrate generational change into their work.  Results of the small groups will be discussed with all participants before the session concludes.

Overall,  "What’s Age Got to Do With It" will build the knowledge base and skills of participants, and help those interested in building the capacity of organizations and the sector over time understand how generational changes will affect their work.

About the Presenters

Helen Kim, Consultant

Helen S. Kim is an independent consultant with over 13 years of experience in community organizing, fundraising, and organizational development. She specializes in grassroots fundraising, strategic planning, board development, and leadership development. Prior to her consultant work, Helen worked as a Community Organizer/Project Coordinator for Asian Immigrant Women Advocates where she focused on immigrant and worker’s rights as well as economic and environmental justice issues. She also worked as a Capital Campaign Associate for Applied Research Center. Helen has conducted community organizing, board development, leadership development and grassroots fundraising trainings nationally, with emphasis on working with grassroots, social justice organizations. She was also an adjunct faculty member at the San Francisco State University Graduate School of Social Work. Helen is an affiliated consultant with the National Community Development Institute and the French American Charitable Trust’s Management Assistant Program. Helen currently serves on several national and local organization boards, including the Grassroots Fundraising Journal and Korean Youth Cultural Center. Helen received her B.A. degree in History at Carleton College and her J.D. degree at the University of Minnesota Law School and was admitted to the State Bar of California in 1991. She was awarded the Working Woman Award by Women Organizing to Reach Koreans and Sundiata Acoli Freedom Award by Youth United for Community Action.

Frances Kunreuther, Building Movement Project

Frances Kunreuther is the Director of the Building Movement Project, which supports social change in the United States through nonprofit organizations. Housed at Demos, the project develops strategies for building organizational capacity to engage in social change, encourages the development of a new generation of nonprofit leaders, and works to raise awareness of the importance of social change/justice in the nonprofit sector. Before bringing the project to Demos, Frances spent five years at the Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations at Harvard University as a senior fellow. In addition to developing the Building Movement Project, she served as the Center’s liaison to practitioner organizations. Her activities also included running a seminar for faculty and practitioners on social change and social movements, organizing a scholar’s conference on governance and accountability, and chairing a committee of faculty and staff to advocate for greater information about the role unions in the public sector. In 1997, Frances was a fellow at the Annie E. Casey. Prior to the fellowship, she spent seven years as the Executive Director of the Hetrick-Martin Institute, a multi-service agency for lesbian and gay, homeless, and HIV-positive youth. She has also worked with immigrants, homeless families, domestic violence and sexual assault survivors, and substance users during her thirty years in the nonprofit sector.