Amidst the vast nonprofit sector of Indianapolis, a partnership between Leadership Indianapolis and AES is set to ignite community spirit at the annual Get on Board event June 25.
The event will feature more than 100 organizations looking to connect with community members. Seeking board members, committee talent and volunteers, the nonprofits participating in Get on Board will work to expand their network. The event will be from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at Newfields.
“We bring together over 100 nonprofits that are all looking for volunteer leadership talent,” said Rebecca Hutton, president and CEO of Leadership Indianapolis. “We try to get as many people as possible from the community that are interested in being involved and engaged in the room together so that they can learn about those organizations.”
Leadership Indianapolis is an organization whose mission is to inspire, educate, connect and mobilize community leaders. Their goal is to create a stronger Indianapolis under the foundation of a multi-generational, multi-cultural and collaborative background.
In partnership with AES, Get on Board has been an annual event for over 20 years, and this year, they want to make sure that everyone in the community knows they are invited to participate.
“We want to make sure that we provide as many different kinds of opportunities as possible, and the event is free to attend,” Hutton said. “So, we want to make sure that it’s as easy as possible for people to get there, and to walk around and to talk with as many organizations as they’d like to.”
The event, as described by AES president Brandi Davis-Handy, is more than just a networking event. It is an opportunity to grow a career path and interact with the entire Indianapolis nonprofit sector all at once.
“I think also those who are interested, think about what it does from them from a development standpoint, whether you want to serve on a board, you want to serve on a committee, there are so many opportunities,” Davis-Handy said. “And this is this is an event that we absolutely promote to our people, in an ask them to look at it as a development opportunity for their future professional career path.”
Each nonprofit will set up their own booth for guests to speak with representatives and gain more insight into the company, their mission and how they can get involved.
“It’s very relaxed, people are invited to walk around, check out the organizations stop and have conversations with organizations that they find compelling or interesting,” Hutton said. “Then it’s up to that individual in the organization to then follow up later to figure out what how that conversation continues.”
Aside from a networking opportunity, Get on Board means so much more to the community.
“Ultimately, it’s all about making our community thrive,” Davis-Handy said. “So, it’s a great opportunity. And if you haven’t attended, I really encourage readers to put it on the calendar for this year.”
Hutton echoed these thoughts.
“We just tried to really remove as many barriers as possible so that it’s not intimidating, that there’s an easy path for people to get involved and get engaged,” she said.
In addition to Get on Board, which is free, Leadership Indianapolis will be hosting several virtual events. These will feature local leaders whose goal is to prepare participants to be involved on nonprofit boards. The workshops are $10 each, and the next one will be on June 18.
For more information about Leadership Indianapolis or to register for Get on Board or the virtual sessions, visit leadershipindianapolis.com.
Contact Staff Writer Hanna Rauworth at 317-762-7854 or follow her on Instagram at @hanna.rauworth.
Hanna Rauworth is the Health & Environmental Reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper, where she covers topics at the intersection of public health, environmental issues, and community impact. With a commitment to storytelling that informs and empowers, she strives to highlight the challenges and solutions shaping the well-being of Indianapolis residents.