United Way of Salt Lake celebrated the completion of the first cohort of the United Boardroom training program in October. Twenty participants from across corporate, nonprofit, and government sectors completed this six-week workshop designed for current and emerging leaders to learn about nonprofit governance and gain skills to prepare them for leadership roles on nonprofit and public sector boards and committees.
Launched in April with support from the Alliance for Early Success, the program features guest presenters and sessions covering topics including nonprofit finance, board fundraising and engagement, and types of nonprofit governance structures. The skills and resources provided in the workshops aim to empower participants and help them gain confidence to engage in nonprofit leadership spaces.
Jenny Hor is the Logistics and Project Coordinator at the Utah Division of Multicultural Affairs and a participant in the first cohort of the United Boardroom. “I’ve always had an interest in serving on a nonprofit board, but I didn’t know if I had the skill set to serve in this capacity,” she said. “I would absolutely recommend this program to other colleagues who are interested in serving on a board. I’ve found [the sessions] to be really valuable, especially if you have an interest but you’re not quite sure what some of the roles and responsibilities are.”
Claudia Loayza is an Associate Developer at Developed. By Women. and a United Boardroom program participant. “Being Latina and a child of immigrants as well, there are so many spaces where I think it’s taken me a long time to understand that I am not just here as a supportive role, but I’m here as an active role in helping shape what the future will look like in my state or in my neighborhood or in my community,” she said.
From the Classroom to the Boardroom
As part of the program, United Boardroom participants had the opportunity to hear directly from current leaders of nonprofit organizations. Creating these connections serves the dual purpose of introducing program participants to local organizations while also providing interested nonprofits with a pool of trained candidates who are eager to step into leadership roles.
Participant Jenny Hor said that she hopes to take the skills learned in the United Boardroom program so she can serve on the board of a nonprofit whose mission aligns with her personal identity and background. “For me, my experience as a first-generation college student and my background coming from a refugee family, those are the things that really matter to me,” she said. “Looking forward, I want to be able to serve on boards that have the same values in terms of extending higher education to everyone and not wanting to limit access because they don’t have money or they don’t have certain resources.”
Although Loayza already has some experience serving in nonprofit leadership, she expressed gratitude for the guidance, mentorship, and resources received from the program presenters and other cohort members. “It was validating and affirming that so much of what we were learning in these sessions could also be put into practice actively,” she said. “I loved how hands-on it was and how expansive it was, and the network and the connections that you make within the actual cohort you’re a part of was also really special.”
Celebrating Diversity, Centering Equity
The United Boardroom program celebrates many strengths and benefits that stem from uplifting the voices of individuals with different identities and perspectives in leadership roles and decision-making spaces. “I think in order to have a really sustainable organization, you need to have different folks at the table,” Hor said.
According to Loayza, “bringing more representation in these spaces [allows] individuals that you’re serving to find connection and more proximity and belonging in these organizations, and I think that also builds a better business case and model for creating solutions that will last.”
The United Boardroom program aligns with United Way of Salt Lake’s core value of equity. We believe in creating a level playing field, so all community members have equal opportunities to thrive. Christina-Mai Just is the Chief Equity Officer at United Way of Salt Lake, and the primary facilitator for the United Boardroom program. “It has been truly remarkable to support a space where young leaders can be validated in all the value and voice they hold in shaping the future of our community.” Just said. “The discussions have been rich, real, and supportive and the energy in the room has been filled with curiosity and gratitude.”
Please fill out this form if you are interested in participating in the second cohort of the United Boardroom workshop series, or if you would like to nominate or sponsor a current or emerging leader to participate.
Written by Jenna Fischer, Content Strategist
