LOVE

Photo by: Elizabeth JankeA few members of the 2011 Get on Board Committee: Leigh Thorpe, Co-Chair, Missy Allain, Katie Pelliccio and Mary Sanchez.Get on BoardBy Brook BrownEVER WONDERED how to become involved in a nonprofitorganization? Well, Get on Board with JLNO’s program tohelp gain the skills and training to do just that.Get on Board is a course available for any member of the greaterNew Orleans community who is interested in learning about allaspects of nonprofit leadership and board service. The programstrives to recruit a wide variety of adults who are motivated tomake a difference in their community by serving on a board orcommittee of a local nonprofit, and train them to be effective leaderswho will increase their functionality and productivity of a nonprofitorganization.After the training sessions, Get on Board works to matchtrainees with a local board or committee that has requested newmembers. The program accepts a variety of participants fromyoung professionals who have never served on a board to currentnonprofit board leaders looking to improve their knowledge andbetter serve their organization. Staff members of nonprofitorganizations also attend the course to learn how to be a betterresource for their board members.Get On Board was developed as a resurrection of a similar programinitially sponsored by the Junior League of New Orleans 25years ago, Boardswork!, which had been spun off into an independentprogram but was unfortunately discontinued a couple of yearsbefore Hurricane Katrina. League members spent the year immediatelyafter Katrina exploring community needs by interviewingcommunity leaders, schools, health care providers, elected officialsand business leaders to determine new community needs poststorm.Much-needed general nonprofit board training was goingunprovided in the community and the League began to emerge as aleader in bringing this resource back to New Orleans.The Get on Board course has produced hundreds of graduatessince its inception, with more than 200 in the last year alone. A18 Lagniappe