Emerging Leaders

Emerging Leaders is an interactive and innovative program that prepares younger professionals from across all sectors to serve as nonprofit board members, committee members, and/or skilled volunteers.

Program Goals

  • Create a network of resourceful young leaders. Participants establish strong and lasting relationships that are personally and professionally beneficial and founded on a shared commitment to the common good.
  • Prepare young professionals for board, committee and skilled volunteer positions with local nonprofit organizations. Research shows that younger leaders are underrepresented on nonprofit boards, and boards report challenges in identifying and attracting young leaders. Over the past ten years the program has connected more than 200 young professionals with more than 100 com
    munity organizations!
  • Develop young professionals’ sustained commitment to their communities. Studies also show that young leaders who are actively involved in their communities are two to three times more likely to stay and contribute to the economy and well-being of our state.
“Regardless of whether you were familiar with the nonprofit sector or had served on a board, it was an empowering experience that made me (and everyone else I spoke with) feel prepared to serve in a board capacity. Beyond that, the opportunity to meet and collaborate with such an impressive group of peers was amazing and filled me with optimism for the future of local nonprofits and our community.” - Emerging Leaders Graduate, 2016

Led by skilled facilitators, guest experts, and leaders in the nonprofit field, the curriculum weaves together leadership skill development, training on board roles and responsibilities, and connections to service opportunities within Maine’s diverse nonprofit community.

“The Emerging Leaders program reshaped the way I contribute to my community and to my workplace. The program not only showed me how I could make a difference as a board member of a nonprofit organization, but it also connected me with a network of inspiring, civic-minded peers. I am so grateful for the knowledge I gained, the leadership skills I built, and the friends I made during this program.” - Emerging Leaders Graduate, 2019

Next Class

MANP will not be holding an Emerging Leaders class in 2022, but if you are interested in hearing about future programs, email us at Learn@NonprofitMaine.org.

In the meantime, check event listings for our regular “All Aboard” lunch & learns for an introduction to board service and we encourage you to use Board Explorer, a free tool for finding board service opportunities!

For Nonprofits

Are you a nonprofit looking to make a connection with younger leaders who may be interested in board or committee service? MANP’s Board Explorer tool is free for MANP member organizations and helps nonprofits and potential board members (of all ages) find one another.

Program History 

Emerging Leaders launched in 2010 as Young Emerging Leaders and was seed-funded by Norton Insurance and Financial with WEX sponsorship. The Emerging Leaders program has now connected more than 200 young professionals with more than 100 community organizations in Maine. After eight years with Lift360, the Emerging Leaders Program moved to MANP beginning in 2018 when Lift360 closed its doors.