There are some things you can do on the fly—change your lunch plans, call your grandma, even skip town for the weekend—but facilitating a meeting should not be one of them. We have all been in frustrating meetings that run too long, stray off topic, or are dominated by Chatty Charlie. A skilled facilitator can save us all from all this by creating a space for efficient and inclusive meetings. This post contains five pointers from experts that will help you facilitate meetings that people actually want to attend.

As young nonprofit professionals, one of the most exciting stages in leadership development is when we begin to manage staff or volunteers. It is a time when our lens expands from our own to-do lists to include the tasks of others. Being a new manager does not necessarily require gaining the word “manager” in your title. Perhaps your boss is hiring an intern to help you out this summer. It could even be that you are picked to manage a group of volunteers for an annual event. In any case, you will manage people and that takes some preparation and deliberate skill-building. Here are some tips to getting off on the right foot.

It’s a new year, friends. The holiday season of 2018 has come and gone, but the sparkle of people wanting to connect and serve others still remains.

With this sense of connection comes a heightened desire for folks to give and do more for their communities and causes they love. Enter: the volunteer!

Chandler Rock is a volunteer on the YNPN Triangle NC Programming Committee.

At our Resource Roundtable event in October, young nonprofit professionals came together to enjoy coffee and biscuits at A Place at the Table to give and get some helpful tips. Warm and open dialogue was enjoyed by all, and we generated so many great insights that we wanted to share them with all of you. Our key takeaways were to hone in on your passion, don’t be afraid to ask, and to follow up!

Nonprofit professionals are eyeing November 27, 2018 with anticipation, and perhaps some anxiety. On this date, donors, volunteers, and social media bystanders will get a barrage of requests to support nonprofits near and far for Giving Tuesday.

Lindsey Lassiter is a YNPN Triangle NC volunteer on the Marketing & Communications Committee. This month, she shares her thoughts on B Corps and the opportunities they present for nonprofits.

We had a Q&A with Rob Shields, Executive Director of ReCity Network, a partner of YNPN Triangle NC, to hear his vision of how young leaders can affect social change. ReCity is a hub for social impact in Durham (learn more about their important work here). We loved hearing Rob’s insights and advice for young nonprofit professionals, and we believe everyone has something to learn from his vision and philosophy of social change. Check out what he has to share!

Lindsey Lassiter is a YNPN Triangle NC volunteer on the Marketing & Communications Committee.

On Friday, May 18, YNPN Triangle NC hosted our fourth annual #NonprofitSTRONG Summit. Just over 200 nonprofit professionals from around the region participated in a full day of networking and professional development. At its heart, #NonprofitSTRONG was really about raising up voices, growing our nonprofit community, and supporting each other.

YNPN Triangle is one of 42 Chapters across the country dedicated to empowering emerging leaders by connecting them to people, resources, and ideas. Every year, we come together for the national conference and it’s an amazing experience. Here are 5 Reasons You Should Go to YNPN National Conference:

Jesica Averhart of Leadership Triangle to speak at #NonprofitSTRONG Summit