"The board development work we did with Amanda [Ziebell Mawanda] at Propel literally gave our board members the tools to start leading the organization and not just following the lead of the staff or executive director."
"The cohort experience of the program has been incredibly valuable in that it allows me and encourages me to connect with peers that otherwise I almost never have a chance to."
"I was drawn to Rochester Beacon because a lot of these kids are written off. They’re told they’re not good enough, that they don’t meet society’s idea of what a child should be, and they’re kind of boxed in."
"The chance to be with leaders of organizations of similar-sized budgets and working from a similar place has been really nice. As an ED, you’re in the middle of everything and also all alone."
"Sometimes being an executive director – and how I imagine it’s like being an artistic director – feels very lonely, especially in a small organization."
"Even when you think that you are doing OK, it isn't until you go through the board development process that the full board has the opportunity to engage in active strategy and goal creation."
"It can be hard to prioritize board development when you've got programs to run and a grant application due by 4:00 pm on Friday. Working with Propel helped us take a vague notion that our board could be more engaged and effective, and helped us break it down into manageable chunks."
