White Rose Leadership Institute: York needs nonprofit founders, too

Founders of all kinds face a lot of the same problems, from balancing a budget and marketing their services to managing and maintaining staff.

Entrepreneurs make valuable contributions to our community, and they do so for the betterment of others, but they aren’t all for-profit founders.

In York County, there’s a growing number of nonprofit founders—people who see a problem and roll up their sleeves to solve it.

“Founders don’t wait for someone else to do it,” says Meagan Given, Executive Director of White Rose Leadership Institute. “In York, you find that entrepreneurship isn’t just about starting a business. It’s about an innovative mindset.”

***

White Rose Leadership Institute wants to support those leaders, many who take the helm at York’s area nonprofits. Doing so is two-fold for WRLI. The organization is best known for Give Local York, a 24-hour giving spree that started in 2018 and has continued each year to support area nonprofits. It also manages York Federal Fellows, which offers development opportunities for nonprofit leaders.

While many flagship organizations raise record-breaking dollars during Give Local York, it’s the startup nonprofits and grassroot efforts like York XL, the Trey and Boo Classic, and The Movement that are the up-and-coming catalysts.

“Dedicating yourself to the community can be very emotionally draining,” Meagan says. “It can easily lead to burnout. If we want to continue to enjoy the fruits of these founders’ labor, we must acknowledge them, support them, appreciate them, celebrate them, and ideally, join them.”

Just as Give Local York was created to strategically address needed changes in philanthropy, White Rose Leadership Institute aims to find creative ways to support nonprofit founders. 

“Nonprofit leaders are entrepreneurs and savvy professionals who face the same challenges as many for-profit businesses,” Meagan says. “They often have the added challenge of making a societal impact. Through this effort, we hope to support collaborations, engage with donors, and see a greater impact in our community.”