Leaders of NJ Nonprofit Organizations Will Participate in Intense Program

Sept. 12, 2011 - PRLog -- Newark, NJ – Senior executives from 12 nonprofit organizations in the Newark area have been selected to participate in The Prudential Foundation Nonprofit Executives Leadership Fellows Program, which launches this week at the Institute for Ethical Leadership at Rutgers Business School.  

The goal of the two-year program is to help nonprofit leaders increase their knowledge and skills while broadening their perspective on how to effect critical change.  The Fellows will meet once a month as a group for formal instruction and peer-to-peer discussions led by a facilitator.  They will also participate in leadership and management training sessions, emotional intelligence assessment and coaching, and guidance in mentoring other leaders within their organization.  

Sharon C. Taylor, Prudential senior vice president and chair of The Prudential Foundation, said, “It’s not always enough just to provide financial support to nonprofit organizations.  To help ensure long-term viability it also is important to make sure that the executive leadership is strong and that organizations have next generation leaders who are properly prepared to manage their organizations in the future.  We’re delighted to partner with the Rutgers Institute for Ethical Leadership to help address the ongoing sustainability of the Newark nonprofit sector.”

James Abruzzo, co-founder of Rutgers Institute for Ethical Leadership, said, “We are pleased to embark on this long term program with the generous support of The Prudential Foundation to support and strengthen the skills of nonprofit organizations’ executive leaders.  We will focus on leadership and management skill building in addition to the Fellows’ personal development.”
 
A central element of  Fellows Program is the individualized coaching , which, according to Grantmakers for Effective Organizations, provides a safe opportunity  for reflection, increases self-awareness, leads to higher levels of confidence and understanding, and enables those who are coached to cultivate their strengths and address their weaknesses.  

“We are vitally connected to the success of Newark’s nonprofit leaders and we are pleased to have the opportunity to help them develop their organizations’ bench strength.  This long-term program will not only help strengthen the skills of the Fellows, but will, in turn, benefit  other staff members as well.  Fellows will also closely work with their boards of directors to share their goals and progress to help their organizations deliver on their missions,” says Institute co-founder Alex Plinio.  

Fellows were selected based on their strong commitment to their own personal development, to the nonprofit sector, and to building the leadership capacity within their organization, as well as their willingness to work closely with their Board of Directors on achieving organizational goals.  

2011-2013 The Prudential Foundation Nonprofit Executive Fellows

Karen Burns, Essex County Court Appointed Special Advocate, Inc.
Pamela DePompo, Healing the Children New Jersey
Gerard Haizel, Episcopal Community Development, Inc.
Marshall Jones, Crossroads Theatre Company
Dominique Lee, Building Responsible Intelligent Creative Kids
Paul McRae, New Jersey Ballet
Jerri Morrison, Young Scholars' Institute
Peter Ruccione, Vacamas Programs for Youth
Vickie Snoy, Newark Boys Chorus School
Melissa Walker, Jazz House Kids
Karen Widico, Hunterdon Prevention Resources
Kevin Zealand, AIDS Resource Foundation for Children

The Prudential Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation supported by The Prudential Insurance Company of America, a subsidiary of Prudential Financial, Inc. .  In 2010, The Foundation provided $22.5 million in grants in efforts that support the revitalization of communities and Prudential employees' community engagement efforts.  For more information about this effort, read the Prudential Community Resources Annual Report.  To promote sustainable communities and improve social outcomes for community residents, The Prudential Foundation focuses its grant-making strategy on the areas of education, economic development, and arts and civic infrastructure.  

The Institute for Ethical Leadership at Rutgers Business School, which now encompasses the Center for Nonprofit and Philanthropic Leadership, works with business and government entities, nonprofit and philanthropic organizations, and within the University to provide leaders and future leaders with the education, training and critical-thinking tools needed to become more effective leaders and managers and make ethical decisions for real-world challenges.  For more information, visit http://www.business.rutgers.edu/iel.