Bridgestar Celebrates Second Anniversary Serving Nonprofit Sector With More Than 11,500 Senior Leaders as Members
Founded in Dec. 2003, Bridgestar celebrates its second anniversary this month with more than 11,500 members. In two years Bridgestar, a nonprofit initiative of the Bridgespan Group, has emerged as a much-needed resource for attracting, connecting and developing in-sector senior leaders and bridgers – people outside the nonprofit sector looking for ways to enter it – with leadership positions, new ideas and best practices.
Boston, MA (PRWEB) December 15, 2005
Founded in Dec. 2003, Bridgestar celebrates its second anniversary this month with more than 11,500 members. In two years Bridgestar, a nonprofit initiative of the Bridgespan Group, has emerged as a much-needed resource for attracting, connecting and developing in-sector senior leaders and bridgers – people outside the nonprofit sector looking for ways to enter it – with leadership positions, new ideas and best practices.
Members include individuals interested in pursuing nonprofit leadership and board positions; and more than 1,200 organizations and foundations spread across 49 states and Washington, DC, South America, Europe, Asia and Australia, and across a range of service areas including the environment, human services, elder services, human rights, and youth services. These organizations include: Opportunity International, Twin Cities Community Development Corporation, Riverbend Environmental Education Center, Jewish Community Centers of Greater Boston, Room to Read, WGBH, and YouthBuild USA.
“Bridgestar’s goal is to attract and nurture leadership within nonprofit organizations, and to help bring in new talent and passion in the form of for-profit executives who ‘bridge’ to the nonprofit sector as they search powerful ways to contribute their skills and talents,” says David Simms, Managing Partner, Bridgestar. “We see the impact of our work in terms of our substantial membership base, the strength of our senior leadership job board, our recent successes in recruiting senior leaders for nonprofit organizations, and the growing knowledgebase and participation in the resources we offer our members, such as ‘Leadership Matters,’ bridger seminars, and our COO LISTSERV.”
Bridgestar Services
Bridgestar offers recruiting services, a job board, board-matching services and a Chief Operating Officer LISTSERV® that grew out of the need of nonprofit COOs to connect and share their questions and ideas.
In addition to resources available on its site, Bridgestar publishes “Leadership Matters,” a monthly newsletter that picks a different theme designed as a conversation about how to build and sustain effective nonprofit organizations. “Leadership Matters” is available to all Bridgestar members or, for a complimentary subscription, please email subscribe@bridgestar. org.
Members can:
Choose from a flexible menu of recruiting services. Post or apply to senior management openings on Bridgestar’s job board. Leverage Bridgestar’s partnerships with networks of professionals and graduate schools to access a diverse and talented candidate pool. Identify board candidates through Bridgestar’s partnership with boardnetUSA, or respond to solicitations for board candidates
Benefit from Bridgestar’s extensive knowledge-sharing activities and content. Utilize Bridgestar’s online library of original articles, surveys and tools, and stay up to date on prevailing and innovative practices. Receive “Leadership Matters,” Bridgestar’s monthly newsletter.
Connect to other leaders.
Share expertise and learn from others through discussion boards, peer groups, roundtables, and occasional member gatherings such as talks by Diana Aviv, president of Independent Sector, and best-selling author Jim Collins.
About Bridgestar
Bridgestar (www. bridgestar. org), an initiative of the Bridgespan Group, is a nonprofit organization building a member-driven community of individuals and organizations working to strengthen their careers, their institutions, and the nonprofit sector. Established in 2003, Bridgestar’s goal is to attract, connect and support senior leaders – established and aspiring – for greater effectiveness and social impact.
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