A coalition of matchmakers for RI nonprofits

A first-of-its-kind matchmaking event earlier this year drew more than 100 participants, a mix of leaders of nonprofits hoping to recruit board members and members of the community looking to fill those seats.

Leadership Rhode Island joined four other nonprofit organizations, the Social Enterprise Greenhouse, The Capellan Group, United Way of Rhode Island’s new Alliance for Nonprofit Impact, and the Papitto Opportunity Connection to organize the event at the Guild, a Pawtucket brew pub.

The evening of draft beer, snacks and networking received “great feedback,” says Samantha Bergbauer, LRI’s Director of Community Engagement.

Buoyed by the success, the coalition held a second matchmaker session December 4 in the event room of the CIC building in Providence.   

At the first event, attendees wore color-coded badges to distinguish the board recruiters from the board seekers as they mingled.  Leaving little to chance, Bergbauer reviewed the forms submitted by participating organizations and by LRI alumni seeking board seats, so she could make personalized introductions throughout the evening.

No overall tally is available to determine how many successful “matches” emerged, but Bergbauer says that seven to ten LRI alumni are now engaged with the work of non-profits because of the event.

As CEO of the Girl Scouts of Southeastern New England, I personally know of one success story. Jackie Hague, 2020 Pi II, now sits on our board.

Hague says she was looking for opportunities to diversify her development experiences and strengthen her external network. As a mom to a young daughter, the Girl Scout mission piqued her interest.

“What really impressed me was Sam, who proactively served me up,” she says, referring to Bergbauer. “LRI really knows their people, and I was so delighted she thought I’d be a good fit (for Girl Scouts).”

The timing of the event at the start of 2024 was perfect for John Mulattieri, 2009 Epsilon II, retired from Fidelity Investments, who was anticipating a “slow year ahead.”

His 10-year term on the Board of Advisors for the USS Constitution Museum had run out and he had stepped down after many years of service on the board of the New England chapter of the National MS Society.

At the pub, the gregarious Mulattieri thoroughly enjoyed conversations with representatives of six different non-profits. “The results were excellent as more than one board expressed interest in a follow-up conversation.”

Afterward, Bergbauer encouraged Mulattieri to get in touch with an organization he had not encountered at the pub, Thrive Outside, a Bristol-based non-profit dedicated to “giving kids access to nature through hands-on, outdoor learning and nature play in schools.”

A match emerged. “As a new board member, John brings experience in governance and fundraising, believes in our mission, has time to serve and is super generous,” says Shannon Rozea, the organization’s founder.

In fact, Thrive Outside added a second new board member after the event, Kevin Manuel, 2012 CLRI.

In September, the five-member non-profit coalition also offered a workshop specifically for the executive directors and board chairs of small nonprofit organizations in their first five years of operation. The leadership duos of nine organizations attended the event at LRI’s Hub in Providence.

Led by Karen Davis, 1999 Tau and CEO of the North Star Impact Group, the interactive workshop dealt with the respective roles of the two positions and ways to actively engage board members in advancing the mission of the nonprofit.