During their nine-month fellowship, the 2012 Independent Sector American Express NGen Fellows examined the "leadership void" that will be created by the impending retirement of baby-boomer nonprofit executives. The Fellows also sought to identify the leadership development needs of mid-level nonprofit professionals and search for solutions.
Their research found that a large majority of young professionals lack access to leadership development, but desire to learn from other leaders, and expressed a need for greater personal connections with mentors and peers.
As a result, the Fellows developed a multi-stage proposal to democratize or "hack" the NGen Fellowship experience for a much larger community. The proposal includes building an online community, engaging in collaborative projects to be judged at sector-wide gatherings and creating opportunities for local networking. The 2012 NGen Fellows will present their findings at the Independent Sector National Conference in New York City on September 29.