Andrews Class Inspires Youth Leadership

Niles Music and More, a nonprofit organization dedicated to granting local artists exposure and bringing entertainment to Niles Riverfront Park through its annual Summer Concert Series, recently announced the addition of four high school student interns to its nonprofit board.  The Niles Summer Concert Series was founded in 2018 to fill the void of musical events at Riverfront Park. Niles Music and More founder Caryn Adler said each concert acts as a fundraiser for other nonprofits located in the 49120 zip code, with each band choosing a Niles nonprofit to share the billing slot with. Adler has a list of active 501c3 nonprofits from the area, ranging from focus on the arts to children in need, to seniors and healthcare.

Adler recently sat in on an Andrews University non-profit class taught by Ferry Street Resource Center Director Ric Pawloski, which inspired her to restructure her board and incorporate youth in the planning process.

“I had built my board in a way that worked best for me and I was able to do all the work. But I see a period of growth coming for us and I saw that we were at a crossroads,” Adler said. “One of the crossroads was we could just dissolve the concerts because I couldn’t do it all and this is where the class came up at the best time. I didn’t know what I didn’t know about running a nonprofit and this class was so valuable and actually was able to help me create what we didn’t have, and help me put the board together in a way that they shoulder some of the work. I give up control and we continue our growth with new people and new perspectives.”

<<< Read the full story at the LeaderPublications site >>>