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Denton, Texas (January 6, 2010): United Way of Denton County has announced the spring schedule for Project Blueprint, a board leadership training program designed to train community volunteers to become qualified, quality board members of non-profit organizations in Denton County.

                Applications for Project Blueprint will be available beginning January 15th at United Way of Denton County’s office at 625 Dallas Drive, Suite 525 in Denton and on its website at http://www.unitedwaydenton.org/comImpact-ProjectBlueprint.html. All applicants must live, work or volunteer in Denton County and must complete a panel interview in addition to submitting a completed application. The class will be limited to 20 participants and attendance is required at all classes to receive certification.

                Applications for the spring session of Project Blueprint are due by February 10th. Panel interviews will be conducted the week of February 22nd and the program fee of $100 is due on March 10th, once applications are approved.

                Project Blueprint classes begin on Tuesday, March 23rd with a meet and greet, and continue every Tuesday evening through the first week of May. Class topics include “Governance,” “Board and Agency Relations,” “Finance,” and “Marketing and Fundraising,” among others.  The course concludes with an event designed to introduce potential volunteers and board members to area non-profits.

                Gary Henderson, chief executive officer for Communities in Schools of North Texas, taught the “Board and Agency Relations” module this past fall and is slated to return as a speaker in the spring. He noted that the opportunity Project Blueprint training provides is invaluable – both to the community member considering serving on a non-profit board, as well as the non-profit organizations themselves.

                “By our very nature, non-profit organizations exist to do the will and meet the needs of the community,” Henderson said. “To effectively do this, we need passionate, equipped community members to serve as non-profit board members.  I find that most people simply do not feel qualified to serve on a non-profit board.  That is understandable when you consider the weighty role of governance and policy that non-profit boards must serve. With a program like Project Blueprint, the non-profit organizations, and therefore ultimately the community at large, benefit from a pool of trained community members passionate about serving as non-profit board members.” 

                In December, United Way of Denton County graduated 15 individuals from the Project Blueprint program, some of whom were already members of non-profit boards. One of those graduates is local attorney Alyson Gregory Richter, who serves on the board of directors at Fred Moore Day Nursery.

                Richter said she would recommend the class to individuals who aspire to serve on a board, are new to board leadership, as well as those who have board experience.

                “I went in thinking that I would get a few good pointers, but instead I gained a wealth of knowledge about board leadership that will prove to be invaluable in the future,” Richter said. “There was a wealth of knowledge conveyed not only by the presenters, but also among the class members.  I think that no matter what level of board experience someone has, this class will prove to be a worthwhile endeavor, and is also a great way to connect to other like-minded people in the Denton community.”

                For more information on Project Blueprint, contact Leah Jordan at 940-566-5851 x105 or leah@unitedwaydenton.org.

United Way of Denton County is working to advance the common good by focusing on education, income and health – the building blocks for a good life. Through the work of our partner agencies, it is our goal to: help families have financial stability, build healthy communities and help children and youth achieve their potential.