On Our First Birthday
Marcus Cunningham, Board Chair
The Young Nonprofit Professionals Network (YNPN) Dallas started last summer with me and a group of colleagues. Our purpose was shared: for as much good as we’ve collectively done in the Dallas social sector, we knew we could do more. We knew the sector itself could do more to solve the big issues plaguing our community. We knew that for our various organizations to advance, they need to invest in a diverse and powerful workforce. That same view is held by YNPN chapters across the country. Our friends in Austin, San Antonio, and Oklahoma City have cultivated thriving chapters. Dallas, home to several of the nation’s largest nonprofits, needed a chapter of it’s own.

One year ago (Aug. 31, 2017,) this organization debuted, and declared it was here to stay.
What a year it’s been! 171 young professions now share our vision. Our members are spread over 120 organizations and across 20 different issue areas. I’m most proud that we’ve hosted over a dozen events that highlight our commitment to growth, diversity, and (most importantly) fun. The Board of Directors have found ways to make this work accessible for ourselves and for members, because running an all-volunteer organization on top of full-time jobs is not easy.

I’ve also had the pleasure of speaking with dozens of our members. Many have told me the same thing: they were looking for a community that understands the successes and struggles of nonprofit life. Our work gets either romanticized or diminished, depending on the mood of the day. This sector employs over 10 percent of the domestics workforce, yet common misconceptions about what it means to to this work persist.
So what’s next for us? Over the next year you can expect more high-quality learning and social experiences, and more insight on how our work here impacts the national social sector. Specifically, we want to tie our work to these three goals:
- Become a diverse hub of support for members, where we can learn from one another and create avenues for collaboration.
- Empower members to be leaders in their organizations, in the issue spaces they care about, and in their communities.
- Push organizations and their stakeholders to focus on things that matter: the people who invest their careers in this work, and the impact we have on the communities we serve.
As the next generation of social sector leaders, our outcomes are tied to the sector, to a vision of institutions who fully empower their own stakeholders on the path to a better life. We’re looking forward to building this movement with all of you.

Interested in joining the YNPN Dallas community? Become a member today!
Applications for joining the Board of Directors are open now! Gain experience on a real nonprofit board, and help advance the social sector in Dallas.
