Project Blueprint Accepting Nominations

November 10,2005 (Bridgeport, CT) This evening, United Way's Project Blueprint for Volunteer Diversity will celebrate the program's 10th anniversary of promoting diversity in our community at a private reception at Roberto's in Bridgeport. Project Blueprint’s vision is that the governance structure of non-profit boards in Eastern Fairfield County be reflective of our diverse community.

Tomorrow, Project Blueprint will begin accepting nominations for the 2005-2006 program through United Way's website, www.thewaytocare.org.

Launched by United Way of America in 1987, the program serves approximately 40 communities nationally. United Way of Eastern Fairfield County’s first class of volunteer leaders graduated in 1995. To date, Project Blueprint has graduated 165 individuals, many of whom are now serving on boards throughout our community. A Project Blueprint Advisory Council, comprised of local community leaders and volunteers, has policy-making and oversight responsibility.

Project Blueprint Chair, Carolyn Vermont commented, “United Way of Eastern Fairfield County has made a significant contribution to the racial and ethnic inclusiveness in the greater Bridgeport community over the last 10 years by training and placing people of color on non-profit boards and committees. However, we still have a lot of work to do in the area of board diversity. Many non-profits board make-up are still not reflective of the population they serve. Therefore, agencies develop and implement great programs but they miss out on having voices that represent the population that they serve. These missing voices are significant in order for agencies to improve their services and to gain a better understanding of the population that they serve. We are excited about training more individuals so that they can make a difference in our community.”

Project Blueprint’s mission is to increase the involvement of historically underrepresented groups, such as Caribbean/African-Americans, Hispanics, Native-Americans and Asian/Pacific Islanders, in volunteer and policy-making positions in the non-profit sector of Eastern Fairfield County. To do this, program leaders identify, recruit, train and place individuals from historically underrepresented groups on the boards of non-profit organizations in the Greater Bridgeport area. The Project is a collaborative effort among several partners to help non-profit agencies become more inclusive and reflective of the diverse populations they serve. Individuals attend a variety of workshops developed especially for Project Blueprint and participate in community projects designed to enhance knowledge of organizations and to build leadership skills.

The Project Blueprint curriculum includes an array of topics related to:

· Board Meeting Management and Parliamentary Procedures

· The Inclusive Leader: Managing and Valuing Diversity

· “Boardsmanship” - Becoming an Effective Board Member

· Teamwork - Team Building and Team Playing

· Strategic Visioning and Planning

· Financial Management

· Resource Generation and Financial Development

· Ethics: A Meaningful Conversation About Things That Matter

Candidates should be nominated by either an individual or an organization. Individuals may also self-nominate. Project Blueprint seeks diverse candidates who:

· Have strong leadership qualities but who do not yet serve on a board;

· Have a proven track record of community involvement;

· Have a desire to serve and strengthen the Greater Bridgeport community;

· Have the willingness to participate in a rigorous three-month training program;

· Have a commitment to serve on a non-profit Board of Directors for a minimum of one year upon graduation.

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