By Jane Leighty Justis, The Leighty Foundation, and Andrea Pactor, Women’s Philanthropy Institute, Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
How can a small family foundation—with a small amount of treasure and large amounts of time and talent—change the culture of volunteer engagement in its community?
Jane Leighty Justis, board chair of The Leighty Foundation, set out to scale this mountain using a distinct assortment of gear. She experienced a powerful and transformative journey to the summit.
Jane’s experience as a trainer in the field of volunteerism contributed to her vision that high-impact volunteer engagement can sustain organizations, accomplish missions, and strengthen communities. Her passion led to creation of The Pikes Peak Volunteer Engagement Initiative, a multiyear effort to increase the effective use of volunteer resources in the Colorado Springs area.
As a philanthropist, Jane knew that today’s nonprofits and funders must engage communities in new ways to meet growing needs. Her goals for the initiative were to:
- Strengthen the community’s ability to leverage volunteer resources as part of a critical strategy to meet its needs
- Convene and build a cohort of organizations and individuals committed to effective volunteer engagement as a necessary element of organizational health and sustainability
- Create a model to share with other funders
