By Demelza Ramirez | Echo
Lighthouse, Spring Break missions trips, Community Service projects: with so many avenues at Taylor for students to get involved in social justice and outreach, is it any wonder that many alumni turn to nonprofits, ministries and other forms of entrepreneurship to find jobs?
Taylor will be hosting "Faith, Philanthropy and Change: Cultivating Nonprofit Impact," a conference for people and businesses interested in nonprofits, ministries and entrepreneurship. It is an effort taken directly from the university's mission to develop servant leaders driven by undeterred passion to go forth and minister to a world in need of Christ's love.
The conference will be held June 2-4 and will consist of various networking opportunities as well as ten different sessions geared towards a myriad of topics, including Gateways and Barriers to Nonprofit Success; Emerging Trends in the Nonprofit Sector; Tax and Legal Issues and Best Practices; and many others.
Presenting several of the sessions will be Taylor alumni. Chris Horst '06 is the VP of development at HOPE International and will present a session called "Mission Drift: The Unspoken Crisis Facing Leaders, Charities and Churches. Lowell Haines '75, a partner at Faegre Baker Daniels, will present at the Tax and Legal Issues and Best Practices session. Other alumni include: Dan Benson '87 the co-founder and COO of American Senior Communities; Gene Habecker '68, current president of Taylor; Dara Johnson '02, the senior director of operations for By The Hand Club for Kids; and Rob Staley '79, the executive director of the Crossing Educational Center. Morning devotionals will be led by Dr. Jay Kesler.
While the conference is meant for networking between the various organizations, Taylor students are also encouraged to attend and begin their networking experience. A Taylor alumnus has graciously donated towards the conference, ensuring that each attendee gets a discount on the conference fee, with a special discounted price for Taylor students.
For Taylor students the cost for the conference is $50 which includes all meals for the three days and housing in Breuninger Hall. Options for non-Taylor students include a $250/person deal with housing in Breuninger and all meals, or a $350/person deal with housing in Wolgemuth Hall and all meals. An $85 Tuesday-only option is available which would cover all the meals on that day.
Deadline to register for the conference is Friday, May 16. People can register at www.taylorconnect.org/nonprofitconference2014 or by calling 765-988-5170.
(Thumbnail image provided by Alumni Office)
