CMF is currently accepting applications for the next cohort of mentors and mentees to participate in the CMF Mentoring Program. Mentor and mentee applications are being welcomed through July 31.
CMF is currently accepting applications for the next cohort of mentors and mentees to participate in the CMF Mentoring Program. Mentor and mentee applications are being welcomed through July 31.
The program, which spans a six-month period, is designed to advance the leadership of a diverse network of rising professionals in the philanthropic sector, though individuals serving as mentors often say they find the experience equally rewarding.
"I know that I’m the mentor, but I have gained insights and inspiration from the mentees as well as the coaches,” shares CMF mentor Dr. Angela Graham, program director for partnerships, The John F. Fetzer Institute. “Part of what attracted me to this opportunity was the prospect of engaging with and learning from others."
CMF mentor Martha Gonzalez-Cortes, vice president, community investment, Kalamazoo Community Foundation, agrees. “My mentee has been a joy to work with! I think we have both benefited professionally from the tools shared by the CMF team and fabulous consultants during our statewide webinars and group meetings.” She also says the mentoring program has also provided her with tools and resources she can use in her work. “I have had the opportunity to expand my own professional network in the interaction with our cohort.”
The consultants and trainers who support the mentoring program with CMF staff lead professional and personal development learning on topics ranging from emotional intelligence and balancing home-work life to developing a personal brand and identifying leadership skills. Mentees also connect with an executive coach.
“Meeting with an executive coach was extremely valuable,” Richerd Winton, grants management associate, William Davidson Foundation and CMF mentee, notes. “Our conversations about my communication style assessment enabled me to have a toolkit of new skills I could use the very next day. She provided me with new strategies to approach work in more efficient and effective ways.”
Winton also cites his mentor Meredith Freeman, senior program officer, Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation, in supporting his success. “Our conversations significantly enhanced my approach to career planning and helped me to refine my interests within the field of philanthropy.”
In addition to one-on-one meetings between mentors and mentees, the program includes both in-person peer learning and sessions conducted via webinar for the entire cohort.
"The 'return on investment' far outweighs the time commitment," Graham says. “From the quality of the materials shared to the interactions with the other participants, it’s a positive and inspiring experience.”
Gonzalez-Cortes and her mentee, Vanessa Miller, development and special events manager, Detroit Historical Society, planned their virtual and in-person meeting dates in advance to ensure they would have sufficient quality time together. “I have enjoyed every minute of our interaction both by phone and in person.”
Miller is one of several nonprofit leaders to join the CMF Mentoring Program over the last several years, supporting the pipeline of talented individuals coming into the sector.
Graham remarks that she has high hopes for the future after working with her mentee Jessica Hill Riggs, program specialist, University of Michigan Center for Middle Eastern and North African Studies. “I’ve been impressed with Jessica and all of the mentees. I am thrilled to see the talent that is being developed and that is serving, and will continue to serve, the field.”
There is no cost for CMF members to participate in the mentoring program. Nonprofit professionals, in addition to philanthropic professionals who are eligible for CMF membership, can participate for a fee. Applications are welcomed through July 31. Space is limited. Notification of acceptance in the next cohort will be provided in August 2018 and an orientation webinar will be scheduled for November 2018.
CMF is committed to expanding diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) within the philanthropic sector. The CMF Mentoring Program is one way we help support the advancement and leadership of a diverse group of professionals working in the field.
Want more?
Download the mentoring program overview.
