The 2009 Nonprofit Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship Program is approaching, and we are beginning the project solicitation process. We held a community meeting on Thursday, April 30th at 11:00am at the Tabernacle Baptist Church Community Life Center to answer any questions. If you missed this meeting, please email or call us with questions (info@phoenixproject.org or 703-425-3532), or check out the powerpoint presentation.

As you are thinking about projects to propose, it might be helpful to consider the following:

  • Students will be working on community projects from June 22-July 25;
  • Usually teams of 4-5 students will be assigned to work on each project that is accepted;
  • Students will be supervised by seasoned nonprofit professionals, meaning that you will only need to be available to provide information, input, and guidance during the process, but not to supervise them on a daily basis;
  • Though we will try to accommodate as many requests as we can, it may not be possible for us to tackle every project during the summer, so please help us prioritize your requests if you are submitting multiple project proposals;
  • Projects that include a learning and growth opportunity for the engaged students are preferable, and as part of our program requirements, students are not able to perform clerical and office tasks during their work with the community organizations; and
  • Students will be provided office space and equipment by the Phoenix Project, so you don't have to worry about providing workspace.

Here are some samples of completed forms to guide you:

Upon submission of the form, please allow several days for our staff to review the form and get back to you to discuss next steps. Thank you for all you do for Petersburg.

Organization Name
Contact Person
Address
City, State ZIP
Phone
123-123-1234
Fax
123-123-1234
Email
Website, if any
Best Way To Contact You
Are you a nonprofit organization or municipal agency?

How many staff do you have?
What is your mission statement?
Describe your suggested project (2-3 sentences).
Describe the needs met by this project. How will it improve your service to the community?
Does your project require any of the following special skills or experience?
How important would you consider this project to your organization's ability to fulfill its mission?
How would you describe your availability to meet with students during the project period?
What deliverables or final products would you like at the conclusion of the project?
Are there any deadlines or event dates we should be aware of?
If there is a date or deadline, please describe its relevance to the project.
Does your project require confidentiality?
If confidentiality is required, please explain.
Have you worked with the Phoenix Project previously?
If not, how did you hear about us?

After I receive your form, we will get in touch with you to discuss the project further.

We look forward to working with you, and our students look forward to learning from you this summer! Project submissions are due by May 15th.

Deborah Coleman will be lead supervisor and point of contact for this summer's community-projects. Deborah is owner and principal consultant of The Coleman Group, LLC, a management consulting practice that specializes in organizational effectiveness.   Prior to founding the Coleman Group, Ms. Coleman spent twenty-five years in the telecommunications industry developing management expertise, serving most recently as Vice President and General Manager of a major division of AT&T.  She earned her undergraduate degree at Virginia State University in English and an MBA from Pace University in New York.

Deborah can be reached at DeborahDLColeman@aol.com or (804) 796-1474.