Janine Vanderburg Of Denver Wins Launch Pad Competition

Denverite Wins Launch Pad Competition With Idea To Link Non-Profits, Retirees

Denver's Janine Vanderburg has been named one of 5 finalists in Civic Ventures' national Launch Pad competition.

The competition solicited over 1,000 ideas from Americans around the country on ways to improve their communities. The winners received $5,000 grants.

Vanderburg, 57, has run a consulting firm for more than 20 years that specializes in working with the nonprofit sector. Her idea is to link baby-boomer retirees with sales backgrounds with nonprofits looking for fundraisers.

"A year ago, I did a workshop on transitioning to the nonprofit sector, Vanderburg wrote in her proposal. "The response was overwhelming, and the great majority of people attending were older adults looking for encore careers in the nonprofit sector. Without fail, despite their extraordinary successes in the private sector in sales, they had difficulty bridging the culture of the nonprofit sector and speaking the language."

"This idea could help individuals and the hundreds of thousands of nonprofits that need seasoned people who can effectively communicate their mission and their value."

She says she will use the grant money to "customize the training for transition from corporate sales to nonprofit fundraising and help identify partners (development professionals) across the country that can be trained to deliver this program in their communities."

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