Capital Area CASA Association Partners with 2015’s First Leadership Coaching Series
The Capital Area CASA Association is a nonprofit community organization that recruits, trains and supervises community volunteers who advocate for abused and neglected children who are in foster care in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana. The organization does important work and we’re excited to have it as our community partner in Success Labs’s upcoming Leadership Coaching Series, which begins tomorrow and runs each Wednesday through April 1.The Leadership Coaching Series is designed to challenge high-potential employees and new leaders to expand their leadership competencies as they offer innovative, strategic business solutions to a real-world problem the community partner organization is facing. Participants are divided into two teams and must work together to identify strategies the organization can use to achieve its goal.This will be CASA’s first time working with us on the Leadership Coaching Series and Jennifer Mayer, who oversees its volunteers, says she’s hoping that the collaboration will help raise CASA’s profile and encourage more people to sign up as volunteers. “We are always in need of additional volunteers to serve every child. The Leadership Coaching Series seemed like a great fit to offer recommendations and solutions, and present opportunities to make connections with participants and participating companies companies.”
Capital Area CASA Association’s Challenges
While CASA can serve every child in the foster care system, it would like to have more volunteers in general, and more male and African-American volunteers specifically, Mayer says. The children CASA serves are about half boys and half girls, but only about 18 percent of its volunteers are male. And while 80 percent of the children are African-American, only about a third of volunteers are.“As a recruiter for volunteers here, I work on strategies, and I’m hoping LCS will offer creative solutions and fresh ideas for our needs,” she says.Mayer says participants will face the same challenges she does on a daily basis. “One is that there are so many wonderful nonprofits in the area. They’re all worthy causes and deserve support. Volunteer recruitment for any organization involves breaking through the clutter of everyone who needs volunteers.”There are also some stereotypes that may deter people from participating, Mayer says. “For example, working with kids is seen as women’s work, and that comes into play with men.” The truth is the organization needs all kinds of powerful voices to speak up for the vulnerable children it serves.
Seeking Solutions
CASA’s primary goal is to serve every East Baton Rouge Parish child who needs a voice -- from newborns to teenagers, Mayer says. “It all comes down to the kids. These are our community’s most vulnerable children put in foster care for their own protection, and they face confusion and an uncertain future.” CASA’s role is often to serve as the most consistent and stable presence in the children’s lives. Its team looks for a diverse mix of volunteers to serve a diverse group of children, so they can provide each one with the best advocacy possible.“We’re eager to meet the group that will be working with us and to hear their ideas,” Mayer says. “It’s always great to have fresh perspectives.”Let us know if you’d like to learn more about the Leadership Coaching Series and how your company’s emerging leaders can participate.Success Labs is a full-service, strategic organizational and leadership development company located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. For more than 25 years, our expert team of consultants has worked with hundreds of companies to explore their business potential and improve their company and cultural performance. Contact us to get proactive about your people strategy.