Managing Minds Matter Portland
As part of SVP Portland, the Encore Fellows Program provides a source of expertise for nonprofit organizations, helps individuals (Fellows) transition from their careers into social-purpose work, and gives corporations a new way to positively impact their communities. Encore Fellows who have retired from a career are matched with host nonprofit organizations based on their passions, skills, and experience.
What did you do on Saturdays when you were 17? The students at Minds Matter Portland typically spend theirs doing math and grammar exercises, SAT prep, having debates, writing essays and resumes, and working on their college applications. Minds Matter is a tutoring and mentoring program working with high-achieving, low-income sophomores, juniors, and seniors in high schools across the Portland-metro area. The goal is acceptance at the four-year colleges students want to attend, and the ability to graduate with as little debt as possible.
Susanne Lubash joined the organization as an Encore Fellow in October 2021 after previously volunteering as a mentor. At the time, it was entirely volunteer-run. Susanne says, “I was immediately put on the executive committee and asked to contribute in whatever way I could. My main role was volunteer recruitment, but it expanded to be much more.”
The Portland chapter of Minds Matter started in 2006 and has impacted the lives of hundreds of students. But during the pandemic, they lost about half of their staff to burnout, relocation, and retirement. Susanne conducted more than 70 interviews in the last year to secure enough mentors to support the 50 students they currently serve. “I also coordinated the volunteers, was a database wrangler, and data whisperer, '' explains Susanne. “I created a lot of processes to make things run more smoothly in the future. I developed volunteer recruitment strategies, interview scripts, onboarding instructions, orientation programs for the volunteers, and volunteer handbooks. I made a compliance tracking system, and created an e-sign documentation process. I also picked up two mentees in the senior class–my role just keeps expanding!”
To Susanne, all her efforts are worthwhile. “When you see kids succeed, it is unbelievably fulfilling,” she reflects. “I see a direct correlation between what I am doing and the kids’ success, and that is the ultimate goal. I feel like I am gushing, but I can't help it because Minds Matter is an amazing organization and I really enjoy being a part of it.”
Susanne is committed to Minds Matter, so she stayed on as their Volunteer Coordinator when her fellowship ended. She highly recommends the Encore Fellowship program and is happy that she found an organization that could use her skills, and offer work that is personally fulfilling. “The emotional rewards of working with a nonprofit are priceless. Enjoy your Encore Fellowship–you can have a great time! I did, and that's why I am still doing what I'm doing. I really, really love it at Minds Matter Portland.”
