203: Finding Success as a New Nonprofit Leader (Aaron Randolph)

203: Finding Success as a New Nonprofit Leader (Aaron Randolph)SUMMARYHow do you find success as a new nonprofit leader? Starting any new business is difficult, and while similar, starting a nonprofit has a whole host of unique complexities. In Episode #203 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, Aaron Randolph shares his best advice for others looking to start, fund and run a successful nonprofit organization. Aaron navigated the “big three” - new leader, new organization, new community – and thoughtfully recounts the lessons learned that can help you as well.  Specifically, we explore four key functions of successful senior leadership and the value of conducting a thorough community assessment.  ABOUT AARONAaron Randolph is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Carolina Youth Coalition (CYC), a nonprofit organization that nurtures and propels high-achieving, under-resourced students to and through college. Aaron earned his Master’s in Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education in 2013 and a B.A. from Cornell University in 2011. A native of Lake City, FL, he relocated to Charlotte, NC in 2017 with his wife, Lizzy, from Baton Rouge, LA. Driven by a fervent belief in the power of education to create lasting generational change, Aaron began his career in education as a City Year AmeriCorps member and social studies teacher before finding a passion for college access work through joining the Baton Rouge Youth Coalition staff in 2015. Since moving to Charlotte, Aaron has led Carolina Youth Coalition’s launch and growth from serving 40 students in 2018 to over 300 high school and college students this school year. Through CYC, students in the program have earned over $45 million in scholarships and grants and two-thirds are attending four-year universities across the state and across the country completely debt-free.EPISODE TOPICS & RESOURCESDriving from the Backseat: Tips for Surviving as a Not-for-Profit CEO by Ronnie L. BryantWant to hear more from Ronnie Bryant? Listen to Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership episode #23Learn more about Aaron and Carolina Youth Coalition hereBefore His Time: The Untold Story of Harry T. Moore, America’s First Civil Rights Martyr by Ben GreenCheck out Patton’s new book Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership: Seven Keys to Advancing Your Career in the Philanthropic Sector