Dr. Sharon Elefant: College Students Partnering with Community Organizations

Dr. Sharon Elefant, Founder and CEO of The Nonprofit Plug, consults with various individuals to form and incorporate 501c3 tax exempt nonprofit organizations. Dr. Elefant specializes in supporting nonprofits to develop their organizational and administrative infrastructure, strategic vision, implementation plans, fund and growth development, and relationship cultivation. Additionally, she is adjunct faculty for Central Michigan University, Florida International University, and Pacific Oaks College specializing in health care business curriculum, supporting academic excellence in student advising, mentoring and internship programs at the undergraduate and graduate level. Living by the concept of Tikkun Olam, to repair the world, Dr. Sharon Elefant is an inclusive social justice advocate, educator, and nonprofit leader with a proven track record of building, growing, and enhancing organizational and fund development efforts on both a national and global level. Her innovative approaches and excellent communication skills have allowed her to successfully align community programs with specific community needs through various program partnerships and collaborations. In episode 642 of the Fraternity Foodie Podcast, we find out what real belonging look like in a student organization, where she sees strong alignment with nonprofit values and fraternity/sorority values, how Tikkun Olam shows up when she advises organizations, what cultural warning signs suggests that an organization may unintentionally be excluding certain voices, what's usually happening when organizations resist policies or oversight, how student leaders shift from a "one-year term mindset" to a legacy mindset, what values-aligned leadership looks like when tough decisions need to be made, how chapters can partner more intentionally with nonprofits or community organizations, which misconceptions about social justice or inclusion work she wants to challenge for fraternity and sorority leaders, and what gives her hope about the future of campus communities. Enjoy!