Lay Leadership Development

The Volunteer and Leadership Development Division (VLDD) of UJAFederation of New York is a department dedicated to encouraging volunteerism through UJA-Federation and its network of agencies. Each year, VLDD works with thousands of volunteers to link them to activities and programs, educational opportunities, and leadership positions related to the work of UJA-Federation and its network of agencies. The Capstone team analyzed the structure of lay leadership development through UJA-Federation by evaluating the current successes and failures of the lay leadership development program using personal interviews with lay leaders and UJA-Federation professionals. The research process focused on commonalities among the individuals who have made their way to the top lay leadership roles. Using this data, the team recommended changes to the structure of leadership development activities, in order to recommend enhancements to VLDD’s training and education agenda and strategy. The final deliverable included a series of recommendations for restructuring and improving the delivery of these programs, including recommendations for implementation. VLDD will use these recommendations to inform their decisionmaking process for future lay leadership development activities.