8th Grader Elected to Catholic Charities Board

Charlotte McKane, a 13 year old student at Oneonta Middle School, has been elected to the board of directors of Catholic Charities of Delaware & Otsego counties. Serving the community is nothing new to Charlotte. In 2006 she was received national recognition as a Build-A-BearWorkshop Huggable Hero for her work raising money and obtaining donations for local programs. She is the founder of Charlotte's Circle, a foundation that supports the local nonprofit community, and the recent recipient of the Catholic Charities Volunteer of the Year award. Kathy Greenblatt, executive director of the local Catholic Charities said, “Charlotte is aware of the families and individuals living in poverty in our area. She also brings research and fundraising skills to our area.” You can read the rest of the story here.

Charlotte clearly has experience that will serve her well as she sits on the board of directors. Electing younger people to boards is an excellent way to cultivate interest at an early age and encourage life-long involvement with the nonprofit community. Bringing fresh perspectives to the board can be an essential part of developing your board; check out some suggestions for involving youth in your organization and the legal considerations in NY.