It was by far the liveliest, loudest library I’ve ever been in.

Enthusiasm and energy filled The Institute Library in downtown New Haven Thursday evening as about 60 people – all of whom were interested in becoming more engaged with our community – mingled with more than a dozen local nonprofits seeking volunteer board members.

Typically a quiet and peaceful space, the historic library on Chapel Street reverberated with conversations as 14 featured nonprofits in need of board members, volunteers and advocates mingled with the crowd, which included many young professionals.

The event, “New Haven: Meet Your Match,” a nonprofit board matching mixer, was sponsored by United Way of Greater New Haven and the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven and co-hosted by United Way and The Group With No Name, a vibrant group of civic-minded New Haven residents.

Nonprofits working in the areas of health, arts, education, recreation, basic needs and the environment were among those represented, lining the walls of the library, sharing the important messages of their work and their missions – to an audience they hadn’t reached before.

The evening kicked off with an interactive “game show” that outlined the purpose of nonprofit boards and what being a board member entails. Andrew Boone, who serves on multiple nonprofit boards (including United Way’s) led the activity, providing real-life insights and a lively dose of humor.

Sponsoring and hosting the event was a natural fit for United Way. One of our key roles is to be a convener, to bring people together to spark conversations about needs in our region and how to meet them. Hopefully, the conversations sparked Thursday carry on well into the future and some new energy is brought to deserving nonprofit boards working to improve the community.

To find out more about what United Way is doing in the community and keep up with future events, please like our Facebook page.

This post was written by Cara Baruzzi, external affairs officer at United Way of Greater New Haven.