PUBLIC LEADERSHIP EDUCATION NETWORK PLEN
Preparing You to Lead
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Women are 51% of the population in the U.S. but make up less than 30% of elected positions while 7% of the U.S. population identifies as LGBTQ but only 0.2% of elected positions are held by LGBTQ people. Therefore, to increase the pipeline of young women and marginalized gender groups who will pursue leadership roles in public policy, PLEN offers programming that provide students with hands-on opportunities to hone their leadership skills and to be introduced to and network with outstanding leaders already working in the field.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
STEM Policy
This seminar offers students a valuable opportunity to hear firsthand from leaders in science, health, and technology who are shaping our nation’s STEM agenda. Students will connect with senior officials in the public, nonprofit, and private sectors.
Public Policy Seminar
Participants will explore how to influence the policy issues they are passionate about and learn the range of professional opportunities and skills required to be successful. Over the course of the seminar, students will network and learn from leaders on Capitol Hill, the executive branch, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and private corporations.
Global Policy
At the five-day Global Policy seminar, participants will learn how to launch their international policy career through participating in policy discussions, diplomacy simulations, and connecting with leaders who are shaping policy in DC and across the world.
Women of Color Influencing Washington Seminar
PLEN brings together a diverse group of students virtually from around the country for a PLENForum to discuss current issues in the field, build professional skills, and hear from leaders on the front lines of policy-making. This program will give students access to a powerful network of women of color who make and influence public policy everyday, from lobbying to working on a committee to heading government relations for a business.
Health Policy
At the three-day Health Policy seminar, college students from across the U.S. considering a career in health policy will learn how to make an impact in the legislative and political processes, explore hot-button issues on Capitol Hill, and expand their professional networks in Washington, DC and beyond.
Future LGBTQIA+ Leaders
Over the course of the PLENForum, students will network and learn from LGBTQIA+ leaders on Capitol Hill, the executive branch, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and private corporations. Participants will learn how to navigate the workplace as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, the practical skills you should bring to your first job after graduation, and post-graduate opportunities.
Where we work
External reviews
Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of volunteers
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
The number of entry-, mid-, and senior-level professionals who volunteer their time to speak to and mentor our students
Number of clients participating in educational programs
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
The number of students who attend our seminars and other programming.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
In the 40 years since PLEN was founded, the organization has moved from a single women's college to bringing students from over 60 schools across the country to Washington DC for six seminars a year. PLEN alumni have gone on to become state representatives, start their own companies, and senior policy managers. This is a testament to PLEN's continued success.
PLEN's focus on diversity has lead to over 50 percent of attendees are under represented races and/or ethnicities. This diversity works toward PLEN's goal of having a better representation of women and marginalized gender groups in leadership positions.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
PLEN strives to provide the seminar attendees a wide variety of perspectives from a diverse group of students. We offer seminars on a variety of policy topics.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
PLEN has been providing workshops for over 40 years and has developed an extensive alumni network. PLEN also takes advantage of being based in Washington D.C. to access a variety of leaders in public policy.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
PLEN looks at the data on the surveys to make sure panel topics match the interest and skills of the student. One such example is a panel on how to use LinkedIn. With the website becoming more popular, PLEN is changing the approach of this panel from a basic introduction to a more in depth look at how to maximize the advantages of LinkedIn for the students.
A challenge that is constantly being worked on is the ability to balance more experiential learning such as workshops and site visits with panel discussions to learn about the experiences of our guest speakers. PLEN continues to adjust seminar schedules to allow for short breaks between sessions, include end of day networking opportunities, and provide diverse content.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time, It is hard to come up with good questions to ask people
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
PUBLIC LEADERSHIP EDUCATION NETWORK PLEN
Board of directorsas of 08/29/2022
Caitlin Donahue
Seven Star Strategies
Rachna Choudhry
POPVOX
Nancy Bocskor
The Nancy Bocskor Company
Alana Cantillo
New York Immigration Coalition
Erica Dahl
Vivint Solar
Vicki Klopsch
Lapsa Center For Leadership, Scripps College
Anna Mitchel Mahoney
Newcomb College Institute, Tulane University
Debbie Ricker
Hood College
Angie Schmidt Whitney
The College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University
Whitney Terrill
Minnesota Department of Health
Shae Harris
Market Manager, Mid-Atlantic, Corporate Responsibility, JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Shelby Olson
Principal, CareerLife Directions LLC
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
No data
Gender identity
No data
Transgender Identity
No data
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 11/19/2021GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.