NextGen Rochester Member Highlight:  Amy Button

My name is Amy Button and I joined NextGen Rochester in the fall of 2014 following a recommendation from a friend.  After spending a few months on board as a member, I became so invested in the mission and vision of the group that I took a leadership role on the Advisory Board, and I currently serve as the Education Chair.  As the Education Chair, my main responsibility is making sure everyone in our group gets the most out of their membership by providing them with networking and educational opportunities around the city, highlighting the non-profits we have supported through our grants program.  In addition to that, I connect with other non-profit organizations in the area, introducing them to what NextGen does, how our grants program can help build on their mission, and providing them with a connection to our members by coordinating tours and education sessions so we can become more familiar with how they support our community.

WHAT BROUGHT ME TO NEXTGEN: 

For the past 10+ years I have spent much of my free time volunteering at local non-profits, primarily fundraising and event planning. I joined NextGen to connect my experience to the “other side of the table”, so to speak…helping to plan our financial contributions to the community through our grants program.  NextGen offers many networking events to build awareness of issues facing our community, and education sessions to bring attention to the great organizations in Rochester.  The Education Sessions are especially helpful as it introduces our members to new causes and it helps the key contacts at the organization to learn more about NextGen and how we can help them.  What makes the experience even more unique is the fact that the members of NextGen (like me) contribute directly to the grant fund when we pay our membership dues, leveraging the power of group giving and maximizing the money we can put out in to the Rochester community.  I also love that our members can choose not only their level of giving, but they can manage their time effectively by choosing to be as active as they like throughout the year, which is something you do not often see.  Some members pay their dues and prefer not to take advantage of member only events or committees, knowing we will manage the fund effectively.  Others choose to take leadership roles on one of our many sub-committees, helping to shape the group for years to come.

ABOUT ME:

In my professional life, I work as freelance marketing and events specialist, serve on the Board of Directors at Gilda’s Club Rochester, and I am the co-founder of FlowerCityPhilanthropy.com, a website dedicated to closing the gap between intention and action by inspiring people in the Rochester area to think and act charitably every day.