UnitingCare director of Social Justice Karen Bevan will soon commence a 12 month mentoring program with a leading business person after being awarded the annual Not For Profit Mentoring Scholarship by McCarthy Mentoring.
With over 20 years of experience in policy development and advocacy for children and young people, Bevan is hoping the mentorship will equip her to lead change at a broader level. She said she’ll use the experience to explore insights and advice from outside the NFP sector.
“I have so many ideas on how we can help the child welfare sector and I’m looking forward to having an experienced sounding board to bounce these off,” said Bevan in a statement.
While the business models may be different, the challenges facing leaders in the for-profit and NFP sectors are similar, according to McCarthy Mentoring. Managing demanding workloads, improving leadership skills and effectively communicating with boards are skills that cross both worlds.
As such, McCarthy Mentoring executive director Sophie McCarthy says NFP executives are increasingly seeking mentoring services, particularly over the last two years.
UnitingCare is a community services agency of the Uniting Church. The UnitingCare network employs over 35,000 people and provides practical support and educational opportunities to over two million Australians each year. Bevan’s role includes research, policy development and advocacy.
She is part of the executive leadership team for Children, Young People and Family Services and responsible for driving organisational strategy, and also sits on the boards of the NSW Council of Social Service, the NSW Intellectual Disability Rights Service and is part of the NSW Commission for Children and Young People’s Expert Advisory Group.