"Next Chapter of Puget Sound" in Planning Stage

Joanne Donohue, Vice-President of Senior Services

Next Chapter of Puget Sound is a consortium of Seattle community nonprofits providing services and resources to those in midlife and beyond. The framework for the program comes from San Francisco-based Civic Ventures. There are currently fourteen Next Chapter affiliates in the United States. You can read more about it on the Civic Ventures website.

Next Chapter of Puget Sound is in the early stages of planning and developing a collective vision for working together. A Design/Build process held this past summer provided much of the creative material for our efforts, including the metaphor of an umbrella for the way we work together. (At left is the graphic representation the participants came up with during the work session.)

Each of the consortium partners is involved in some aspect of engaging the Baby Boom Generation in meaningful work, service, learning and self-discovery activity. We help experienced adults navigate transitions, find their passion, increase their knowledge and skills so that they can make a difference in their community, connect with others, and find meaning.

We accomplish this through workshops, classes, one-on-one coaching, retreats and volunteer opportunities through our consortium partners. You can read more about the consortium partners and current opportunities by visiting the newly launched Next Chapter of Puget Sound website. 

In addition to regular education and discussion offerings, Next Chapter of Puget Sound is currently working on several exciting projects. One project is a partnership with the Legacy Leadership Institute based at the University of Maryland. Working with a local partner, Legacy Leadership identifies capacity-building needs (marketing, fundraising, evaluation, etc.) in the nonprofit sector and then recruits, trains and places volunteers to mitigate those needs. The volunteer placements are long-term and designed to have impact on the community. 

Future Seniors Digest contributions from Next Chapter will feature stories about individuals who are living and learning on purpose and in the process transforming themselves and their communities.