From boardrooms to playgrounds

BC&E member gains new perspective through Baltimore fellowship

When Sam Muffoletto, Chief Estimator for Cole Roofing Company, applied to become a GIVE Fellow, he was excited about the prospect of an eight-month fellowship that would provide professional development, teach him about civic leadership and push him outside his comfort zone.

He just didn’t expect some of those lessons to happen on a playground.

Last month, Muffoletto gathered with other fellow participants at Mary Pat Clarke Playground on Lake Montebello for a community event that included musical entertainment, a story time, hula hooping with Baltimore Hoop Love, and science fun with the Science Guys of Baltimore.

It was an opportunity to see firsthand how nonprofit organizations strengthen communities and how professionals from the private sector can use their skills to support that work.

The eight-month fellowship, organized by Business Volunteers of Maryland and open to all industries and nonprofits, is designed to hone participants’ professional skills while also teaching them about Baltimore history, community challenges and the nonprofit sector.

Small teams of fellows are paired with local nonprofits and tasked with developing a GIVE Advisory Project (GAP) that could help those nonprofits further their missions.

At the playground, Muffoletto and his teammates learned more about how their designated nonprofit, the Baltimore Family Alliance, works to help families remain in the city and thrive.

“I have already learned a lot about the depth and complexity of Baltimore’s nonprofit ecosystem and the talented leaders that are doing important work,” he said. “But it takes a lot of capacity, sustainable funding and partners to do that work.”

At the end of the fellowship, each team will present their GAP in a Turtle Tank competition.

“There’s also a fundraising aspect to the project and all the money we raise will go to the nonprofits,” he said.

Muffoletto said he will also benefit from the experience. “It’s a great opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and try something new. I’m building leadership skills, networking skills, team-building and problem-solving skills. I’m connecting with professionals from different organizations across the city. And I get the opportunity to give back.”

Photos courtesy of Cole Roofing.