CLD promotes philanthropy

Business and volunteering may not have gone hand in hand in the past, but the Civic Leadership Development, a service-based engagement program out of the Kelley School of Business, now provides new opportunities to all undergraduate students at IU. 

“CLD helps students by connecting them to the surrounding community, making them aware of social issues today and their role in helping to alleviate them and providing valuable leadership experiences they can use not only during their time at IU, but continuing on to any future career path they intend to pursue,” CLD Vice President Claire Hoffman said.

The program provides short- and long-term volunteer opportunities in the Bloomington community, including internships, events and speakers.

The CLD also encourages its members to attend a monthly civic speaker series, where leaders from the Bloomington community speak about leadership, civic engagement and philanthropy.

“We try to find locals so that if one of our members finds that person intriguing they can learn more from them or even internship or work for them,” Program Director Molly Barwick said.

There are no minimum requirements to participate in CLD, Barwick said, which she said she believes is one of the reasons the program boasts 1,300 participants.
“Members can volunteer and participate as much as they want,” Barwick said.

The different volunteer opportunities that CLD offers, Barkwick said, provide members with diverse ways to pick a focus and learn to become better leaders.

“No matter what people do, being involved in the community service will really change the culture of everyone around them,” she said.

Barwick said she sees most people are surprised to see a volunteer and community service organization in the business school.

“Many don’t see volunteer service going with business, but I think they really go hand in hand,” Barwick said. “By becoming a volunteer you are becoming a better leader.”

The Kelley School of Business has a long history of emphasizing the social responsibility of business, and the CLD is a means for students to develop and practice that emphasis early, Dan Smith, dean of the school, said.

“We believe that business leaders should be highly engaged with not-for-profit human service organization,” Smith said. “It is a central part of the well-rounded experience we provide at Kelley.”