A Year of Growth.
In 2018, we welcomed nearly 300 new mentors and mentees to the EDGE community, completed a strategic plan with renewed vision and direction, launched the EDGE at Work program, rolled out two new mentoring options, and impacted 4,500 lives through our mentoring program and events.
62
New Mentors
239
New Mentees
42
Groups Launched
890
Total Members (All-Time)
14
Events Hosted
4,500
Lives Impacted
54
Corporate Partners
Special thanks to our title partners:
Team Highlights.
Joe Pfeifer (left) and Cullan Bedwell joined us for the summer as our first interns.
Our team officially moved into an office space in downtown Indianapolis this summer!
Anne O’Brien, former VP of Marketing for the Center for the Performing Arts, joined our team as EDGE|X Coordinator.
We’re excited to welcome Trevor DeWitt as he joins our team in January 2019 as our Operations Manager.
EDGE at Work
This year, we launched EDGE at Work – a program that brings the EDGE experience to the workplace where coworkers can grow together. The program provides the framework for a year-long leadership development experience focused on a small group of young professionals.
Mentor Options
While group mentoring is our main model, this year we wanted to eliminate barriers and provide new ways for leaders to pay it forward to the next generation. With our Guest Mentor and Platform Mentor options, you can choose your level of involvement with EDGE.
New Resources for Mentors
Earlier this year, we introduced some new resources to support our mentors as they lead their groups of mentees – including the Group Mentor Guide, Year One Call Plan and curated curriculum resources on the topics of work, home and faith. We also hosted two Mentor Enablement webinars for current mentors.
Strategic Plan
In 2017, we were awarded a grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to fund a strategic plan for growth. This year, we completed the strategic plan, which defines a renewed direction for our organization and the gaps that EDGE is filling in the realms of career, faith and community:
Professional Engagement Gap
A 2014 Gallup Study reported that the U.S. employee engagement among millennials was, on average, 28.9%. That’s less than one out of every three millennial employees who are truly engaged at work.
Faith Engagement Gap
According to CNN, 95% of the 20,000 20 to 30-year-olds surveyed said they attended church in elementary or middle school. By the time they arrived to college, the percentage dropped to only 11%.
Community Engagement Gap
According to General Social Survey, the number of Americans with no close friends has tripled since 1985. Zero is the most common number of confidants reported by those who were surveyed.