SHREVEPORT – One of the key tenets of LSUS’s Institute of Nonprofit Administration and Research is to connect nonprofit organizations to each other.
That mission gained more visibility in the past few months when INAR executive director Dr. Heather Carpenter was selected for two key volunteer commissions.
Carpenter is serving on Volunteer Louisiana, a state-wide commission, and on the Shreveport Women’s Commission.
The Volunteer Louisiana Commission promotes national service and volunteerism throughout the state as an agency that’s housed under the Office of the Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser.
The Shreveport Women’s Commission serves as a clearinghouse for information regarding the concerns of women in Shreveport, promoting ideas and programs to address critical issues to Shreveport women and youth.
“Volunteer Louisiana is made up of people from all kinds of different industries around Louisiana,” Carpenter said. “These are people who are passionate about volunteerism, particularly AmeriCorps, a national volunteer network that pairs local volunteers with local organizations.
“They do lots of training and professional development, which I love.”
Carpenter does have experience with national programs similar to AmeriCorps in her 20 years in the nonprofit sector.
One critical piece of professional development offered is the training of volunteers in natural disaster situations.
INAR played a large role in connecting volunteers to needed areas in June 2023 when tornadoes and storms knocked out power to more than 300,000 people in Northwest Louisiana and East Texas.
Winter storms that include prolonged snow or ice have also become more regular occurrences in recent years.
“Having this training would be huge for our area,” Carpenter said. “Volunteer Louisiana receives a lot of resources to train volunteers, and this a really good synergy that they offer this training for free.”
As a commissioner, Carpenter is responsible for reviewing grants and promoting volunteerism in the community.
She was appointed to the commission in October and attended her first meeting in December, which includes quarterly projects that involve site visits to nonprofits in different parts of the state.
“I’ve gotten the opportunity to meet more of the nonprofits from around the state,” Carpenter said. “National service is really vital for a lot of nonprofits because they struggle with funds for staffing, so to be able to have AmeriCorps come in and run some projects, it provides an opportunity for people of all different ages to be exposed to volunteerism and nonprofits.”
Locally, the Shreveport Women’s Commission has been offering solutions to critical issues since 1984.
Carpenter joined this commission in December.
“This commission works to identifies the need of Shreveport women and youth, providing innovative methods of how needs can be met,” Carpenter said. “This really aligns with my work and mission, being a Girl Scout alumni who went to a women’s college and taught at one as well.
“I’ve met a lot of amazing women from all different types of fields and women-focused nonprofits in our region.”
This commission is gearing up for women’s history month in March, preparing a string of workshops and seminars.
The group hosts an annual youth summit for girls and promotes LSUS’s annual LeadHERship Conference among its other activities.
Carpenter said one underlying foundation to the Commission is that they are seeking representation from all areas of the city.
“We’re looking for diverse representation from each zip code in Shreveport because we want true representation from the city,” Carpenter said. “We recognize the strengths and challenges of this city, and it’s been great to be able to come together and work on solutions.
“We’re tackling issues with human trafficking and domestic violence in the region, and we’re appreciative of being one piece of the solution.”
