Janine Maslyn entered the world of nonprofit administration by taking a certificate course led by Marge Smith at Mercer County College. She started the certificate in 2002 and completed it in 2005 — taking time off for a baby in between — and soon she landed a grant for her project, the Monument to Freedom of Expression Foundation, dedicated to promoting the legacy of sculptor Joe Brown. Brown, a boxer who turned artist and educator, taught boxing at Princeton University in the 1960s, and then taught sculpture, retiring in 1977.
Maslyn’s husband, Tim Maslyn (www.maslynstudios.com), apprenticed for Brown beginning in 1980 and is now a sculptor specializing in creating original bronze sculptures and in producing Brown’s sculptures for sale.
“It was a wonderful program,” says Maslyn. “During my very first class with Marge Smith, I wrote my mission statement and really understood what I needed to do. With information from the Nonprofit Resource Center, I wrote the bylaws and the documents.”
“Marge was very positive about what everyone was focused on, saying that no one organization was more important than the other. ‘If that is your passion, then that’s important,’ she said. She was there to help you figure it out.”
“I had no knowledge of foundations and nonprofits. Nothing. The class helped me focus and gave me the basics of what it’s all about. Now if I have specific questions, I know where to go. I’m not afraid.”
Monument to Freedom of Expression Foundation, 204 Taggart Drive, Belle Mead 08502; 908-281-7704; fax, 908-281-9475. www.mtfoe
