What is the Eastside Leadership Initiative?

  • Organization Spotlight
  • By Gavin Haines
  • Published on May 2, 2023

What Is ELI?

The Eastside has a unique need for up-and-coming community leaders — as such, the Eastside Leadership Initiative (ELI) was created as an avenue for identifying, training, and matching these folks with opportunities to serve locally, either through elected service or volunteer work. Using our database, participants can sift through training programs, board leadership positions, volunteer opportunities, and the like, while also building a network of fellow community-oriented business leaders. 

This program is just one facet of our strategy to build well-rounded leaders who not only understand our communities’ needs, but also know how the public sector works and how to get things done. 

How Does It Work?

ELI is a platform for non-profit organizations, leadership development programs, government bodies, and other service initiatives to post local opportunities for community leaders, essentially working as a job board to advertise and promote their openings. We include city commissions like parks, art, and human services, charitable boards of directors, and many other service organizations that we have partnerships with. 

Our Home page categorizes all opportunities for individuals seeking a specific journey.

Our Opportunities page lists all our all our current opportunities ranging from volunteer openings, board member applications, and government commissions.

Our Organizations page lists all organizations we have connected with on the Eastside, and shows how many openings they have.

Our Post a Job tab takes organizations to a two-step process to list new opportunities and openings.

Who Do We Serve?

ELI predominantly serves early to mid-career individuals irrespective of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and ability. We aim to connect hard working individuals to non-profits, local governments, and organizations that need help to bolster their connection to their communities, regardless of what that looks like for them. 

What Opportunities Are Out There?

ELI connects with non-profit organizations, leadership development programs, government bodies, and other service initiatives. Our database works like a job board to advertise and promote these opportunities. We include city commissions like parks, art, and human services; charitable boards of directors; and many other service categories.

Our Mission

There’s never been a more important time to develop community leaders. Whether it’s in business, nonprofit leadership, or elected service – the Eastside needs people who are connected, understand the needs in our community, know how the public sector works, and know how to get things done. ELI is one component in building well-rounded leaders who are engaged at a local level and believe that collaboration, kindness, and compromise are more effective tools than partisanship and division.


Connecting Eastside leaders with service, training, and professional development opportunities.


Contact Us

Gavin Haines, ELI Director

gavin@bellevuechamber.org

Follow us on LinkedIn