As an Executive Director, how do you powerfully lead your organization while facing complex leadership challenges? How do you align your organization, staff and board around impact and achieve financial sustainability? As daunting as these questions can seem, they are fundamental executive leadership responsibilities.
The Greater New Orleans Foundation Organizational Effectiveness Initiative, in partnership with CompassPoint, will host an intensive session exclusively for Executive Directors that combines expert instruction and peer-learning to tackle these issues.
This program will be led by CompassPoint’s CEO Jeanne Bell and Senior Project Director Marla Cornelius. Drawing on research, their extensive work developing and coaching nonprofit leaders, and the collective wisdom of the participants to create a powerful space to think creatively, you’ll try on fresh ideas, learn new strategies and identify action steps to powerfully lead yourself and your organization.
Learn more and register below.
To keep the participation intimate, we will limit participation to twenty executives.
Focus of the Executive Director Intensive
The content will focus specifically on:
- Leadership and Management: Balancing and understanding the leadership and management needs of a nonprofit within a multicultural framework. Better understanding of “What’s your leadership decision making imperative? “
- Understanding and knowing your theory of change: your organization’s problem statement and related, anticipated changes and strategies to achieve the impact you seek to make.
- Identifying the core competencies of staff and board necessary to successfully implement your organization’s theory of change.
- Sustainability-Linking Strategy and Finance: Understanding strategy formation processes and their role in organizational sustainability planning; overview of key financial management concepts and the principles of financial leadership—knowing your business model, the resources it takes to support your work and determining the right revenue mix
Program Components
Preparation Webinar: Prior to the actual seminar, each participant will be required to attend a webinar set for Thursday, June 11, 11:30 am to 1:30 pm which will set the context to be able to fully engage in the upcoming seminar and provide insights into your strategic and financial questions. You will need to access your financial statements for the webinar (more information on confirmation).
StrengthsFinder 2.0 Assessment: You will also be required to complete a Strengths Finders assessment which will be referenced during the Intensive.
Facilitated Peer-Learning Calls: Post Intensive, we will offer two peer learning calls facilitated by session leaders and GNOF OE staff (dates will be set during kick-off intensive).
Learning Community: GNOF OE staff will host three in person sessions for all participants to sustain the learning community that formed over the course of the program. (dates will be set during kick-off intensive).
This Executive Director Intensive is right for you if:
- You are beyond the basics of acclimating to your Executive Director role and the fundamentals of running your organization (most likely to be in the role at least 2 years).
- You are now ready to take your organization to the next level and are eager to address questions of sustainability and staff management in more powerful ways.
- You are standing in the place of strategic stewardship.
- You desire to deepen your leadership practice and strengthen your organization.
- You are ready to invest in your personal and organizational development.
- You are excited to learn with peers, share your experience, and are open to others’ ideas.
- You would benefit from being in a safe, confidential and generative learning environment.
- You are able to fully engage and participate in all program components:
- Attend the prep webinar on Thursday, June 11, 11:30 am – 1:30 pm
- Complete the Strengths Finder assessment (details sent upon confirmation)
- Attend the 3-day Intensive seminar: June 17, 18, and 19 from 9:00 a.m.to 5:00 p.m. each day
- Attend the peer-learning calls to support the implementation of your actions and decision making process (dates TBD)
- Participate in the learning community sessions hosted by GNOF (dates TBD)
- Neither you nor your organization is in crisis mode so that you are able to take full advantage of this program and can, make it a good investment of your time and your organizational resources.
Cost of the Executive Director Intensive
Nonprofit organizations with annual budgets $1,000,000 and over: $600
Nonprofit organizations with annual budgets under $1,000,000: $400
Fees include all materials, breakfast and lunch for all three days and two follow-up peer learning calls with session leaders, as well as participation in a three session learning community.
SPECIAL OFFER:
Keep in mind that in August 2015, the second class of Emerging Leaders will be offered. The Emerging Leaders program is designed to complement the curriculum of the Executive Director Intensive and as such infuse the learning throughout participating organizations.
To support that learning spread, GNOF OE will offer a reduced rate to mid-career managers who apply and are accepted into the 2015 Emerging Leaders program if their Executive Director is an alum of the Executive Director Intensive.
Additionally, if one of your staff participated in the first Emerging Leaders program, we will offer the Executive Director a 15% reduced rate to participate in the Executive Director Intensive in June.
How to Apply
Applications are accepted on a first come first serve basis until the class is full and is subject to approval by the OE staff. Payment is due at time of application. If your application is not accepted, you will receive a complete refund.
Questions? Please contact Joann Ricci, Vice President at Greater New Orleans Foundation, 504.598.4663 or joann@gnof.org.