Investing in Leadership

Philanthropy New Zealand Conference

Wellington, NZ

Structure for our

Conversation

• Why nonprofit leadership development is important including results of two recent studies

• Early thinking on what works

• Conversation with local grantmakers investing in leadership

Setting the Stage

• What are the biggest leadership challenges your grantee organizations are facing?

Why Leadership is Important

• Running a nonprofit is a hard job• Studies show burnout is high • Retirement of Baby Boomers• Paucity of efforts to build next generation

of nonprofit leaders• Nonprofits are too small to grow their own• Capacity-building efforts fail when solid

leadership isn’t in place

Early Thinking on What Works

•Collective

•Continuous

•Contextual

Collective

Collective Support – Nurtures leadership beyond the executive director, either by strengthening the cross-organizational networks or by working with board and staff teams from specific nonprofits.

Examples

Collective Strategies – Developing trainings for teams, supporting peer networks, sabbatical programs that take those left behind into account.

Foundation Examples – Jessie Ball duPont Fund; Nonprofit Executive Institute; Durfee Foundation Sabbatical Program

Continuous

Continuous Support – Looks beyond the one-time training to provide ongoing support to nonprofit leaders.

Examples

Continuous Strategies – Supporting ongoing leadership development by combining training with implementation consulting, executive coaching, flexible financial support.

Foundation Examples – Fieldstone Foundation; Executive Learning Groups

Contextual

Contextual Support – Focuses on “learning by doing”. Creates opportunities for participants to apply knowledge and skills to real challenges. Is appropriate to their size and stage of development.

Examples

Contextual Strategies – Constructing leadership development programs to address specific organizational challenges; supporting unique plans constructed by the organization.

Foundation Examples – Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund

Getting Started

• Start the conversation with grantees

• Model the behavior

• Consider your role and commitment

• Begin to break down barriers to access

Connecting with Others

Visit www.geofunders.org

Grantmakers for Effective Organizations1413 K Street, NW, 2nd Floor

Washington, DC 20005202-898-1840

enright@geofunders.org