Executive Director/Board Chair Coaching Program: Strengthening Governance Capacity

Program description

This is a learning program designed to clarify and deepen the partnership of a new executive director and/or a new board chair. With a focus on board performance, the program provides an optional board assessment, peer learning, individual and group coaching, and a small grant to support strong board performance. Organizations with a budget under $1M may apply for this program. The group size will be intentionally small to facilitate good conversations among EDs and board chairs.

Participating organizations will receive a free one-year subscription to BoardSource, which includes access to all their resources and online board assessment. We encourage organizations to use the online board assessment as part of this program. Monthly cohort meetings for 90 minutes will cover the following topics:

• Roles/responsibilities of boards: a review of the board assessment
• Sharpening board member skills around financial literacy
• Board role in fund development
• Relationship between ED and board chair
• Board member recruitment and engagement

Organizational leaders may take advantage of individual coaching and/or board coaching. Small grants up to $2500 are available for specific board needs such as board retreat facilitation, board training, or ongoing board coaching.

This program will start in September and run through January 2023.

Program components

All monthly sessions will either be held in-person (10:30am-12:00pm) or virtually (9:00am-10:30am). We ask that you select your preference for either in-person Wednesday meetings or virtual Tuesday meetings when you submit your application. We will make a final decision based on the preference of the majority of nonprofits participating in the program. Please check your calendar for the scheduled session dates below:

In-person meeting dates (10:30am -12:00pm):

Wednesday, September 14

Wednesday, October 12

Wednesday, November 9

Wednesday, December 21

Wednesday, January 4, 2023

Virtual meeting dates (9:00am-10:30am):

Tuesday, September 13

Tuesday, October 11

Tuesday, November 8

Tuesday, December 6

Tuesday, January 10, 2023

This program is geared toward an organizational team of an executive director with at least one year and up to three years of experience in their current role; and a board chair with at least two years remaining in their current role. Acceptance in the program requires that executive directors and board chairs of selected organizations participate in all (5) group coaching sessions.

Interested candidates should complete an application here by Friday, September 9, 2022, at 5:00 pm.