Grow together: Creating the next generation of leaders – inside and outside your organization
Featured article for Charitable Advisors.
By Lisi Kent-Isaac, manager of talent development, United Way of Central Indiana
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Pipelining isn’t just for donors – it’s for leadership
Nonprofit organizations spend a significant amount of time and energy ensuring their future success by securing donors and donations – and rightfully so. But regardless of funding, strong leadership will be needed for the future health of your organization. Whether it’s community impact, donor trust or a culture that empowers your team, all of these can be put at risk by poor leadership. So, who will lead our organizations as they embrace the new challenges of the future? And where will these leaders come from?
Now is the time to create experiences that grow leaders inside and outside of your organization by investing in current staff members and future board members. 2024 will be a record-breaking year for retirement in the United States, and the ranks of retirees are growing much faster than the number of new workers. This presents an exciting opportunity (More retirees could translate to more board volunteers.) and a great challenge (Who will rise to new ranks to lead your organizations?). Meanwhile, research points to younger generations embracing purposeful work, increasing the pool of nonprofit leaders from which to draw.
Power in numbers: Experiential learning with a cohort
When it comes to learning, there is power in numbers. Cohort-based learning is an educational approach focused on collaborative development, reflection and action – often involving a group of participants going through lessons and hands-on experiences together. Benefits of a cohort approach include a sense of community, accountability, collaboration and networking. Cohorts are also a great opportunity for organizations to curate a collection of learning experiences that bring people together to grow with a common purpose.
Growing board leaders through Leadership United
In United Way of Central Indiana’s signature community leadership and board member development program, Leadership United, community members and local leaders come together and learn how to harness their skills for the greater good, leaving the program prepared to serve on a nonprofit board. Through a year-long cohort experience, participants gain insight into the challenges facing Hoosiers who are struggling to make ends meet and develop skills in nonprofit board leadership. Immersive learning experiences include board fellowship, service-learning projects, and an expert lecture series that covers everything from board basics, public policy, governance, community partnerships, and more. The proof is in the legacy: Leadership United alumni have gone on to prominent board leadership positions at organizations including Easterseals Crossroads, Damien Center and Little Red Door Cancer Agency.
Growing leaders through Grow United
While Leadership United is open to applicants from across the community, Grow United is an example of an internal development program at United Way of Central Indiana aimed at growing staff. We need leaders in every area – finance, data, impact, fundraising, operations, brand and beyond – to propel our mission forward.
Participants in Grow United take part in leadership workshops, shadow various departments, participate in bespoke volunteer experiences and are matched with two different mentors, one each from our executive team and board of directors. Graduates of the program have a broader knowledge of the organization and are poised to take on greater levels of leadership and responsibility.
United Way of Central Indiana is here to support you as you cultivate the next generation of leaders.
Are you ready to level up your leadership pipeline but not sure where to start? United Way of Central Indiana is here to help:
There’s so much more to learn about Leadership United. Want to create a passionate ambassador (and gain an extra set of hands) for your organization? Know someone who could be a fit for the program? Reach out to Julie Plake (Julie.plake@uwci.org) to learn more about our year-long cohort experience and how to receive a board fellow to support your cause.
Interested in creating your own in-house leadership development program for staff? I would love to connect with you to share ideas (lisi.kent-isaac@uwci.org). I invite you to watch my recent webinar for Charitable Advisors in which we showcased our suite of leadership programming, including Grow United.
Nonprofit and human services professionals can benefit from our Nonprofit Learning Center, a free workshop series designed to help develop the skills, knowledge and tools needed to impact our community. New topics and dates are coming soon!