Executive Director Launchpad

The Executive Director Launchpad is a targeted accelerator for senior leaders transitioning, or who have recently transitioned, to the top role of a nonprofit organization. It assumes participants have strong functional knowledge (e.g., they know how to raise money or run programs) but need to master the integrative, strategic, and governance challenges unique to the ED position. The goal is to equip and strengthen these leaders with the executive mindset necessary for this level organizational leadership.

This program addresses the shift from "doing" to "leading and governing":

Organizational Integration & Financial Stewardship: Shifting from departmental budgeting to holistic financial strategy and control.
Advanced Governance & Stakeholder Alignment: Mastering the ED's unique role in working through the board and managing complex external relationships.
Executive Leadership & Capacity Building: Developing the skills needed to delegate high-level work and grow organizational capacity.

Participants will receive structured, instructor-led training, blending foundational knowledge modules, expert presentations, and practical application exercises.

Program Structure & Format

- Strategic Modules & Case Studies: Each week features a module focused on translating a senior functional skill (e.g., Development) into an executive strategic perspective (e.g., Diversifying Funding Portfolio based on financial modeling).
- Case Study Analysis: Participants work through real-world scenarios focused on ED-level challenges (e.g., a board member overstepping, a major donor loss).
- Executive Problem-Solving Sessions: Structured time for participants to bring specific executive-level challenges for expert and peer-group feedback.
- One-on-One Peer Session: Participants will be paired with another Executive Director, rotating throughout the program. These one-on-one’s are to establish peer connection, creating space for deeper conversation, accountability, and sustained support throughout the program and beyond.
Deliverable: Participants conclude the program with an executive plan that outlines a one year financial strategy, a plan for board engagement, and an assessment of organizational staffing structure needs for future growth.

Program Term
August 2026 - August 2027

Cohort Size
8-12 Participants

Commitment
Weekly virtual training session (90 mins), plus 1 hour of weekly application work.

Participants
New Executive Directors or those transitioning into the ED role at an organizations.

Cost:
$1000 per person

$650 per person for the first cohort

“In my experience, programs like this often fall into one of two categories: they're either a certification program where you attend and cover general topics, or they're purely networking focused.

Our program is less about general education and more about high-impact application and accountability. Participants will not have direct competitors present thus fostering a significantly more vulnerable and confidential space which allows for a much deeper and more honest level of discussion.”

- Susannah Darrow, Program Facilitator

Key Training Modules & Focus Topics

The 12-month curriculum is designed to bridge the gap between senior management and executive leadership:

Organizational Integration & Financial Stewardship

Financial Leadership: Moving beyond basic bookkeeping to utilizing cash flow projections and financial scenarios to inform strategic investment and resource allocation decisions.
Operationalizing Values-Aligned Decision Making: Implementing organizational values to guide high-stakes choices regarding programming, budget trade-offs, and compliance.
Creating Processes and Increasing Efficiency at Scale: Designing effective, sustainable processes across functions (Ops, Programs, Fundraising) to support organizational scaling and reduce executive bottleneck.

Advanced Governance & Stakeholder Alignment

The ED-Board Covenant: A deep dive into how and when to work with a board or advisory group, focusing on strategic alignment, performance monitoring, and managing the tension between governance and operations.
Managing External Expectations: Developing communication frameworks to proactively manage the expectations of funders, media, and partners regarding programming, growth, and funding possibilities.
Advanced Relationship Cultivation: Leveraging the ED's role to open and close major strategic partnerships and high-value donor relationships.

Executive Leadership & Capacity Building

Delegating for Capacity & Succession Planning: Mastering the art of high-level delegation to senior staff, focusing on growing their competence and proactively initiating internal succession planning discussions.
Strategic Staffing Structure: Evaluating and redesigning the organizational chart to optimize for future growth, recognizing and cultivating skillsets within the team to maximize organizational effectiveness.
Mastering Executive Storytelling: Crafting a coherent narrative to communicate mission impact that satisfies the strategic needs of the board, major donors, and executive peers.
Effective Difficult Conversations: Techniques for leading difficult, high-stakes conversations with board members, major donors, and senior staff regarding accountability and performance.

Program Dates

Cohort sessions will be the on the third Monday of each month. No session in December 2026.

August 11

In-Person Kickoff Retreat

Atlanta, GA
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

November 17