Case Study
Transformational Leadership Cohort 2023
Goal:
To support, resource and coach nonprofit leaders that work at the systems level so they can effectively take their organization to the next level.
Award:
$500 stipend for each organization
Challenges:
Support more nonprofits through a standardized model of coaching over a reduced time period compared to the traditional grantee program.
Solution:
The Transformational Leadership Cohort: develop a safe monthly workshop environment for nonprofit leaders to build their knowledge and competencies around key topics and prepare them for individualized coaching.
To include weekly coaching with subject matter experts to support progress toward specific short-term goals.
Topics:
Leadership development
Fund development
Process improvement
Results:
JEM friends organized their first peer mentorship program. While this had been on their radar as something they wanted to implement for a while, the day-to-day work meant it was difficult to find space and thought partnership needed to work on it.
JEM friends also put together a new fund development plan.
Good Samaritan Home added 5 new board members, a complex and time-consuming process of reviving interest and identifying and sourcing right-fit candidates.
Good Samaritan Home also held their first Gala immediately after the Cohort ended.
Idaho Partners for Good Team Members Involved:
Blossom Johnston - Leader
Johanna Oseland - Project Manager
Roma Bose - CFRE, CNEL- Fundraising subject matter expert
Megan Hudson - PHR, Leadership Development subject matter expert
Tom Gattiker, Ph.D., - Process Improvement subject matter expert
The Gaps for Nonprofits
Idaho Partners for Good is a nonprofit that offers support and resources to local nonprofits, to help them strengthen their internal structures so they can thrive and do more good in our community.
Idaho Partners for Good provides support through the Grantee Program, where they fund one grantee at a time, for a 3 year period. They delve deep into the organizational structure, and provide unrestricted funding and pro-bono consulting so the nonprofit can build solid foundations that strengthen their capacity.
As Idaho Partners for Good spoke to more and more nonprofits, it became clear that they needed support in relation to the same foundational topics, and Idaho Partners for Good was keen to help more nonprofits if it could.
“Nonprofits don’t by nature take the time or resources to expand on professional development, which is reflected in the turnover in leadership - and that in itself costs money.” The average length of time in executive director position nationally in my sector is just 18 months.”
Nonprofit leaders often end up in their role due to their length of time in the organization or by virtue of being the founder. But that means they are often missing key leadership skills and grant and fund development processes, and that often negatively impacts their ability to support their nonprofit, and therefore community thriving.
A Space for Nonprofit Leaders to Act - Not Just React
And so Idaho Partners for Good created The Transformational Leadership Cohort, a way to bring multiple Idaho nonprofit leaders together in a safe, supportive, and collaborative setting. Support could be provided through coaching and resources in relation to these specific topics over a shorter time period. And by having these leaders work together, they could support each other, build relationships, and work at the systems level to strengthen the nonprofit sector in Idaho.
“We picked 3 topics that we know are recurring issues for nonprofits that come up time and again when we talk to grantees and potential grantees. Nonprofit leaders, just like those in for profit industries, need time and space to build their leadership skills, funding development, and internal processes, and we wanted to provide that.”
By using subject matter experts from Thrive Together Consulting, Idaho Partners for Good’s social enterprise arm, Idaho Partners for Good could provide best-in-class resources and support, similar to what’s available to for profit organizations. Development of leadership skills, processes, and systems are critical for nonprofits to thrive, yet few can afford this type of professional development.
Idaho Partners for Good invited 3 organizations (JEM Friends, National Alliance on Mental Health, and Good Samaritan Home) to be part of the inaugural cohort - either because they had gone through the grantee process or because Idaho Partners for Good knew they were ready to benefit from the Cohort, and all were willing and excited to be a part of this project.
Working with Thrive Together subject matter experts in the 3 critical content areas (leadership assessment, fund development, and process improvement), Idaho Partners for Good designed a 3-month program that was informed by the needs of the participants and included:
A 4-hour in-person workshop in an executive setting for the leadership teams (CEO/ED, Board member, and emerging leader) each month.
Weekly 1:1 coaching sessions with the relevant subject matter expert for one month
An initial get-together (A Pecha Kucha) for the leaders to connect and learn about the Cohort
Being in a leadership position, especially in the nonprofit sector, can be very challenging due to the multiple hats leaders need to wear, the sense of isolation, and the lack of thought partners. It can be hard to know if you are on the right track while trying to raise funds in a competitive environment where other local nonprofits are working with the same pool of donors. Our subject matter experts worked with the leaders to instill a growth and abundance mindset to explore how leaders could build their skills and collaborate, not compete, with others in the cohort.
“Both boards of directors and leaders could use the coaches as sounding boards as they worked through difficult issues and developed new processes that no one in the organization had used before.”
Tangible Outcomes in Record Time
Idaho Partners for Good and the Leadership Cohort coaches were delighted to watch as the leaders grew in confidence, skills, and achieved tangible successes during the Cohort.
At the in-person monthly workshop for each topic, teams identified what they wanted to achieve in the next 30 days in that area. They then set SMART goals to work towards and during weekly coaching sessions, the subject matter expert provided resources and helped keep them accountable.
“The mentorship program was something we’d been thinking about for a while and this was a great opportunity to make it happen. I loved the accountability to make sure I achieved what I set out to do each week. Those follow up coaching meetings were critical to us launching the mentorship program on time.”
The subject matter experts noted that during the workshops, all the leaders were willing to be vulnerable and share with each other what was happening in their organizations and the hardships and isolation of being a nonprofit leader. By doing so, they strengthened their support network, could put their issues into perspective, and encourage each other to figure out how to move forward.
The 1:1 coaching sessions allowed the leaders to take these foundational areas and work on goals that were uniquely relevant to their organizations. The combination of a broad base of education followed by laser-focused coaching meant the leaders maximized their time away from the office to learn as leaders and to support their organizations.
“I’m one of the most seasoned fundraising professionals in the state, so I was surprised by just how useful my sessions were with Roma. She was great at helping me figure out where I was too close to a problem or support me to fill some of the gaps in my knowledge.”
By the time the 3-month Cohort was complete, leaders had achieved tangible successes, including:
The launch of a peer mentorship program
Final preparations for a successful fundraising Gala
Preparation of marketing plans and fund development programs
Hiring new employees and bringing on new board members
Community Building in Action
A long-term outcome designed into the Cohort was for teams to work at the systems level to lead their colleagues and the nonprofit sector to a place of greater credibility, accountability, and visibility. To this end, Idaho Partners for Good had an opportunity to keep facilitating systems work together. The TLC members helped lead a group of 10 nonprofits in a fundraising event titled: Unleash the Power of 10X. This event at the annual Idaho Potato Drop provided them with a tangible way to continue to work together, promote each otherʻs organization, and raise some funds.