This program is designed for nonprofit leaders of organizations that primarily fall within the third stage of the nonprofit lifecycle. We recognize that organizations may fall within several stages depending on the organizational element being considered (revenue, operations, governance, etc.). If you’re unsure which stage of the nonprofit lifecycle your organization falls within, please reach out to our Community Impact Team.

Organizations must also meet the following qualifications:

• Be designated as a 501(c)(3) by the IRS.
• Be located in and serve Brown, Kewaunee, or Oconto counties.
• Have annual operating expenses between $40,000 and $4 million for the last two consecutive fiscal years.
• Be governed by a Board of Directors that has at least 4 members (excluding the Executive Director) and has met quarterly for the past 2 years.

And, within the past 3 years:

• Have received a grant from any of the following Community Foundation grant programs: Capacity Building, Crime Prevention, Funds for Greater Green Bay, Women’s Fund, Stand Together Foundation, Otto Bremer Trust Community Responsive Fund.
• OR was selected to participate in Give BIG Green Bay.

The Greater Green Bay Community Foundation partners with Ascent Leadership to offer this program, structured in three phases:

Foundations and Mentorship

• Complete a leadership self-assessment
• Participate in an onboarding meeting with your assigned mentor, and meet bi-monthly throughout the program
• Attend a welcome session, receive program materials, and set individual goals

Leadership Retreat

• Attend a full-day, in-person retreat focused on Leading Self
• Engage in deep reflection and personal exploration of leadership values, self-awareness, and personal mission

Monthly Leadership Development Sessions

• Participate in six half-day, in-person sessions (September-April). Sessions are practical, peer-based, and grounded in real-world nonprofit leadership challenges

Each session focuses on a core leadership theme relevant to nonprofit executives:

1. Building your personal Development Plan
2. Effective Communication and Influence
3. Leading Teams (Staff and Volunteers)
4. Leading Change
5. Strategic Thinking
6. Community Engagement & Board Development

The program concludes with a graduation celebration in May where participants reflect on their leadership journey and the impact of the experience.

A critical component of this program is professional mentorship. Participants are paired with experienced nonprofit leaders who serve as mentors throughout the program. Mentors are current or retired nonprofit executive directors who represent different sectors and have varying years of experience.

Mentors meet with participants five times throughout the program to:

• Share insights
• Support leadership growth
• Provide a sounding board for real-time challenges
• Reflect on program takeaways and leadership application

The application opens in April. To express an interest in applying, please subscribe to our email list and we will notify you when the application opens. All required materials are due May 15th, and notifications will be made in late June.

A selection committee reviews eligible applications and makes final recommendations on the participants for each cohort. The following areas are taken into consideration:

• Level of local impact – The level to which the organization addresses critical or growing community needs and has demonstrated meaningful, sustained, and trusted impact with the local community.
• Partnerships & collaborations – The level to which the organization demonstrates strong partnerships and collaborations to expand their outreach, share resources, and strengthen community outcomes.
• Organizational readiness – The level to which the organization is positioned to apply learnings from the program to strengthen the organization’s strategy, structure, leadership, or long-term sustainability.
• Contribution to cohort – The level to which the applicant demonstrates capacity to actively and consistently engage throughout the program, including bringing perspectives, insights, or experiences that would contribute meaningfully to the cohort community.
• Community representation – How an organization demonstrates connection or service to reaching underrepresented communities and whether equity and inclusion are central to its work, leadership, and relationships in the community.

The goal in the selection process is to ensure a diverse cross-section of impactful organizations is represented. Fields of interest, organizational size, and communities served are all taken into consideration.

This program provides participants an opportunity to deepen self-awareness and strengthen the mindset, skills and capacity required of an executive nonprofit leader. Past participants have had various levels of leadership experience, ranging from a year to more than 15 years. Given its broad focus on leadership skillset, leaders with a range of experience can benefit.

A main goal of this program is to help participants build a network of peer relationships to encourage collaboration, shared learning, and mutual support. Keeping each cohort to a smaller group of participants allows for more opportunities to build closer relationships, connections, and for everyone to have time to share their perspectives and experiences.