Executive Director Academy - Leadership Academy


 

Next sessions Spring 2026!

Are you currently an Executive Director, CEO, Managing Director, Direct Report, or and upcoming ED and are seeking that deep, meaningful professional development that will impact your ability to lead your organization? Then our online Leadership Academy is for you! 

History of the ED Academy... It was in 2017 when a foundation we regularly partnered with to provide services to their nonprofit partners realized they had a minimum of four new ED's in their community who needed customized training for the specific needs and the many hats of an Executive Director. Those first sessions helped pave the way to our tailored and annually occurring academies. Today, over the course of 8 sessions (one intro and one wrap-up), participants will deliberately focus on implementing skills and practices learned at weekly sessions. They will share their barriers and breakthroughs with their fellow participants and session facilitators. To maximize the value of this cohort model, the sessions will be highly interactive and reflective. 

Through an equitable lens, our sessions will cover the important many hats organization leadership wears, like:
Key Responsibilities, The Board Relationship, Having those Hard Conversations, Your role in HR, Trust and Leadership, Finance and Budget Management, Diversity and Equity Strategies, Knowing Your Audience, Nonprofit Tech, Self-care and Crisis Management.  


So what is C-Suite?
The C-suite is deemed the most important and influential group of individuals within a company. Reaching this high position typically requires an abundance of experience and finely-honed leadership skills. 

C-suite or C-level, This widely-used vernacular, whether we like it or not, describes a cluster of a business's most important leaders, it gets its name from the titles of top senior staffers, which tend to start with the letter C, for "chief", as in chief executive officer (CEO), chief financial officer (CFO), chief operating officer (COO), and chief information officer (CIO). And for nonprofits it's the Executive Directors, co-Directors, Managers and Executive support staff.

 

What you need to know:

The Expectations: Explained here are the Academy Expectations, consistent attendance and active engagement will be necessary to appropriately support your colleagues and to gain proficiency. 
When we meet: The Nonprofit Network Leadership Academy meets on Zoom once approximately every other week in the Eastern time zone over the course of 8 sessions. 

 

Who is eligible: Each cohort comprises of 20 or fewer executive directors, managing directors or support staff who have been in their role for a similar amount of time or in their current position for fewer than 5-7 years. This academy is also recommended for those who support their ED or are ED's in training.

Cost: Members of Nonprofit Network are $999, non-members are $1299 (*Ask your local foundations about sponsorship!)

 

Our next Academy starts Spring 2026 - We meet in the Eastern Time Zone on Zoom - and you can register and review dates HERE or you can email [email protected] our Program Manager if you have any questions.   

If cost of this event is a barrier for your organization, please email Tracey about sponsorship availability and she will contact you, [email protected] 


Need More Right Now? Visit our webpage;  I Want To... Be The Best Executive Director and check our Event Calendar for upcoming professional development opportunities.