Important update!: This program is still accepting registrations but please be advised because of changes in the COVID-19 situation, the method of program delivery has changed.

The Leadership Circle for Executive Directors for New York City is a monthly peer learning group of executive directors of small nonprofit organizations in the New York metro area to share challenges and strategies for personal and organizational success. In an informal, roundtable format with a combination of in-person and virtual sessions, cohort members will have an opportunity to share their insights, gain practical solutions, and alleviate on-the-job isolation or stress. The Leadership Circle is a safe space for executive directors to lean on one another for encouragement, ideas, and support.

This year, to be responsive to a very challenging time in the world overall and in the New York metro area specifically, we will shift our format to fully virtual sessions in which members can more easily participate remotely. These sessions aim to be as interactive and peer-driven as ever, and we will offer opportunities for members to connect fully as a larger group, in smaller breakout sessions together, as well as amongst themselves in between official meetings.  

Each session will be facilitated by Candid and include occasional guest speakers to share their expertise, as well as cohort members to share their own experiences and questions. There will also be casual networking opportunities throughout the year, and an array of online learning content for further professional development between meetings. Topics from past sessions include:

• Work/Life Balance
• Building Better Board Relations
• Making Time for Fundraising
• Clarifying Your Theory of Change
• Collaborating with Others for Greater Impact
• Succession Planning

However, in light of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic within both our organizations and our lives, this year’s Leadership Circle is also a safe space for executive directors to connect on the effects they have been experiencing, and share ideas with one another on how to move forward effectively. In the spring, we will also offer more frequent meetings in order to allow for deeper connection with your peers; once the Leadership Circle is underway, the group can assess together whether they would like to continue the more frequent meeting schedule past the spring.  

Eligibility requirements:

To become a member you need to be a full-time, paid executive director of a nonprofit organization with an annual budget of at least $150,000. In addition, you should have at least six months of experience as executive director and a minimum of two full-time staff members (including yourself).

To apply for membership in the 2020 Leadership Circle, please use the following instructions:

1. Fill out the application form to assess your fit with our membership criteria. Be sure to read the eligibility requirements listed above carefully before applying, as this group is specifically intended for nonprofit executive directors to meet with their peers.
2. Next, click the orange "Enroll" button on the righthand side of this GrantSpace page, in order to submit the $150 membership fee. If you do not meet the eligibility criteria and consequently are not accepted into the Leadership Circle, your fee will be refunded. 

You must complete BOTH of the two steps to have completed an application to join!

The deadline to apply is Monday, April 20th at 12pm. Applicants will be informed of membership decisions no later than Friday, April 24th.

The 2020 Leadership Circle will meet on Friday mornings, 9:30-11:00am EST via Zoom:

Friday, May 1
Friday, May 15
Friday, May 29
Friday, June 19
Friday, July 17
Friday, September 18
Friday, October 16
Friday, November 13

Members are highly encouraged to attend as many meetings of the group as they realistically can, in order to build deeper connections with their executive director peers.

The cost to participate in the program (if accepted) is $150.

If you have questions about the application process, please email Tracy Kaufman at [email protected].