Transforming Nonprofit Leadership for the Future

Alliance Executive Leadership Institute develops lifelong leaders, supports succession planning

It is estimated that nearly half of the 80 individuals who have graduated from the Alliance for Children and Families’ Executive Leadership Institute (ELI) have already received internal promotions or moved into leadership roles at other organizations.

With testimony from dozens of individuals, ELI has proven itself to be a program that supports nonprofit human service professionals setting out on their journeys to achieve executive-level leadership. It also makes succession planning decidedly easier for Alliance members by offering a concrete, affordable tool.

Bill Sabado, a 2009 graduate of ELI, is deputy executive director of Alliance member St. Vincent’s Services, Brooklyn, N.Y., a position he secured after completing ELI. “ELI is trying to build a future for each of the participants and our industry,” he says. “Resources are scarce, and while we are all competitive, when it comes down to it, the only way a nonprofit is going to survive is by leveraging all its resources, especially leadership.”

	Marcel Lue, right, is a 2009 graduate of the Alliance’s Executive Leadership Institute. He’s pictured with Armin Steege.

Four main program elements make up the foundation for the success of ELI, which is now in its seventh year. To develop future leaders, the program combines up-to-date and excellent content, high quality interactive presentations aimed at adult learners, ample opportunities for networking among peers and faculty, and a yearlong individual project on a subject germane to each participant’s organization. Throughout the individual projects,

ELI participants are supported with mentoring from Alliance staff and University of Michigan faculty.

Participants take part in two, one-week sessions over two years. The sessions are held at the University of Michigan campus in Ann Arbor, where faculty from the university’s School of Social Work and Ross School of Business, as well as leaders and experts from both for-profit and nonprofit fields, provide the intensive curriculum. 

John Tropman, ELI faculty mentor and University of Michigan professor in both the School of Social Work and Ross School of Business, says, “By attending ELI, we hope Alliance member staff gain the sense that they can be more than an executive, they can be a better executive. There are skills they can acquire and improve upon, many of which we cover in ELI. We hope to impress upon them a sense of understanding their own skills and how to best impart them. We hope to give them a framework for self-understanding and ongoing education.”

Developing Skills for the Future

According to faculty and students, ELI’s practice of faculty and student interaction—listening to others describe new processes and ways of approaching issues, concerns, and how to face the general problems associated with doing the business of serving human needs—spurs constructive growth and reflection.

“Where else would you get this level of supportive education at this time in your life?” Sabado says. “If you go to graduate school right now, it’s all on you. Here they work to get you the skills, and they help to get you through. It makes you feel good about learning. I am getting a knowledge base that’s 10 times what you would get elsewhere.”

According to Marcel Lue, director of residential care at Alliance member Boysville, Converse, Texas, a 2009 graduate of ELI, “From the first minute you are there, the learning begins.”

Lue says that ELI is building a foundation for his aspiration to become a CEO. “The information they provide us to bring back to our jobs is so useful. I have learned skills, such as fundraising, that aren’t in my job description right now, but hopefully will be one day.”

Organizations that send participants to ELI realize varied benefits. “Casa Pacifica gains because I am more vision-focused now,” says Marissa Espinoza, wraparound program manager at Alliance member Casa Pacifica, Camarillo, Calif., another 2009 graduate of ELI.

“I am a middle manager right now and I have learned what a person striving to become an executive leader has to have,” she adds. “I can now say I have many of those qualities. Having that type of perspective in someone who is involved in the day-to-day operations can help support the mission of the organization.”

Program Focus Matures

The original name of the program, Executive Management Institute, begins to explain the evolution of ELI.

	Bill Sabado, a 2009 graduate, received a promotion after graduating from ELI.

At its inception in 2002, the program was an instruction piece for Alliance members to become more attuned to the management of human service organizations and prepare for management leadership.

“Previously, the program was confined to the two weeks of actual attendance,” explains Undraye Howard, director of consultation and leadership services for the Alliance. “While that experience was intensive and valued, we felt it was very important to evolve the program into something that would establish a lifetime of learning and professional development.”

Alliance member Board of Child Care, Baltimore, was instrumental in establishing and supporting the program, and in the last three years, the Alliance has worked closely with the University of Michigan to revamp the ELI curriculum. Together the Alliance and the university have improved the program by recruiting high-caliber speakers and presenters; actively encouraging engagement among participants and faculty; increasing the requirements and significance of the class project; and featuring more formality, professionalism, and accountability.

According to Howard, the focus of ELI has evolved. “ELI is now much more about developing professionals who can lead for a lifetime. That is what we have developed our curriculum around and imparted upon our practitioners, facilitators, and professors. We are focusing on not just how to deal with the problems of today, but looking into the future. Ten to 15 years from now when dealing with tough issues, we want graduates to be able to take that paradigm and think outside the box.”

Recognizing the unique skills and leadership qualities required to be an effective leader of a nonprofit human service organization today, the Ross School of Business became an integral part of the program, another upgrade that has brought benefits.

“The times we are living in today call for a greater understanding of fiscal issues,” Howard says. “You still have to have the social work and human service side, which is the base and core of what we do. But if you are going to lead an organization, you need to know the fiscal side.”

From her experience as a graduate, Espinoza adds, “What has helped me a lot is organizational change management, being aware of the impact of changes on staff. I learned ways to maintain staff morale, encourage motivation, and make sure staff members are involved in the process.”

Affordable Opportunity

Even with establishing a more substantial curriculum, the Alliance continues to ensure that ELI is affordable compared to other executive training programs.

	Students and faculty who attended the 2009 Executive Leadership Institute gather for a photo on the campus of the University of Michigan. View larger photo with identifications. Or, view additional photos from the 2009 institute.

The $3,350 per-year cost covers the program, room and board during the weeklong session, access to high-caliber speakers and facilitators, and numerous hours of one-on-one coaching and mentoring.

“This program may be the best value for the buck in terms of an executive education program,” says Howard, who adds that similar programs cost $10,000-$25,000 for a three-day or four-day session that does not include the extensive mentoring. 

Espinoza says, “With the economy the way it is, organizations are shying away from sending people off to training. The return on the investment is the development of people who are really focused on the future, focused on improving the organization and its quality, and seeking excellence. When you do a cost-benefit analysis of that, it is well worth the investment.”
 

Learn more about the upcoming 2010 Executive Leadership Institute on the program's new website. The deadline to register is April 3, 2010.

Article PDF: 

Alliance Magazine 09-3 ELI.pdf