Applications for AFP’s Leadership Institute are Now Open!

How many of you can say that your nonprofit is fully staffed? That everyone on your team has the skills they need to advance internally as leadership roles open up? 

Unfortunately, this is not the case for most organizations. As the industry recovers from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, new challenges such as inflation, and the looming threat of a recession have kept many nonprofits weary of hiring. Amidst this uncertainty, baby boomers are retiring, leaving additional vacancies. 

Now more than ever, it is essential for fundraisers interested in advancement to develop the leadership skills they need to fill these gaps.

That’s why I’m very excited to announce, that AFP is launching a new, week-long intensive cohort learning experience, the AFP Leadership Institute.  

If you attended AFP LEAD last year in Houston, you may remember me announcing that this program was coming. Well… here it is! 

We’ve spent the last six months designing the curriculum, and we are now ready to accept applications for the first cohort of this week-long, in-person program, taking place July 30 – August 4, 2023, in Saint Paul, MN.

Unlike other leadership development programs, this program was built specifically for fundraisers, so all of the course material, including case studies, deliverables, discussion prompts, and guest speakers, are highly relevant to your career. 

The key words there are “your career”. Every fundraiser is unique, with different skills they need to work on, and different goals they want to achieve. As we developed this program, we kept our focus on that individuality. 

Leadership Institute participants will come away with an individualized career growth plan, reflective of your leadership goals, skills, and growth areas. You’ll also get the opportunity for one-on-one coaching sessions to develop skills specific to your needs. 

The fundraising profession is a diverse one, and we want to celebrate and cultivate that diversity in our future leaders. IDEA and ethics will play a prominent role in the curriculum as well, with lessons centered around building an IDEA-focused culture. 

To apply applicants should:

• Have between 5 -15 years of fundraising or relevant nonprofit work experience.
• Have some supervisory experience. (Have managed at least one full time staff member)
• Aspire for career advancement!

Find more information and apply at afpglobal.org/leadership. Applications will be open from now through May 10, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. ET. 

As always, please feel free to reach out to me via email at Mike.Geiger@afpglobal.org or on Twitter at @AFPMikeGeiger with any questions or concerns. See you in New Orleans next week!