Fairfield County’s Community Foundation releases white paper on nonprofit executive leadership program

NORWALK — Fairfield County’s Community Foundation released a white paper summarizing its nonprofit executive leadership program to serve as a model for other community foundations.

“Executive Leadership Program, a powerful model for peer-to-peer executive professional development” can be downloaded from FCCFoundation.org.

In early 2014, the Community Foundation’s Center for Nonprofit Excellence began a peer-to-peer professional development program for 10 executive directors across Fairfield County. Each heads a nonprofit that has received grants from the Community Foundation.

The program is modeled after proven executive peer-to-peer coaching in the for-profit world, but tailored for nonprofit leaders. Participants, all executive directors or CEOs, come together in a spirit of respect and trust to discuss their challenges, concerns and opportunities in order to become more effective leaders.

The executive leadership program includes monthly group sessions, monthly one-on-one coaching with a facilitator, and bimonthly best practice sessions with guest speakers.

Within one year, participants and their nonprofits reported personal and professional growth that led to greater confidence, and increased staff effectiveness, board engagement, financial management and fundraising.

Executives also reported they felt less isolated, became better at problem solving, and  increased their involvement in the community.

Fairfield County’s Community Foundation promotes philanthropy as a means to create change in Fairfield County, focusing on innovative and collaborative solutions to critical issues impacting the community. Individuals, families, corporations and organizations can establish charitable funds or contribute to existing funds. The Community Foundation is in compliance with the Council on Foundations’ national standards, and has awarded $180 million in grants to nonprofits in Fairfield County and beyond. For more information, visit FCCFoundation.org.