Leadership & Entrepreneurial Apprenticeship
Development (LEAD) Program
The next generation of Native American nonprofit sector leaders is receiving a significant boost from a leadership training program organized by First Nations Development Institute (First Nations) and funded by a consortium of private foundations as well as contributions from individual supporters. Grants of $300,000 over three years from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and $400,000 over two years from the Ford Foundation support the Leadership and Entrepreneurial Apprenticeship Development (LEAD) program for up-and-coming, nonprofit executives serving Native American communities in Oregon, Washington and Colorado. Originally, 60 Native American nonprofit professionals were to be trained during the three-year grant period.
LEAD is developing a new pool of nonprofit leaders to meet the needs of the growing Native American nonprofit sector. LEAD Fellows are employed by a nonprofit organization or planning a career in the nonprofit sector, are committed to a career working in Native communities, and are affiliated with a tribe. This fall, LEAD will graduate 25 Fellows. The one-year mentorship program trains participants in areas critical to successful nonprofit leaders, including financial management, factors affecting Native or reservation-based nonprofit organizations, fundraising, program evaluation and service leadership.
More About the LEAD Program
This fall, the LEAD program kicks off its fifth year. LEAD is an intensive one-year program that brings current Native nonprofit leaders and their organizations together with young Native professionals identified as having the potential to become the next generation of Native nonprofit leaders. Through LEAD, First Nations and its partner Native nonprofit "host" organizations, provide targeted training, workshops and mentoring in areas that are critical to being a successful nonprofit leader. The program is designed to create future Native leaders for Native community and reservation-based nonprofits, build the resources of existing leaders in the Native nonprofit sector, and support Native nonprofits that are working to build leadership capacity in rural and reservation-based communities. Currently, First Nations has LEAD program cohorts based in Colorado, Oregon and Washington.
First Nations LEAD program in the News!
Applications are now being accepted for more information click here. The application deadline is October 1, 2010.
