Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the cost of the program?
There are no direct costs to the participant for the program thanks to the generosity of the Thomas J. Long Foundation. Participants are expected to cover their own costs of travel and their time to participate.
2. What is the time commitment?
The following are primary program components of the Contra Costa Leadership Institute along with estimated time commitments expected for each (for a rough monthly estimate of 6 hours per month over 2 years): Leader Circles, retreats, team coaching, affinity groups, and periodic assignments. Final dates of all components will be set by the end of August.
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Leader Circles: Participants will meet 6 times in the first year for day-long (7.5 hours) gatherings and 7 times in the second year. They will take place on the 2nd Wednesdays in locations in East, Far East, and Central County. During these leader circles, LeaderSpring's professional trainers and facilitators will support the learning of innovative, cutting edge practices in social sector leadership and management. Areas of management skills development include board governance, strategic planning, and fund development; and leadership skills such as self-awareness, visioning, values, and strategic planning.
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Retreats: Participants will attend two 3-day retreats over a 2 year period. The first retreat will be residential and will take place January 25 -27, 2017. All interested applicants are encouraged to hold these dates in case of selection. The second retreat will be non-residential and take place in East, Far East, or Central Contra Costa County. Retreats are an opportunity to build a strong bond of trust, confidentiality, and mutual respect with one another through experiential learning and community building activities.
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Team Coaching: Professional coaching will be provided to each organization to increase their team performance. This will require a total of 15.5 hours (consisting of 13.5 hours of direct coaching and 2 hours of initial assessment and evaluation of the experience). Team coaching will be most likely held at the organization’s office or at a nearby location arranged by each organization with their coach.
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Affinity Groups: Participants will join in small peer groups of 3 to connect with those outside their respective organizations during the months where there are no Leader Circles. In this way they will continue deepening relationships and support one another toward the application of new and developing practices gained during the program.
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Periodic Assignments: Participants will complete periodic assignments throughout the program to ground their learning in their own agencies and in their own lives. These assignments are estimated to take an average of 2 hours per month by each participant.
3. What are the tangible outcomes we will gain from participation in the program?
Every organization and individual has different strengths and areas of growth so actual outcomes will depend on the organization's areas of growth. Once participants are selected, LeaderSpring will conduct confidential organizational assessments with each organization. The assessment will provide baseline data to help demonstrate organizational growth over time and help LeaderSpring design the leader circle trainings for greatest relevance and timeliness.
Below are some examples of topics we will cover:
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Board governance: Participants will explore the purpose and practices of board governance, board member engagement, and board development, specifically within the context of multiculturalism, power, and authority.
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Financial Management: Participants will learn what are the most effective processes of creating financial sustainability for their organizations. This topic will also cover the role of the board in securing financial sustainability.
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Personnel: Participants will have tools and practices to ensure the "3 keys to effective supervision": effective feedback, clear expectations, and practices that strengthen relationships with your direct reports.
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Strategic collaboration: Through the program, participants will have the unique opportunity to build trusting relationships with one another in East/Far East/Central Contra Costa County. The group will reflect on the characteristics of strategic collaborations and, the challenges and opportunities that are possible within the group and the region.
4. What is the role for board members in the program?
Each participating organization must have a minimum of 3 full-time members participating in the program. Program eligibility is dependent on this minimum requirement.
During the 2 years, we will have up to 2 day-long Leader Circles focused on board governance. Each team will be asked to invite their Board Chair to work together on shaping your relationship and the board structure to achieve higher performance.
5. What if we do not have 3 staff members to join the program?
6. Why is this a team-based program?
Only those organizations that have 3 staff members who can fully participate in the program are eligible to apply. Based on over 60 conversations with nonprofit leaders across Contra Costa County, we heard that there is a nascent talent pipeline that needs to be strengthened within organizations and across the county. We therefore designed the program to strengthen teams of individuals who can apply and retain skills and knowledge in the organization beyond a single individual. Additionally, as an on-the-job program, we believe that 3 individuals who work on their individual leadership and team performance within the same frameworks can lead to powerful, long-lasting results for the organization.
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Interested applicants should start by checking eligibility by filling out our survey here.
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If eligible, potential applicants will be invited to come to one of our information sessions: August 17 from 9-11am; August 24 from 10-12pm; and August 31 from 9-11am (Locations will be in either Bay Point or Antioch.) Attendance at the info session is mandatory in order to be considered for the program. The executive director must attend, along with other team members.
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At the end of the information session, a link to LeaderSpring’s online application will be shared with attendees. The application deadline is Friday, September 23rd at 5:00 p.m.
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If selected to move to the next round, there will be an in-person interview with all 3 members of each respective the team which will take place at a location in East, Far East, or Central Contra Costa County in early October.
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Final selection will be announced by late October.
7. What is the application process?