Please note: the fall 2023 cohort is full. Please fill out the form below to be put on our waitlist.
It can be lonely at the top. Nonprofit executives are peerless within their organization, with no one to talk to about sensitive issues and challenging situations. The ESC Nonprofit Executive RoundTable (NET) addresses this support gap and provides a confidential forum for nonprofit chief executives to share challenges and get real-time constructive feedback from smart, connected leaders outside their organizations who understand the unique challenges of the job.
Meeting once a month for nine months, the facilitated roundtable creates a consistent community of peers where nonprofit leaders have the freedom to openly present issues of concern and get support from one another. Topics are chosen ahead based on the interests of the group members and occasional guest speakers present on topics like risk management and Massachusetts employment laws. Participants share resources in a Dropbox for members only and learn and grow as a leader.
The fall 2023 cohort will be co-facilitated by by Sue Heilman and ESC President, Julie Crockford. Sue is an experienced nonprofit leader having spent over 25 years growing and leading mission-based organizations including Horizons for Homeless Children; The Family Center; The National Center on Parent, Family, and Community Engagement; ACE (Alternatives for Community Environment); the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the Senate; MassEquality; and the Hull Lifesaving Museum. Sue has worked on ESC consulting projects for Steps To Success, New Hampshire Black Heritage Trail, Massachusetts Advocates for Children, Family Nurturing Center, Piers Park Sailing Center, and the Victim Rights Law Center. Julie oversees all aspects of ESC — strategic direction, program development, operations, marketing and communications, and fundraising. She was previously the president of the Emerald Necklace Conservancy where she worked with ESC and saw first-hand how their consulting services transformed nonprofit organizations. Julie has served as an adviser and participant in most NET cohorts.
What participants in prior Nonprofit Executive RoundTables have told us:
“NET has been an invaluable resource to me, so much so that I’ve been a member of the same cohort for three years now. Every month, I talk to my executive director colleagues and learn something new, have an empathetic group of professionals who understand the challenges of being an ED, and come away with additional resources and ideas to implement in my own organization. I would not be the ED I am today without the support of ESC’s Nonprofit Executive RoundTable.”
“My staff asked where I was going and I replied, ‘to my ED therapy group. I wouldn’t miss it!‘”
“It’s a great sounding board, a really good reality check for me on professional norms, and a terrific place for idea generation on all kinds of organizational and program material.”
“Do we have to wait a whole month to meet again?”
“Not only have I found an amazing group of professionals who help me think through issues and strategize about my business, but I’ve also found a group of colleagues who have become friends and will be people I can rely on throughout my career. Joining this group [NET] was one of the best professional development decisions I’ve made in my career.”
Enrollment
- You can apply for the Fall 2023 cohort now.
- Cost per participant is $775; scholarships are available—ask Julie.
- We encourage applicants from nonprofits to have a budget of at least $500K and four staff members.
- A refundable $50 deposit is required of all applicants.
- The group meets once a month, for nine months, for 90 minutes online via Zoom. Occasional in-person session may be possible if the cohort wishes to meet at the ESC office in Boston. Dates selected by consensus of the group after members are enrolled.
- Contact Julie Crockford with questions at jcrockford@empowersuccesscorps.org or 857-204-9923