Institute for Strong Nonprofits Strategy Cohort

Overview

The Westchester Community Foundation is partnering with Support Center to offer a cohort-based strategy and planning program for small – medium sized nonprofit arts and culture organizations located in Westchester, aimed at refreshing and reframing strategic priorities to navigate these turbulent times.

Six to eight organizations will join in a community of practice centered around five virtual peer learning sessions from January – June 2021 on topics including:

• • Environmental realities and mysteries
  • Key community needs
  • Organizational capacity and focus
  • Strategic priorities
  • Results-based goals and objectives

Each organization will assemble a ‘task force’ (i.e. the executive director, a senior staff, and a board member) to participate together in all sessions.

Other program features include:

• • A board self-assessment to solicit input on organizational strengths and challenges
  • A staff survey to ensure input and buy-in on direction-setting
  • 2-hours per month of one-on-one targeted support for each organization
  • Tools , resources and ideas shared through Basecamp

Program Goals
Participants will:

• • create dialogue with staff and board on their focus, direction, and strategic priorities
  • create a cohort of colleagues they can reach out to for support in the future

This program is best suited for:

• • Organizations seeking to reassess their focus, given current environmental realities and organizational capacity
  • Organizations willing and able to commit leadership time to revisiting their strategic priorities
  • Organizations looking to refresh their current strategic plan or develop goals and objectives for the next 12-18 months

Timing
Five virtual peer learning sessions will be scheduled approximately 3 weeks apart (dates TBD), from January – June 2021.

Eligibility, requirements and cost

• • Nonprofit arts and culture organizations located in Westchester County, New York
  • Budget size between $200K and $5M
  • Commitment to form a strategy task force, attend all five sessions and serve as the leaders or communicators on dialogue with the board and staff
  • Contribution of $250 per organization with budgets below $1M; $500 per organization with budgets above $1M (Program valued at $5,750)

Application process
Click here to fill out the application.
The application deadline is 5:00PM December 9. Organizations will be notified by December 16.
Applicants may be contacted to participate in a phone call with a Support Center staff person to discuss your application.

Questions? Reach out Carolyn Champ, Associate Executive Director, at [email protected].