Interim Executive Institute Inquiry
Our Summer Institute is now in-person! The application opens April 3, 2026. The deadline is May 10, 2026.
The dates are:
July 8, 2026 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm Eastern
July 9, 2026 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm Eastern
July 10, 2026 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm Eastern
Location: 32 Old Slip, 24th Floor, New York, NY 10005
Cost: $1500 (financial aid offered on a case by case basis)
If you can’t apply for the summer, take a look at our fall in person dates. The applications for the fall will be released at a later date.
The Institute has limited capacity and the application process is competitive. It is important to recognize that the IEI is about building skills in a critical practice. These skills can be applied in many settings as an employee, consultant, or board member. They are crucial to working as an interim executive; however, the field is competitive and opportunities are limited. Applicants for the Summer session will be notified of a decision by June 8, 2026.
Fall In Person Institute:
September 23, 2026 from 9:00 am- 4:00 pm Eastern, September 24, 2026 from 9:00 am- 4:00 pm Eastern, & September 25, 2026 from 9:00 am- 3:00 pm Eastern
Application opens June 15, 2026. The deadline to apply is August 3, 2026. Applicants will be notified of a decision by August 24, 2026.
Support Center’s Interim Executive Director Institute is a crucial component of its mission to assist nonprofit organizations during a leadership transition. For more than two decades, Support Center has been training and placing interim leaders, tapping into a pool of highly talented candidates to match them with organizations in need.
A former participant said, “The IEI was the perfect combination of high level overview and nitty-gritty detail of what goes into an IEL engagement. From the strategic to the storytelling to the questions to ask, this was a very well-designed training for anyone considering interim leadership work. The Support Center brings together a diverse group of professionals who are there to learn from one another and share their experiences and expertise.”
Support Center firmly believes that placing a skilled interim Executive Director is a best practice for organizations undergoing a leadership transition. An Interim Executive Director is a competent and impartial leader who can guide organizations through a period of change within a specific timeframe. They provide stability and consistency while inspiring the board, staff, and stakeholders to adapt strategically during a time of uncertainty.
An interim leader can help organizations navigate through a potentially detrimental period by managing change and uncertainty, maintaining daily operations, and assisting the board and staff in laying the groundwork for success while a deliberate search for a new Executive Director is conducted.
Support Center recruits and trains a pool of qualified and available individuals to serve as Interim Executive Directors. Our training program is comprehensive and highly competitive, with admission based on an application process. We also welcome applicants from other parts of the country who are interested in learning about effective interim leadership.
In forming our training cohorts, we seek a diverse group of nonprofit leaders who are:
- Current or former nonprofit executive directors and senior leaders who are considering a career as an Interim Executive Director;
- Those who are serving or have served as an Interim Executive Director or other Interim Executive role and would like specialized training;
- Mid- to late-career professionals who have independent consulting practices focused on nonprofit organizational development and leadership transition;
- Grantmakers who want to understand leadership transitions and the critical role that interim executives play in supporting board and staff during transitions.
The training program encompasses various topics essential for anyone involved in a nonprofit organizational life cycle. These topics include:
- How leadership transition falls within the nonprofit organizational life cycle
- The philosophy and value of the executive transition process
- The role of the interim executive in the search process
- The reality of being an effective interim executive, the challenges involved, the skills and perspective required
- How to handle the emotional aspects of being an interim executive
- Dealing with staff and board dynamics of organizations undergoing an executive transition and
- How Support Center’s interim ED placement practice works
- Best practices for thriving as an interim executive
To learn more, email us at ex*****************@*****************ne.org.