Community Leadership Accelerator

The 2020 Program is in progress.  
​Please send a message to brynelan@gmail.com if you are interested in next year's program.

Community Leadership Accelerator (formerly Elevating Community Leaders), now in its second year, is a program designed to develop diverse leaders who are grounded in their own leadership, can sustain themselves as leaders, and can drive community change.

Are you or someone you know:

• A demonstrated leader/agent of change who envisions taking a greater leadership role?
• Ready to be more intentional and take a deeper dive into your leadership?
• Energized by learning and growth?
• Interested in and/or already driving community change?

According to national data, “The nonprofit sector is experiencing a seismic demographic shift as Baby Boomers reach retirement age. This shift already is creating a vacuum in leadership that will continue for the next two decades” (Nonprofit Sector Leadership Report, 2016). This shift is also being experienced beyond the nonprofit sector.
 
The young leaders we have worked with see things differently. They say:

• The next generation of leaders are already here and have wisdom to share
• They are willing to step up and explore what leadership could look like for them
• They are curious about how their leadership fits in today’s organizations
• They are willing to do the work of stepping up and are seeking support for doing just that

 
We’ve listened to the leaders of today, and to the leaders of tomorrow.
 
What We’re Trying to Achieve: 

• Develop a pool of community leaders who can drive change towards healthy, equitable and resilient organizations and communities
• Build a community of integrated leaders who can lead themselves, lead others, and share power and leadership
• Share wisdom and strengths among a peer community 
• Build emotional and social intelligence necessary for effective leadership
• Encourage and support practices that restore, inspire, sustain, and empower community leaders
• Explore what sharing leadership and power looks like through the lenses of diversity, equity and inclusion

 
What you can expect

• 5-month program with 15- 20 participants from Southern Arizona, Phoenix and all the communities between and around
• 3-day opening retreat (January 21-23) 
• 1 ½ -day closing retreat (May 14-15)
• Monthly reflection and application circles (3- dates TBD)
• Monthly paired calls with another participant
• Two individual coaching sessions 
• Homework, including pre-reading, practices, assessments, etc.  

What People Said About it...

“Immensely invaluable. I walked into it wanting to get one thing out of it; instead, I gained so much knowledge in all aspects of leadership. It was more than I thought I would get out of it.”--
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“I think the program has huge value for our community. When I think of the minds, hearts, and energy of the people in my group, and all of the projects, organizations, and efforts being stewarded by these incredible folks, I feel grateful that this program and partners are creating resources to support leaders.”

“I honestly thought it was incredible. By the end, I felt we had created a community of really dynamic people, coming together to work on individual and institutional issues.” 

Investment
$2,500 per person per year (10% discount for participants in Southern Arizona Nonprofit CEO Roundtable member organizations).  This amount does not cover travel, lodging or dinner costs for the retreats. Breakfast, lunch, and refreshments during the retreats and all curricula and materials are included.  

Thanks to Vitalyst Health Foundation and other community partners, like the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona, Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project, Community Foundation for Southern Arizona, Elan Consulting, and The Next Chapter Consulting and Coaching, financial assistance is available and can be requested through the application process.  

For more information, contact:
Sarah Griffiths: (520) 271-7970, slmgriffiths@hotmail.com
Bryn Jones: (520) 668-3366, brynelan@gmail.com