IMPACT

Presenting the highlights of an MBA curriculum, Columbia Business School faculty members encourage participants to interpret and translate research and business practices for use within the nonprofit sector. This access to high-level thought leadership allows nonprofit executives to develop the skills needed to solve challenges they’re faced with every day.

The Senior Leaders Program focuses on giving participants the time and tools to determine their approach to leadership and further maximize individual, team and organizational performance. The program’s design ensures significant short- and long-term benefits for participants and their organizations in a variety of ways:

• Share experiences and learn best practices in small-group sessions with fellow participants and Columbia Business School faculty
• Create an individual impact plan for their organization or a unit thereof
• See new ways to deliver on their missionEffectively facilitate cross-functional collaboration
• Gain an expanded network of peer leaders and Columbia faculty

In addition, a highlight of the program is a 360-degree feedback tool, along with two hours of coaching with an experienced executive coach.

For a complete program schedule download the agenda.

Participants who complete the Senior Leaders Program receive these select Columbia Business School alumni benefits:

• A 25 percent tuition benefit for you and up to four colleagues each year for programs lasting up to seven days.
• Invitations to alumni events and programs around the world
• Global networking opportunities
• Lifetime Columbia Business School e-mail address
• Access to Columbia Business School Alumni Career Services resources
• Subscriptions to all Columbia Business School alumni publications
• Eligibility to join a Columbia Business School alumni club

"The program provided me with academic, administrative, and management tools to spearhead strategic planning in my organization." Felix Urrutia, Executive Director, Police Athletic League

"The program helped me to make strategic decisions based on data." Danielle Moss Lee, President & CEO, Harlem Educational Activities Fund (HEAF)

"The program was highly engaging and the learnings enabled me to develop a roadmap for my organization." Manish Naik, CEO Sanjay Foundation for Social Development and Research

"The program has been a transformative personal journey that will enhance my life experience for years to come." Holly Park. Program Director West Side Campaign Against Hunger

PARTICIPANT PROFILE & TESTIMONIALS

The Senior Leaders Program is designed for upper- and senior-level nonprofit professionals who are responsible for directing their organizations' mission, direction, and policies. Typically, participants include executive directors, deputy and regional directors, and other senior administrators.

Typical Participant Mix

Hear from Past Participants:

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Vidhya R. Kelly

Associate Executive Director at Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City

"The class that I was a part of was the largest yet, with a diverse group of professionals from both small and large organizations, coming from our own community in New York and from as far away as India and Peru. We all shared a vision to help those who are in need and I felt fortunate to be among such a strong set of leaders, from whom I was able to learn so much."

Challenges
I enrolled in the program to continue to build on my leadership skills as my role at Big Brothers Big Sisters has expanded from being a social worker in 1997 to Associate Executive Director today.

Impact
The program exposed me to a number of new leadership techniques and encouraged me to examine our agency's best practices. The course was especially beneficial in the areas of development and strategic planning. The high caliber of my classmates provided an enriching atmosphere, fostering thought provoking discussion ultimately generating new ideas that I have been able to apply within my organization.

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Kendall Farrell

Executive Director at Bottomless Closet

"The experience reaffirms and strengthens many of the skills and tools necessary to successfully lead nonprofit organizations."

Challenges
My entire career has been dedicated to the nonprofit sector; the knowledge and skills I have are built largely through hands-on experience and practice rather than theoretical training or formal education.

Impact
The program provides a strong framework; information is presented in a practical and accessible way and offers tangible tools—strategy, finance and marketing skills—to support the daily operations and mission of nonprofits.

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Felipe Vargas

Director of Programs at The Doe Fund

"The Program prepared me to expand on a national scale The Doe Fund's mission of helping homeless and formerly incarcerated individuals become self-sufficient, law-abiding members of society."

Challenges
I entered the Program shortly after The Doe Fund began to look toward national scaling of Ready, Willing & Able, our award-winning transitional employment program. Because the program began in New York City, our challenge is to adapt our model to make it work in other cities that have their own unique set of circumstances.

Impact
The Program provided me the tools I need to help The Doe Fund replicate our program while simultaneously allowing other localities the flexibility to address their diverse needs.

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Anne Corry

Deputy Executive Director-External Affairs at New York Cares

"INM was one of the best opportunities—from both an educational and professional perspective—of my life."

Challenges
My tenure at New York Cares and other social service agencies beforehand gave me great real-world experience in nonprofit management, but without formal management training I often found myself basing too many strategic decisions on intuition rather than core knowledge of theories and best practices.

Impact
The INM Program changed this. The curriculum was fantastic, and the professors were among Columbia Business School's most renowned. The takeaways, especially those related to strategic management, negotiation, and financial analysis, were immediately applicable. Because of the Program I make smarter decisions with greater efficacy for New York Cares and our stakeholders.

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Charles Barrett Adams

Head of School at The SEED Public Charter School of Washington, DC

"The program welcomed me as a leader with all of my flaws, rough edges, current abilities and hopeful potential."

Challenges
Being new to the world of charter schools, Charles Barrett Adams faced a number of challenges, including working with a Board of Trustees, understanding budget priorities and developing long-term strategy. He also needed to learn the difference between leading and managing in his new role: in particular, how to motivate various stakeholders.

Impact
The four-week Institute for Not-for-Profit Management Program allowed Charles to step back and view these challenges from a new angle. "That distance and time, coupled with the creative and immense brain power of both my colleagues and our instructors, gave me the perspective I needed to craft the next steps for our organization. I often hear myself thinking, 'What would (insert INM colleague's name) do?' The program welcomed me as a leader with all of my flaws, rough edges, current abilities and hopeful potential."

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Vidhya R. Kelly

Associate Executive Director at Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City

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Kendall Farrell

Executive Director at Bottomless Closet

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Felipe Vargas

Director of Programs at The Doe Fund

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Anne Corry

Deputy Executive Director-External Affairs at New York Cares

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Charles Barrett Adams

Head of School at The SEED Public Charter School of Washington, DC

Participating Organizations Have Included:

Achievement First
Bottom Line
Brooklyn Navy Yard
City Harvest
City Year
Easter Seals
The Fortune Society
Grameen Bank
Graham Windham
Harlem Children's Zone
Harlem RBI
Henry Street Settlement
I Have a Dream Foundation
KIPP
Leake and Watts
Lenox Hill Neighborhood House
New Visions for Public School
New York Cares
Nonprofit Finance Fund
Per Scholas
Uncommon Schools
Year Up
YWCA

FACULTY

Raymond Horton, Faculty Director
Frank R. Lautenberg Professor of Ethics and Corporate Governance
Bernstein Faculty Leader of the Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. Center for Leadership and Ethics
Faculty Director of the Programs in Social Enterprise

A lawyer and political scientist, Raymond Horton served as executive director of the Temporary Commission on City Finances during the New York City fiscal crisis for two years while on leave from Columbia Business School. He later served as director of research and president of the Citizens Budget Commission, a public advocate of responsible governance and financial management in New York City and New York State, for 15 years. Horton has also served on a number of private and nonprofit boards, including most recently the Municipal Advantage Fund, Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, and Community Resource Exchange.

The founder and long-time director of Columbia Business School’s Social Enterprise Program, Horton serves as faculty director of Programs in Social Enterprise in Executive Education. In addition to nonprofit management, he also teaches in the field of modern political economy. His writings include numerous books, articles, and reports about state and local finance and politics.

Along with Professor Horton, additional Columbia Business School faculty contribute to and teach in the program.

SPECIAL FEATURES

360-Degree Feedback
One source of learning during the program is the multi-rater assessment also known as 360-degree feedback. During the program, participants as well as their peers, direct reports, and managers will assess the participant's leadership style. This process enables participants to develop a rich picture of how they are seen, and provides them with the opportunity to enhance their managerial effectiveness. Participants will be coached twice during the program to develop a plan that is responsive to the feedback. Read a sample 360-degree assessment.

Learn more about this and other program features and get answers to commonly asked questions in this information session: