EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP
LAUNCH PROGRAM
Get ready to lead with clarity and confidence.
Accelerate your nonprofit leadership journey by learning alongside peers and gaining practical insights from the field. Over three months of interactive virtual sessions, you’ll explore the core areas of nonprofit leadership—what drives success, what pitfalls to avoid, and how to lead with clarity and impact. By the end, you’ll be equipped to enter any boardroom or donor meeting with confidence, a deeper understanding of the nonprofit sector, and a clear vision for your leadership path. Topics covered include:
- What it Means to Lead a 501c
- Reading Financials & Budgeting
- Governance Dynamics & Best Practices
- Tools & Technology
- Leadership Styles & Strategies
- Sustainable Revenue Generation
- Value Propositions & Messaging
Program Tickets and Itinerary
Program runs Thursday, January 15 – February 27, 2026
Sessions are virtual and run weekly from 11:00AM – 12:30pm ET
Participants receive access to Nonprofit Nav’s office hours at no additional cost.
The investment of $1,550 includes participation, all templates, and provided materials.
A certificate of completion is provided to those who complete all requirements and miss no more than one session.
Learn from real-life scenarios and practical guidance from the field.
What it Means to Lead a 501c
This opening session offers a primer on the legal, operational, and cultural distinctions between a 501(c) nonprofit and other business structures. Beyond compliance and conflicts of interest, we’ll examine how boundaries between sectors are shifting—and why leading a nonprofit requires a unique approach.
Reading Financials & Budgeting
A clear grasp of your organization’s financial landscape is essential for both early wins and long-term success in nonprofit leadership. This session demystifies financial statements—what they show, how to read them, and the red flags to watch for—while also providing participants with a practical budgeting guide to support strong decision-making.
Governance Dynamics & Best Practices
Strong governance is the backbone of effective nonprofit leadership. This session offers a practical introduction to the lanes of governance and executive leadership, including how to use Robert’s Rules of Order to run productive meetings and make sound decisions. Through real-life scenarios, participants will see how to tap into their board’s expertise and support to strengthen organizational impact.
Tools & Technology
Technology can make or break your efficiency as a nonprofit leader. This session explores the most common tools for managing philanthropy, community engagement, and internal operations. Participants will gain a straightforward and non-product-partisan understanding of how these systems work together to support organizational success. A portion will also be dedicated to free or low-cost solutions specifically for nonprofits.
Leadership Styles & Strategies
In this interactive session, participants will explore their own leadership style—identifying strengths, tendencies, and areas for growth. Along the way, they’ll learn proven practices for building and supporting strong teams, while also developing the skills needed to confidently represent their organization and area of cause work.
Sustainable Revenue Generation
Note that we didn’t name this section “Fundraising.” Participants will learn the full scope of how nonprofit organizations can effectively raise revenue for their mission, including planned giving, earned income, philanthropy, and investment income. We’ll discuss the risks and rewards of each method, as well as learn the importance of understanding restricted and unrestricted support.
Value Propositions & Messaging
This final session focuses on communicating your organization’s unique impact and value with clarity and confidence. Participants will learn how to tailor messages for their specific audiences, ensuring that communications reflect their organization’s vision and identity while building lasting support and engagement.
Cohort Leader: Katie Appold, MPA
Katie’s nonprofit career includes a variety of leadership roles for human service, foundation, and publishing-related nonprofits, as well as many volunteer roles. Under Katie’s leadership, nonprofit organizations have developed new programs related to free healthcare, affordable and accessible housing, and literacy programs for K-12 students. In her first Executive Director role, Katie increased the annual revenue of the organization she led by 300% and received the top grant prize in the nation for affordable housing through the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis. She went on to help establish Do More Good. This nonprofit educational platform eventually merged with Nonprofit Hub, one of the largest free content sites for nonprofits in North America.
Today, Katie serves as the contract leader of Inform USA in addition to her work with nonprofit consulting through Nonprofit Nav. She also serves as an adjunct professor of nonprofit leadership for Cornerstone University.
Her educational background includes an undergraduate degree in business administration and a master’s degree in nonprofit leadership.
