sustainED

What's New

SustainED Components

To directly respond to SustainED participants’ interest in more peer-to-peer interaction, La Piana has modified the original design. 1-1 consulting will still be available to all participants, but some of those hours have been reallocated to additional full cohort engagement (e.g. remote sessions and learning communities).

The La Piana team is also available for ad-hoc advising support limited to “office hours” scheduled upon request. Participants can schedule with either Ali, Christine, or Humberto to have 1:1 advising support using this link.

New opportunities for deeper peer-to-peer connections

The following activities offer SustainED participants new opportunities to engage in additional meaningful exchanges with one another.

• Quarterly Learning Communities: Learning Communities are a series of meetings focused on a given topic with opt-in participation. Each Learning Community will meet for a series of 2-4 meetings. They will be structured, facilitated workshops, guided by a member of the La Piana team.
  Potential topics so far include: proactive succession planning, co-leadership models, governance support (with board leaders present), and staff support.
• Three, 3-hour virtual mini retreats: This will be a space that will follow a similar approach to the kick-off event, where we bring in guest presenters, provide space for well-being, and offer deeper, intentional time for the group to convene and discuss in community.

About

What is SustainED?

SustainED is an innovative method of supporting Executive Directors who hold identities that have historically been underrepresented in nonprofit leadership. Using a holistic approach that focuses on existing structures to support leaders, it engages a cohort of early-tenure Executive Directors with individual and peer support while providing tailored engagement for their boards and staff. SustainED supercharges the ability of newer Executive Directors to address key challenges that can otherwise limit their impact and tenure.

Who is behind SustainED?

SustainED is the latest offering coming from La Piana Consulting, supported by the Ford Foundation. La Piana has, for over 26 years, observed critical challenges, researched their underlying dynamics, and developed effective responses that have been widely embraced across the sector. La Piana’s recent work with Ford’s BUILD grantees helped over 60 social justice organizations manage rapid growth.

La Piana’s mission is to help nonprofit leaders and their organizations achieve their greatest social impact. SustainED was designed as a response to mounting and compounding pressures leading to high leadership turnover. Our team is from and for the sector, having held top leadership positions in a wide variety of nonprofit organizations. We get it.

SustainED is led by a team of leadership development specialists at La Piana, all of whom have held positions of leadership in nonprofits and bring their individual lived experience to this program. Senior Consultant Ali Carella, Ph.D., who served as Director of the Ford BUILDing for Growth initiative, will lead the effort, working closely with Senior Consultants Humberto Camarena and Christine Chen. Founder David La Piana will support the effort by providing strategic guidance and applying his extensive experience working with nonprofit organizations.