Leader to Leader Mentoring

Are you a new ED/CEO who needs some mentoring? This might be a fit for you!

Leader to Leader Mentoring Program - for NEW Executive Directors/CEOs as mentees and experienced Executive Directors/CEOs as mentors 

This exclusive benefit for Leadership Council members pairs new Executive Directors/CEOs with seasoned volunteer ED/CEOs. This opportunity is designed for executives new to their role, new to Greater Cincinnati, new to the nonprofit community or new to Leadership Council. Let someone who has walked in your shoes help guide you.

If interested, please reach out to info@leadershipcouncil.us.

23^rd Annual Nonprofit Leadership Summit

Leadership Council is pleased to partner with sponsor Barnes Dennig and Association for Fundraising Professionals to host an informative, educational, and engaging nonprofit summit. Held annually, we hope you can join us in 2025!

Our programming is designed for your mission and challenges. From small to large nonprofits organizations across the spectrum of our region, we have something for you!

Some of our programs are open to anyone and some are exclusive to Leadership Council members - learn more about the benefits of membership here.

Breakout Session 1: Cultivating a Culture of Team Development and Succession

Melissa Hall Sommer

Senior Vice President at Brighton Center

It has been almost 20 years since Peter Drucker said, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast”. Yet nonprofits still find themselves running after strategy while not investing in deliberatively cultivating their organizational culture. The result of this on the talent and “bench strength” of an organization effects their overall longevity and impact. In this session, we take a journey into team development and succession strategies that are “baked in” to the agency culture. You will be provided with tools to assess your culture, and explore how to deliberately cultivate a culture which team development and succession is evident and powerful.

Melissa Hall Sommer

Melissa Hall Sommer is currently the Senior Vice President at Brighton Center, a community-based agency providing a uniquely comprehensive range of programs and services to achieve its mission of self-sufficiency in northern Kentucky. Melissa’s career at Brighton Center began in 1989, during her tenure at the Center she has had the opportunity to lead program efforts in the areas of Workforce Development, Early Childhood Education, and Family Development. The foundation of this work has been a commitment to a family centered and a whole family approach. Melissa has worked to create a service continuum for families that builds on strengths and offers a pathway out of poverty, in order for them to reach their hopes and dreams.

Programming and resources to attract, nurture, and develop the nonprofit workforce in our region.

Vu Le (“voo lay”) writes the blog NonprofitAF.com. He is the former executive director of RVC, a nonprofit in Seattle that promotes social justice by supporting leaders of color, strengthening organizations led by communities of color, and fostering collaboration between diverse communities. Vu is a founding board member of Community-Centric Fundraising, a movement that aims to ground fundraising practices in racial equity and social justice. Vu was born in Vietnam. He and his family came to the US when Vu was eight. He spent several years in Seattle, attending elementary and middle school, before moving to Memphis, Tennessee for high school and St. Louis for college and graduate school. He has a BA in Psychology and a Master in Social work. He is a vegan, a father of two kids (ages 10 and 7), and a staunch defender of the Oxford Comma.

You can stay up to date with Vu here:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonprofitAF 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nonprofitAF/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vu-le-b395a69/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nonprofitaf/ 

2023 LEADERSHIP LEGACY AWARDS

Leaders Circles 2025-26 registration is now open!

Leadership Challenge

The Leadership Challenge® 3-Day Experience

April 28-30, 2025 at Camp Joy (two-night stay)

Registration has closed.

The Leadership Challenge® is an intense and interactive three-day program that helps you tap into your personal leadership skills through a variety of activities. As you'll come to learn through The Leadership Challenge®, leadership isn't about titles. It's not about the position you hold. It's about the way you behave, the way you influence and the way you inspire. And each of you needs to serve as leaders as you work toward your shared vision. 

The below blocks are info from the previous page when Leaders Circles registration was live. These blocks have been updated on the live page to remove registration information.

Which program is right for me?

Need help choosing a Leadership Council program for yourself or your team? Check out our upcoming programs guide below to learn more about our upcoming events, who should attend, plus all the pertinent details. If you have any questions, please reach out to info@leadershipcouncil.us.

We hope to see you at our upcoming programs! 

Breakout session descriptions here!

Your morning includes hot breakfast, courtesy of Flynn & Co. CPAs, and snacks at the break.

VUCA Leader:  Vision, Understanding, Clarity, & Agility
This award recognizes an early-career leader in the Greater Cincinnati nonprofit sector who is positively impacting their organization and the community through demonstrated:

Vision, Understanding, Clarity & Agility (VUCA+)
while operating in a Volatile, Uncertain, Complex & Ambiguous (VUCA-) world

Jai’La Nored, Council on Aging, Senior Innovation Designer
In her role as Senior Innovation Designer at Council on Aging, Jai’La has managed development — in conjunction with the University of Cincinnati’s Live Well Collaborative — of two game-changing, original technologies that have the potential to be scaled and adopted for statewide or national use to make a notable difference to older adults and caregivers who require the support of help at home but aren't able to secure it due to a nationwide aide shortage. As a result of this partnership, Live Well has tapped COA as a subject matter expert to inform their other endeavors, including a project with Procter & Gamble related to older adults, hygiene and personal care.

Jai'La has also led the development and implementation of COA’s employee intranet and other projects that have touched all COA’s programs in some way. She has become a sought-after resource within COA when a creative solution is required to fix a problem or launch a new service.

Jai’La is actively engaged in volunteer leadership roles where she organizes and advocates on behalf of those whose needs aren’t being met and at-risk individuals and communities, including Xavier University, Community Matters, Rosemary's Babies Co., and Girls with Grit.

Become a 2025 Securing the Future Conference Sponsor!

If you are interested in becoming a Securing the Future Conference sponsor, please download: 

Sponsorship Packages

Sponsor Commitment Form 

Please contact Beth Benson with any questions!

Previous Event:

Your Story Is Worthy Too 

October 9, 2024, 8 am - 12 pm

Schiff Family Conference Center at Xavier Cintas Center

As leaders, we’re often so focused on sharing our organization’s mission that we forget the magic of sharing our own stories – and the power they have. Believing that your story is worthy transforms your posture in all circumstances.

In this groundbreaking keynote and workshop, we discovered how to release our internal self-doubt, eliminate imposter syndrome, and move past comparison mentality to grow visibility for our personal brand and thought leadership.

Through a series of comedic stories, Dana Snyder shared hard-won personal branding lessons to help us gain credibility and be recognized as a thought leader in our industry.

Following the workshop, Dana and special guest Karen Harshaw dove into annual giving and tackled our toughest questions.

This event was hosted by Barnes Dennig, the Association for Fundraising Professionals, and the Leadership Council for Nonprofits. Thank you to event sponsors Fifth Third Bank and Anne M. Maxfield, LLC.

Program Overview

• Monthly meetings (generally 90 minutes) September through May
• Regular meeting day, time, and location determined by each group and facilitator
• 8-12 nonprofit leaders grouped by role or responsibility
• Participants commit to meeting real-time challenges and creating solutions
• Skilled facilitation by a professional volunteer

NOTE:  this program is an exclusive benefit for Leadership Council nonprofit organization members - please verify your 2025 membership before registering.

We are excited to announce that A Force for Good has been selected by Social Venture Partners Cincinnati as its next long-term investee as part of the Project XLR8 program!

Thank you to SVP Cincinnati for your faith in our idea to power up the nonprofit workforce. We're also grateful to Clark Schaefer Hackett Strategic HR and a generous private foundation for being seed-stage investors. Read the announcement in Movers & Makers! 

Partner - more available!

Breakout Session 2: Inclusion for Employees with Disabilities and Neurodiversity

Chrissy Perkins

Director of Disabilities Programming and Career Coach at JVS Careers

Organizations often view DEI as a number they need to meet to be compliant, versus truly understanding ways they can successfully support a person with a disability in the job they hire them to do. Our society continues to demonstrate a lack of understanding of what disability and neurodiversity is, and if you can’t see the disability, then it may feel “scary” to a hiring manager. So many organizations do not allow “job coaching” or other supports into their business to help people who are neurodiverse. This often leads to placement of individuals with disabilities in organizations without educating the team they will be working with so that all can be successful.

This session will help participants identify why it is so important not only to support a person with a disability, but to support the organization that hires them. A simple miscommunication or a different way one interprets things can make a difference in a person being successful in their employment. Participants will learn the importance of employer education, communication, consistency, team building, and important ways to promote inclusion in all aspects of employment. How do we support people who are neurodiverse and promote long term success, what are the barriers faced, and how can we overcome and change society’s perception of people who are neurodiverse.

Chrissy Perkins

Chrissy is Director of Disability Services and a Career Coach for JVS Careers. She has a more than 30-year work history of supporting individuals with disabilities. Chrissy brings a high level of passion and commitment to the world of disabilities and assisting individuals in reaching their full potential and becoming successful in employment. In her previous role she was the Director of Disability Services and developed, implemented, and managed multiple community programs that provided job readiness training, integrated opportunities, and on the job supports to the neurodivergent population. She has a vast network of connections with community employers and partners and is skilled in identifying learning styles, strengths, abilities, and specific needs of people to help with making good job matches.

More info and registration:

IT Roundtable

Building Better Nonprofit Meetings 2.0: Tools for Effective Collaboration and Clear Communication

BOLD Next Level

Leaders Circles

BOLD Cohort 23

Save the Date!

Search Inside Yourself, Sept. 10-12

Securing the Future full-day conference, Oct. 29

Visionary Board Leader
This award honors an established and proven board member of a nonprofit organization in the Greater Cincinnati region who has led their organization through transformational change, weathered difficult circumstances, or demonstrated outstanding vision and achievement.

Jack Geiger, Cincinnati Youth Collaborative, Immediate Past Board Chair
Like many organizations, CYC was impacted by COVID. CYC also experienced the loss of a significant grant that led to the layoff of 8 people (16% of the organization) and went through a challenging leadership transition. During a vacancy in the CEO role, Jack jumped in as the interim CEO to help lead the organization through this difficult time. He went way above and beyond as a volunteer to help stabilize relationships with critical partners, donors, and staff members.

His nominator, CYC CEO Amy Thompson said, “Jack has role modeled and taught us about: conflict resolution, relationship building, employee development, improving the culture, donor connections, follow up, embracing a strategic mindset and focus, and so much more. CYC is a mentoring organization and Jack embraces this to the core. Jack has mentored younger board members including a future board chair. Jack has enhanced board members, staff and students’ leadership capabilities. Jack is constantly making connections to other organizations to help the organization collaborate and have greater community impact. and impact.”

Attendance and Refund Policy

Consistent attendance is a crucial element to the trust built in Leaders Circles. Please ensure that you can commit to a meeting a month for nine months. The meeting time will be determined by each Circle with their facilitator before meetings begin. Refunds will not be issued after meetings start. If you miss more than two consecutive meetings, you may be asked to step away from the Circle.

Contact administration@leadershipcouncil.us with questions

REGISTER NOW

Check out this article from Harvard Business Review on the value of a peer to peer coaching program.

Interested in facilitating?

Each year, we need a few new volunteer facilitators for our Leaders Circle program. You can find out more about the role here. If this is something that interests you, please reach out to our Executive Director at bbenson@leadershipcouncil.us.

Facilitators needed!

Each year, we need a few new volunteer facilitators for our Leaders Circle program. People with prior coaching or facilitation experience, as well as veteran Leaders Circle members make great candidates. You can find out more about the role here. If this is something that interests you, please reach out to our Executive Director at bbenson@leadershipcouncil.us.

1. The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership you will learn are understandable, relevant, and applicable. Those who have already attended the program will tell you that they were able to immediately start leading in better ways.
2. The 30-plus years of research supporting this model of leadership continues to this day. There are decades of evidence proving that the program leads to higher results.
3. You leave the program with a number of options on how to lead more effectively, not simply with more work to do. It can actually reduce the feelings of overwhelm, which many are facing today.
4. It is regarded as one of the premier leadership development programs, available around the world.

Mission: Possible

Resilience, Connection, and Courage in Uncertain Times

SAVE THE DATE!

Wednesday, October 29, 2025, 8:00 am - 5 pm

Cintas Center

Breakfast Sponsor

Breakout Session 3: Not About Us Without Us

Brice Mickey

Vice President of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion at Beech Acres Parenting Center

As the brilliant Ayanna Pressley says, “Those closest to the pain, should be closest to the power.” Too often nonprofits (and other institutions) are guilty of making decisions on behalf of others without inviting them to the table. This can have a myriad of negative consequences not only for the success of the project, but for institutional trust and communities those institutions serve.

In this interactive session, participants will have the opportunity for dialogue around areas where they are the experts and areas where they should invite in others. We will also explore best practices in terms of securing buy-in (and even championship) from the communities they serve.

Brice Mickey

Brice Mickey is the Vice President of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion at Beech Acres Parenting Center.​ He also consults with Cohear and Avant Consulting Group. He got his start in DEI at the University of Cincinnati where he joined and later directed their nationally renowned Racial Awareness Program (RAPP). ​After leaving UC he went on to consult with over 100 organizations across the country to help them become more equitable and just. ​He loves road trips, fine dining, and the Golden Girls.​

As the Founder of Positive Equation, Dana Snyder teaches non-profits how to use social media marketing and innovative technology to transform their online experiences. Dana has spoken at events such as the Classy Collaborative, Television Academy Foundation Summit, Cause Camp, NIO Summit, Take Stock in Children Statewide Conference, Dress for Success International Conference, Peer-to-Peer Forum, and many others.

After working in New York City and Los Angeles running digital campaigns for Movember, Dress for Success, Hashtag Lunchbag, LA84 Foundation, USTA, American Idol, and others, Dana wanted to share her learnings outside individual company boardrooms. In 2022, Dana launched her podcast, taking listeners behind the feed of compelling marketing strategies and case studies.

Today, through virtual workshops and in-person speaking engagements, she finds so much joy in sharing the room with people inspired to change the world providing intentional sessions designed for immediate impact whether guests are in the room…or on Zoom.

Breakout Session 4: AI "Speed Round"

A series of local speakers will share “quick hits” about where AI is proving useful to nonprofits. There will be plenty of time for Q&A and sharing your own ideas.

Megan (Fischer) Milstead, Sweet Cheeks Diaper Bank

James McIntyre, YMCA Greater Cincinnati

Colleen McSwiggin, Cincinnati Recycling & Reuse Hub

Michele Plessinger, Gilman Partners

Aida Ramusovic-Witham, Material Partners, REDI Cincinnati

Dr. Corinn Taylor, The Empowerment Foundation.

Inclusive Culture
This award recognizes a nonprofit organization that is welcoming at every level to every individual.

ArtWorks
To support its first formal board-approved DEIA plan, ArtWorks formed a DEIA committee, engaged an outside practitioner to help staff heighten cultural awareness, and in 2022 participated in the Ellequate Equity Certification Program which is focused on equity-centered action plans and data-driven insights. ArtWorks’ participation in the Ellequate program resulted in a silver level certification award which signified that the organization achieved significant progress in creating a more inclusive and equitable workplace.

Through the Ellequate program ArtWorks assessed policies and practices and engaged staff to identify core strengths and growth areas. They created an individual and family leave policy to promote flexible support to help employees thrive professionally without sacrificing important and essential obligations. The policy includes paid maternity and paternity leave up to 12 weeks, medical leave up to 12 weeks and family care leave up to 6 weeks. Priorities for 2023-2024 were established that include standardized recruiting and interviewing processes to eliminate unconscious bias, articulation of flexible work options that are perceived as equitable for all roles, development of a transparent, standardized, and objective promotion policy, set leadership diversity targets, and enhanced internal and external communications that use inclusive and accessible language that welcomes all.

Since the implementation of the plan, there has been an increase over two years in BIPOC board representation from 13% to 33% and an increase over two years in BIPOC administrative staff representation from 7% to 38%. Both seasonal and year-round staff participate in cultural awareness training, with a cultural assessment and 1:1 coaching for all new year-round administrative hires. Seasonal employment includes the employment of 55% BIPOC young artists and 50%+ BIPOC teaching artists over a three-year period. Mental health 101 training is required for all staff working with young people and professional mental health resiliency training is provided to young people participating in ArtWorks programs.

Karen Harshaw is a seasoned fundraising and development professional with over 25 years of experience in the non-profit sector, committed to empowering non-profits to maximize their impact and achieve their fundraising goals.

Karen’s distinguished career is marked by her exceptional leadership in guiding development and advancement teams, advising on philanthropic giving, and partnering with boards and leadership to drive fund development and governance initiatives. With a successful track record in strategic planning, major gift programs, corporate giving, and capital campaigns, Karen has raised millions for both private and public philanthropic campaigns.

As the first and only Black woman-led fundraising consulting firm in Cincinnati, (SPARK), Karen is a trailblazer in championing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the fundraising profession. Through SPARK, she strives to inspire fundraising professionals and boards to embrace a positive outlook on fundraising while amplifying the talents and experiences of fundraisers of color.

Securing the Future is an annual conference dedicated to building the strategic, leadership, and resource development skills of the board, staff, and donors of the region’s nonprofits. This educational conference is designed to address the needs and concerns of board members and senior leadership. In addition to the keynote address, participants will have a chance to interact with peers and attend breakout sessions led by local speakers for a deeper dive into the keynote topic. 

Leadership Council is pleased to launch “A Force for Good,” combining existing and new programming designed to draw attention to job opportunities in the nonprofit sector and equip nonprofit employers to attract and retain talent.

A natural complement to longstanding Leadership Council programming, A Force for Good will encompass three focus areas:

1. Nonprofit HR Practice (including recruitment/retention, culture, and compensation)
2. Career Pathway Education (at all levels of educational attainment)
3. Advocacy and Public Relations (positioning the sector as an economic force and career of choice)

Program Overview

• Monthly meetings (generally 90 minutes) September through May
• 6-10 nonprofit leaders grouped by role or responsibility
• Participants commit to meeting real-time challenges and creating solutions
• Meeting time and location (including virtual options) determined by each group and facilitator
• Skilled facilitation by a professional volunteer

NOTE: This program is an exclusive benefit for Leadership Council members. 

Not a member? Become a member today to join a Leaders Circle and take advantage of many more programs and benefits! 

Leader - more available!

Call for Session Presenters:

Moving to a full day means there will be more openings for workshops for participants to choose from in the morning and afternoon. If you are interested in submitting a session proposal, please download and review the guidelines (submission link included). 

Conference Registration:

Stay tuned for registration details

Conference Sponsorship:

Sponsorship information and packages here.

PROGRAMMING & RESOURCES

1 Nonprofit HR Practice

Nonprofit Compensation & Benefits Study         

Unemployment Savings & Workforce Solutions

Medicare & Insurance Guidance

Retirement Plans

Workers Compensation Savings

Health Plan Option

Check our Event Calendar for related programs!

Leader - more available!

REGISTER NOW

Deadline to register is July 31.

Circles available:

• Executive Director/President/CEO
• CFO or equivalent
• COO, VP of Operations, or equivalent
• CDO, Development Director, or equivalent
• CHRO, Human Resource Director or equivalent
• CMO, Communications/Marketing Director, or equivalent
• Quality Assurance Professionals
• Volunteer Manager or Coordinator
• Program Director/Manager

We do our best to match similar positions and similarly sized organizations. Please select the group that most aligns with your current position or area of responsibility, regardless of your title.

Typically, we only form a Circle if at least six participants register. If you request a group that does not fill up, we will offer the opportunity to join a different type of group, or refund your registration fee.

Program Fee

Like membership dues, Leaders Circle fees are on a sliding scale to keep them affordable for all sizes of organizations, and is based on annual revenue from the most recent IRS Form 990 or 990EZ. Despite rising costs, we have held fees to the same level this year.

Past Keynote Speakers:

2024: Kishshana Palmer

2023: Vu Le

2022: Pearl Alexander

2021: Vanessa Mason

2020: Barry Posner

2019: Alton Fitzgerald White

2018: Bob Johansen

2017: Vu Le

2016: Amanda Maria Navarro

2015: Jason Saul

2014: Paul Alofs; Nell Edgington

2013: Randall Moss; Amy Sample Ward

2012: Dan Pallotta

2011: Paul Carttar/Rosetta Thurman

2010: Peter Goldberg; David Kuehler; Rich Boehne

2009: Bob Johansen; Jan Masaoka

2008: Ruby Payne; Carol Weisman

2007: Paul Light; William Butler

2006: Jerr Boschee; James Votruba

2005: Elizabeth Beresford; Peter Block

2004: Bernard Ross; Claire Gaudiani

2003: Norma Hotaling; Peter Benson

2002: Doug Hall; Kathy Merchant

2001: Francis Hesselbein

Media Sponsor

Attendance Policy

Consistent attendance is a crucial element to the trust built in Leaders Circles. Please ensure that you can commit to a meeting a month for nine months. The meeting time will be determined by each Circle with their facilitator before meetings begin. Refunds will not be issued after meetings start. If you miss more than two consecutive meetings, you may be asked to step away from the Circle.

Contact administration@leadershipcouncil.us with questions.

Check out this article from Harvard Business Review on the value of a peer to peer coaching program.

2 Career Pathway Education

LinkedUp Connect

To reach high school students in 30 local districts in SW Ohio, you can create an account and share “experienceships.” Or you can share with Leadership Council and we will publish them through our account.

Break Sponsor - available!

Community - more available!

 Anne M. Maxfield, LLC

Beech Acres

Blue & Co, LLC

Community Action Agency | Cincinnati-Hamilton County

Greater Cincinnati Nonprofit News

Interact for Health

Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati

JVS Careers

Measurement Resources Company

Mutual of America

RetireMed

Saxon Financial Services

3 Advocacy & Public Relations

Soapbox Media "A Force for Good" series

Economic Impact Study

Thanks to our seed-stage investors!

These companies and foundations have invested in launching our expanded programming to address nonprofit workforce issues. To help scale this work, reach out!

Clark Schaefer Hackett Strategic HR - check out HR Question of the Week!

Generous Private Foundation

Social Venture Partners Project XLR8