Build Stronger Leaders.
Strengthen the Whole Sector.
Support new Executive Directors to lead with confidence — and set their organizations up for long-term success.
Leadership turnover is inevitable — organizational chaos doesn’t have to be.
The ED Academy is a 12-month, hybrid cohort-based program designed specifically for new Executive Directors of small to mid-sized organizations. Through practical training, coaching, mentorship, and real-time tools, ED Academy helps new leaders step confidently into their roles and build lasting systems that strengthen their organizations.
For funders and regional partners who care about community impact, it’s a simple way to ensure the organizations you support are equipped to do the work — now and into the future.
If you're investing in the not-for-profit sector and want to ensure that:
➡️ The work you fund gets done
➡️ Populations you care about are served
➡️ Public and philanthropic dollars are well spent
➡️ Compliance requirements are met
— Then The ED Academy is for you.
More Than Leadership Development
The ED Academy doesn’t just build leadership — it builds organizational infrastructure. Each participant is supported to create or refine four foundational documents that are too often missing in small nonprofits:
✅ Annual Operating Plan
✅ Annual Budget
✅ Board Calendar
✅ ED Manual
We call it peace of mind planning.
Leaders gain clarity and confidence, while organizations get the systems they need to grow and adapt, long after the current ED moves on.
“Having our Executive Director join the ED Academy is the best thing that has happened to our organization since we were formed."
— Board Member
Who We Partner With
We work with anchor organizations that care deeply about the not-for-profit sector in their region — including:
➡️ United Way chapters
➡️ Community Foundations
➡️ Sector conveners and government departments
➡️ Philanthropic collaboratives and funders
If you’re responsible for strengthening the sector where you live and work, ED Academy is a ready-to-go, low-effort, high-impact way to do just that.
What’s Included
✅ 12-month curriculum grounded in real-time challenges
✅ 100+ tools, templates, and video modules
✅ Monthly live coaching and training sessions
✅ Weekly Virtual Office Hours with ED Academy facilitators
✅ Private community portal for ongoing connection
✅ Co-branded materials with optional customization for your region
Built for Busy Leaders
New Executive Directors are expected to lead the big picture and manage the day-to-day — strategy, staff, fundraising, governance, and more. They a’re generalists by necessity. But many step into the role with a lingering fear:
“What if I don’t even know what I don’t know?”
That fear is valid. In small and mid-sized organizations, a gap in knowledge can have serious consequences — not just for operations, but for the communities those organizations serve.
The ED Academy was built as a practical antidote to that uncertainty. Designed to be “a mile wide and an inch deep,” the program gives new EDs a clear sense of the breadth of their role, the foundational knowledge they need, and the confidence to lead well.
Each cohort includes 15–22 participants, creating space for meaningful cross-learning and connection with peers facing similar challenges.
Core topic areas include:
➡️ Leadership & Burnout Prevention
➡️ Strategy & Governance
➡️ Planning & Financial Management
➡️ Revenue Generation
➡️ Human Resources
➡️ Communications & Operations
“The ED Academy has been a great help to me as a new leader in the sector. I love the group conversations, the tools and resources, and the opportunity to meet with the facilitator on a regular basis.
I feel really supported."
ED Academy Participant
What Makes ED Academy Different?
🎯
Built specifically for the sector
not borrowed from the business world
🔄
Focuses on both the leader
and the organization
🧰
Practical and applied
every module includes ready-to-use tools
🤝
Partner-delivered
we handle the heavy lifting,
you provide support and reach
🧠
Trauma-informed, equity-grounded,
and community-focused
“Participants are grateful to have a place for support and resources. Boards tell us how helpful it’s been to their organizations and funders, and the government sees it as essential.”
Andrea MacDonald
VP, Community Impact Strategy, United Way Maritimes
Let’s Strengthen the Sector Together!
📥 [Download the Info Sheet]
📞 [Book a Call With Our Team]
Let’s make sure the organizations doing the most important work in our communities have the leadership and infrastructure to match.