PROGRAM INFORMATION

Through Harvard Business School’s Social Enterprise Initiative, Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation is pleased to offer scholarships for three Executive Education Programs. Details and application deadlines for each program are below.

These programs provide a unique opportunity for nonprofit leaders to step back from their day-to-day roles, share experiences and insights with peers and HBS faculty, and explore proven ways for their organizations to achieve high performance. Participants have the opportunity to connect with nonprofit leaders from a broad range of sectors and geographies, with over a third of participants in each program coming from outside of the United States. Participants are able to immediately apply concepts and skills from the programs, and many maintain the network and sounding board they have developed within their cohort after the program.

Governing for Nonprofit Excellence — Virtual (GNEV)

The GNEV program provides the perspective and skills nonprofit board members need to guide a nonprofit organization from the boardroom. This program focuses on the role of the board in enhancing organizational effectiveness, driving high performance, and enabling accountability. Participants will learn how to manage successful mission transitions, forge effective relationships, build trust between the board and the CEO, and create a culture of board engagement.

• October 19-27, 2023
• Eligibility: Candidates must be nonprofit board members or C-suite level nonprofit leaders who engage extensively with the board of directors.
• One to two scholarships valued at $4,000 each
• To learn more, visit the GNEV program website
• Team participation is allowed (multiple representatives from one organization)
• Submit application to Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation by Monday, July 31, 2023*

APPLICATION PROCESS

*Download the fillable pdf application and submit it to ameehan@berkshiretaconic.org. Please do not fill out the application via the HBS website. To sign the application, the candidate may simply type in their name.

For further discussion, call Aileen Meehan at 413.229.0370 ext. 117.

ELIGIBILITY

To be eligible for consideration, you must meet the following criteria:

• All candidates should have a minimum of one year of experience working in their current role and if a board member, several more years remaining in their term.
• Organization should have a minimum of 5-6 full-time employees.
• Organization has an annual operating budget of at least $1 million.
• Organization has been fully operational (with full-time staff) for at least one year and be out of the start-up phase.
• Your organization must provide services to the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation area.
  

Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation does not support organizations that, in their constitution, by-laws or practice, discriminate against a person or group on the basis of age, race, national origin, ethnicity, gender, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation or religious belief.

REVIEW CRITERIA

The advisory committee of the Center for Nonprofit Excellence reviews each application and selects finalists for submission to HBS SEI for their selection. Applications are reviewed based on the following criteria:

• Satisfies eligibility criteria stated in the above guidelines.
• Shows promise of being ready to learn and supply their learning directly to their nonprofit organization.
• Significance of the role of the nonprofit in the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation community.
• Evidences qualities of self-awareness and self-reflection that indicate a willingness to act for the long term benefit of the organization.
  

REPORTING

Within three months of program completion, Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation asks recipients to send a report that reflects on their experience and how it will impact their nonprofit organization.

Driving Nonprofit Performance and Innovation — Virtual (DNPIV)

The DNPIV program enables nonprofit leaders to address the challenging work of measuring the performance of nonprofit organizations. This program focuses on aligning mission and strategy through performance measurement, with sessions on innovation and organizational learning, generating evidence about an intervention’s effectiveness, building a culture of performance measurement, and managing for collective impact.

• April 20-28, 2023
• Eligibility: Candidates must be senior nonprofit leaders responsible for implementing effective performance measurements and management in their organizations. Roles can include: CEO, ED, board member, COO, CFO, CIO and others
• One scholarship valued at $4,000
• To learn more, visit the DNPIV program website
• Team participation is allowed (multiple representatives from one organization)
• Application closed

Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management (SPNM) — In-person at the HBS campus

Tailored to nonprofit executive directors and CEOs, this program explores mastering nonprofit leadership in uncertain times. Through SPNM, participants develop a strategic outlook to improve the effectiveness of their organizations by understanding core management concepts, applying these concepts strategically, and learning how to implement change within their organizations.

• July 9-15, 2023
• Eligibility: Candidates must be nonprofit CEOs or executive directors and responsible for shaping the direction, mission, policies, and major programs of their organizations. Candidates should have at least 10 years of professional work experience.
• One scholarship valued at $7,000
• To learn more, visit the SPNM program website
• Application closed