CNY Community Foundation continues nonprofit executive-development program

SYRACUSE — The Central New York Community Foundation is preparing for a second session of the Marsellus executive-development program for executive directors of nonprofit organizations in Onondaga and Madison counties. 

The Marsellus program offers nonprofit leaders a chance to “brush up” on their leadership and work-performance skills, the Community Foundation said in a news release issued July 14.

The program started in 2014 and the first class finished this past spring, says John Eberle, vice president of grants and community initiatives at the Community Foundation.

“It’s very focused on the job, the role of being the executive director,” he says of the program.

Eberle spoke with CNYBJ on July 17.

The Community Foundation and Syracuse–based The Leading Element, a third-party consultant, designed the six-month initiative to help nonprofit executives “who are ready to achieve maximum impact in their organizations.” 

The program focuses on four main “strategies” to assist the leaders in “feeling more energized,” according to the release. 

They include a 360-degree assessment of each individual’s strengths and opportunities for growth. 

“Here’s my strengths. Here’s my weaknesses … gives you a snapshot of some things that you might want to consider working on,” says Eberle in describing what the assessment seeks to accomplish.

The strategies also include 90 minutes of individual coaching sessions per month, consultant-led peer learning sessions that run three hours per month, and group-led peer meetings that also take three hours per month.

The program accepted all eight applicants who expressed interest for the 2014 pilot program.

For the upcoming session, the foundation will limit the involvement to 10 or 12 participants, says Eberle.  

The program is free of charge for participants. The Community Foundation spends $16,000 to offer it, Katrina Crocker, the foundation’s director of communications, 

said in response to a follow-up email from CNYBJ.

The program requires participants to provide a time investment of about 8-10 hours per month. Sessions will run from September through March.

The Leading Element conducts the program at “multiple” sites, says Eberle.

Program origin

The Community Foundation has offered the Marsellus sabbatical “for many years,” a four-week sabbatical for nonprofit executives. 

“That was really beneficial for … leaders to get away, get some education, get recharged,” says Eberle.

In the years during and after the recession, local nonprofit leaders started indicating they didn’t feel comfortable leaving their organizations for a full month for a sabbatical.

So, the Community Foundation started pondering other ideas to address the needs for nonprofit leadership, he says.

“Times are really tough. I can’t leave, but I need support,” says Eberle, paraphrasing the concerns from leaders’ feedback.

Nonprofit executives wanted guidance on just-in-time training and peer support, he notes.

Eberle in 2013 started working with The Leading Element to organize the executive-development program.

The Community Foundation had worked with The Leading Element on “a few other projects,” he adds.  

The executive-development program is named for the Marsellus family of Central New York, a donor to the Community Foundation. The family once operated the Marsellus Casket Company in Syracuse, says Eberle. 

A member of the family, John Marsellus, is also donates to the Community Foundation and nonprofits in the Syracuse area. 

“He is also actively involved in the leadership-development program, so we wanted to honor him for his ongoing commitment,” he says.

Community Foundation is the key sponsor and hired the Leading Element to operate the program. Foundation staff members don’t participate in the sessions, 

citing its sensitivity to its relationship to nonprofits as a “funder.”

“Some of the executive directors might not feel as free to share some of the things they’re working on if a funder was in the room,” says Eberle.        

SYRACUSE — The Central New York Community Foundation is preparing for a second session of the Marsellus executive-development program for executive directors of nonprofit organizations in Onondaga and Madison counties. 

The Marsellus program offers nonprofit leaders a chance to “brush up” on their leadership and work-performance skills, the Community Foundation said in a news release issued July 14.

The program started in 2014 and the first class finished this past spring, says John Eberle, vice president of grants and community initiatives at the Community Foundation.

“It’s very focused on the job, the role of being the executive director,” he says of the program.

Eberle spoke with CNYBJ on July 17.

The Community Foundation and Syracuse–based The Leading Element, a third-party consultant, designed the six-month initiative to help nonprofit executives “who are ready to achieve maximum impact in their organizations.” 

The program focuses on four main “strategies” to assist the leaders in “feeling more energized,” according to the release. 

They include a 360-degree assessment of each individual’s strengths and opportunities for growth. 

“Here’s my strengths. Here’s my weaknesses … gives you a snapshot of some things that you might want to consider working on,” says Eberle in describing what the assessment seeks to accomplish.

The strategies also include 90 minutes of individual coaching sessions per month, consultant-led peer learning sessions that run three hours per month, and group-led peer meetings that also take three hours per month.

The program accepted all eight applicants who expressed interest for the 2014 pilot program.

For the upcoming session, the foundation will limit the involvement to 10 or 12 participants, says Eberle.  

The program is free of charge for participants. The Community Foundation spends $16,000 to offer it, Katrina Crocker, the foundation’s director of communications, 

said in response to a follow-up email from CNYBJ.

The program requires participants to provide a time investment of about 8-10 hours per month. Sessions will run from September through March.

The Leading Element conducts the program at “multiple” sites, says Eberle.

Program origin

The Community Foundation has offered the Marsellus sabbatical “for many years,” a four-week sabbatical for nonprofit executives. 

“That was really beneficial for … leaders to get away, get some education, get recharged,” says Eberle.

In the years during and after the recession, local nonprofit leaders started indicating they didn’t feel comfortable leaving their organizations for a full month for a sabbatical.

So, the Community Foundation started pondering other ideas to address the needs for nonprofit leadership, he says.

“Times are really tough. I can’t leave, but I need support,” says Eberle, paraphrasing the concerns from leaders’ feedback.

Nonprofit executives wanted guidance on just-in-time training and peer support, he notes.

Eberle in 2013 started working with The Leading Element to organize the executive-development program.

The Community Foundation had worked with The Leading Element on “a few other projects,” he adds.  

The executive-development program is named for the Marsellus family of Central New York, a donor to the Community Foundation. The family once operated the Marsellus Casket Company in Syracuse, says Eberle. 

A member of the family, John Marsellus, is also donates to the Community Foundation and nonprofits in the Syracuse area. 

“He is also actively involved in the leadership-development program, so we wanted to honor him for his ongoing commitment,” he says.

Community Foundation is the key sponsor and hired the Leading Element to operate the program. Foundation staff members don’t participate in the sessions, 

citing its sensitivity to its relationship to nonprofits as a “funder.”

“Some of the executive directors might not feel as free to share some of the things they’re working on if a funder was in the room,” says Eberle.