LeaderSpring Center

LeaderSpring Center LeaderSpring's mission is to foster a powerful, equity-driven social sector by strengthening leaders and organizations; developing communities of leaders; and transforming the systems in which they work.

Since 1997, LeaderSpring has invested in the extraordinary talent, dedication, and vision of progressive grassroots leaders in the San Francisco Bay area. Through our signature leadership development program, we have equipped more than 240 social sector executives with the knowledge, skills, and networks needed to lead high-performing organizations and drive lasting change. LeaderSpring provides a two-year, on-the-job leadership training program for nonprofit executive directors in the San Francisco Bay Area. Our dream is that leaders, organizations and communities in the social sector achieve their promise and potential to create a healthy and equitable society. Our values: -Leadership -Community Well-being -Equity -Collaboration -Head & Heart Find out more on our website.

Mission: LeaderSpring's mission is to foster high-performing nonprofits by strengthening and connecting the people who lead them.

Operating as usual

Can you identify the issues in your org? If not, we can help.
12/12/2020

Can you identify the issues in your org? If not, we can help.

Great lessons!
11/14/2020
Six Crisis Leadership Lessons

Great lessons!

In summer 2014, I was hired as a new executive director serving a child refugee support organization in Dallas. The organization was in a financial crisis, had lost several significant partners, the program serving the c...

(Cross-posted in the other group) We will be targeted one-by-one unless we stand together. Please sign on if it is safe ...
11/10/2020
#bannedwords hashtag on Twitter

(Cross-posted in the other group) We will be targeted one-by-one unless we stand together. Please sign on if it is safe for your org to do so: An Open Letter In Support of Meaningful Conversation and Action to Address Systemic Racism in Government and all American Institutions. (U.S. orgs) This is to challenge the current executive order. [https://racialequityhere.org/open-letter/](https://racialequityhere.org/open-letter/?fbclid=IwAR02Rb8FYb3_N3liflOQpbBr4DP7MZbmI6Cqn3fUOrAZvYjIfblKXtbpo-o) // And, check out: [#bannedwords](https://twitter.com/hashtag/bannedwords?src=hashtag_click&fbclid=IwAR3ks4fGRofFzUG42jMFQQy_wbCcn8rlo1GHVA8ugqlCKBrWCMINMo6UvFM) is a campaign by Race Forward to counter the outgoing administration efforts to stop us from addressing systemic racism and white supremacy.

See Tweets about #bannedwords on Twitter. See what people are saying and join the conversation.

Our 2020 Equity Series has an exciting line up of events this Fall. First up is our Board Summit happening Sept 9th. Che...
09/02/2020

Our 2020 Equity Series has an exciting line up of events this Fall. First up is our Board Summit happening Sept 9th. Check out the details for all the events and link to register on our website: https://www.leaderspring.org/events

"Many organizations have been applauded for these bold and vocal stances. But I’ve noticed another dangerous and more su...
07/24/2020
Leading a nonprofit through this racial reckoning? It’s more complicated if you’re Black.

"Many organizations have been applauded for these bold and vocal stances. But I’ve noticed another dangerous and more subversive trend that has largely been ignored. Multiple — primarily Black — leaders of nonprofit and youth-serving organizations have shared with me that they have faced negative backlash from “supporters” who found their statements off-putting."

When speaking out directly against injustice, our white counterparts are perceived as brave, while Black leaders see our anger weaponized.

👏Check out East Bay '18 Alum Brandon Nicholson tonight!
07/16/2020

👏Check out East Bay '18 Alum Brandon Nicholson tonight!

AIRING TONIGHT 📺: Watch NBC Bay Area at 6:30pm tonight to hear Brandon Nicholson (Executive Director of The Hidden Genius Project) join the conversation LIVE with Marcus Washington to discuss #RaceInAmerica. ✊🏿✊🏾✊🏽 📸: Bittersweet Monthly

In case you missed it, check out the full show here: www.hiddengeniusproject.org/race-in-america-the-conversation-featuring-brandon-nicholson-ph-d/

#NoJusticeNoPeace #BLM #NBCBayArea #NBC #BlackLivesMatter #blackmaleyouth #blacknonprofit #entreprenership #nonprofit #blackmentors #technology #blacksintech #blackleadership #themarathoncontinues #kingmakers #ICantBreathe #JusticeforBre #FedUp #knowyourrights #WeAreDoneDying #IRunWithAhmaud #WeAreDoneMourning #BirdingWhileBlack #RunningWhileBlack #EnoughIsEnough #blackyouth #blackpeople #SickAndTired #policebrutality #endracism #RevealingGenius #TheHiddenGeniusProject

Meet Kiko Davis, the majority owner and stockholder of Detroit-based First Independence Bank, one of the top 10 largest ...
06/11/2020
Meet the Only Black Woman in the U.S. Who Owns Her Own Bank

Meet Kiko Davis, the majority owner and stockholder of Detroit-based First Independence Bank, one of the top 10 largest Black-owned banks in the United States. This makes her the only Black woman in the country who owns a bank.

Meet Kiko Davis, the majority owner and stockholder of Detroit-based First Independence Bank, one of the top 10 largest Black-owned banks in the United States. This makes her the only Black woman in the country who owns a bank.

Our misdirected philanthropy is costing us beyond measure. A mountain of evidence shows progressive victories are surgin...
06/08/2020
Opinion | Philanthropists Bench Women of Color, the M.V.P.s of Social Change

Our misdirected philanthropy is costing us beyond measure. A mountain of evidence shows progressive victories are surging up from groups led by women of color, particularly black women, that build power on the ground — not trickling down from large Beltway organizations headed by white men.

And we all lose out.

05/22/2020
backend.ccp.colab.coop

No Going Back! A Covid-19 Cultural Strategy Activation Guide for Artists and Activists

https://backend.ccp.colab.coop/media/pdfs/CCP_Covid-19_3SCNaf1.pdf

It’s important to underscore this story because it counteracts a long-held false narrative that somehow women aren’t as ...
05/22/2020
Ten Prominent Women Spotlight The Need For Women’s Leadership During The Pandemic And Beyond

It’s important to underscore this story because it counteracts a long-held false narrative that somehow women aren’t as well suited or prepared to be leaders—and that leadership in general, particularly as heads of state, is the more natural realm of men. This false notion can lead to many misconceptions with damaging outcomes. For example, it fosters a self-perpetuating belief that somehow women candidates aren’t electable or may be a political risk, which may be part of the reason we have yet to elect a female president here in the United States.

Why are female heads of state proving to be such exceptional leaders amid the pandemic? Ten esteemed women share their perspectives and highlight why now is the time for more women to be seated at decision-making tables.

And so we have an opportunity to imagine and create a different kind of workplace. We can choose to permanently change h...
05/22/2020
No One Should Have to Ignore Their Grief, Yet It’s Long Been Expected of People of Color | Nadia Owusu

And so we have an opportunity to imagine and create a different kind of workplace. We can choose to permanently change how we view each other, how we work together, validating each other’s experiences and fears and losses—not just in the current moment, but into and through whatever comes next. And the change that is possible within the microcosm of a workplace might also be possible in other workplaces, in a society, in the wider world.

For our communities, those missing and murdered, caged and dying, are not distant examples, invisible, or forgotten. They are our family and friends.

"In some ways, this is not surprising. Leaders of color in the sector have been talking about this for decades," says Pe...
05/08/2020
Nonprofits Led by People of Color Win Less Grant Money With More Strings (Study)

"In some ways, this is not surprising. Leaders of color in the sector have been talking about this for decades," says Peter Kim, Bridgespan’s chief learning and innovation officer, who co-authored the report. "But the gap was even more alarming than I anticipated."

A look at winners, finalists, and semifinalists in an Echoing Green fellowship program found that budgets of nonprofits led by whites were 24 percent bigger than those of groups led by people of color.

The only way we can make a dent in social justice is if progressive nonprofits and foundations get over our disdain of p...
04/21/2020
This is the wake-up call for nonprofits and foundations to get political

The only way we can make a dent in social justice is if progressive nonprofits and foundations get over our disdain of politics and fully embrace using it to change unjust systems.

[Image description: Silhouette of a person standing, arms outstretched, in front of a building that is engulfed in flames. Pixabay.com] Hi everyone. A quick warning that this post will be serious a…

Looking for examples of true leadership in a crisis? From Iceland to Taiwan and from Germany to New Zealand, women are s...
04/13/2020
What Do Countries With The Best Coronavirus Reponses Have In Common? Women Leaders

Looking for examples of true leadership in a crisis? From Iceland to Taiwan and from Germany to New Zealand, women are stepping up to show the world how to manage a messy patch for our human family. Add in Finland, Iceland and Denmark, and this pandemic is revealing that women have what it takes when the heat rises in our Houses of State. Many will say these are small countries, or islands, or other exceptions. But Germany is large and leading, and the UK is an island with very different outcomes. These leaders are gifting us an attractive alternative way of wielding power.

From Iceland to Taiwan and from Germany to New Zealand, women are stepping up to show the world how to manage a messy patch for our human family.

"Foundations need to give more now to address critical needs rising from the global pandemic. But it is just as importan...
04/01/2020
COVID-19: Using a Racial Justice Lens Now to Transform Our Future

"Foundations need to give more now to address critical needs rising from the global pandemic. But it is just as important to act thoughtfully and ensure that their solutions truly factor in the following questions: Who shapes the solutions? Who needs more at this moment? Whose work can transform our collective future?"

In responding to COVID-19, philanthropy needs to employ a racial justice lens that not only addresses immediate needs, but also supports a stronger future for all.

“As you move through these changing times… be easy on yourself and be easy on one another. You are at the beginning of s...
03/20/2020
Message from the Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers:

“As you move through these changing times… be easy on yourself and be easy on one another. You are at the beginning of something new. You are learning a new way of being. You will find that you are working less in the yang modes that you are used to.”

“As you move through these changing times… be easy on yourself and be easy on one another. You are at the beginning of something new. You are learning a new way of being. You will find …

"The original “Pet to Threat” study also advises Black women to consider taking on development opportunities outside of ...
02/20/2020
When Black Women Go From Office Pet to Office Threat

"The original “Pet to Threat” study also advises Black women to consider taking on development opportunities outside of work to build experience as well as developing safe spaces (for example, relationships or places) to find affirmations for their achievements and contributions."

First your boss loves you, then they dislike you. Here’s how Black women can manage the icy transition.

"Equity is about redistribution that is proportional to those most impacted by harmful systems to make sure they get mor...
02/13/2020
Talking about Liberation and Equity | Leadership Learning Community

"Equity is about redistribution that is proportional to those most impacted by harmful systems to make sure they get more. Equity is about staying in the system and liberation is about dismantling the system and moving into a space that is really unclear, and it will require that those who have been able to control the system will no longer be in that role.” -LSC alumna Liz Derias-Tyehimba at Leadership Learning Community's recent convening Creating Space

Talking about Liberation and Equityby Deborah Meehan One of my favorites parts of Creating Space Oakland, and there were many, was the Catalyst Conversation with Asia Alman from ACLU Northern California, Liz Derias-Tyehimba from CompassPoint, and Jamina Ovbude from The Greenlining Institute. The con...

A woman of color is enthusiastically hired by white leadership. She feels welcomed and excited to take on new challenges...
01/30/2020
Hiring a Chief Diversity Officer Won’t Fix Your Racist Company Culture | Nadia Owusu

A woman of color is enthusiastically hired by white leadership. She feels welcomed and excited to take on new challenges, to make a difference. Then she begins to experience and to identify harmful workplace norms. Perhaps she tries to point out inequities in the company culture or suggest possible solutions. That’s when the “honeymoon period”—if there was one—ends.

Chief Diversity Officers are often brought in to respond to an existing problem, clean up an organization’s image, or publicly signal a commitment to equity that does not exist.

01/24/2020
Why Women of Color are the Future of Tech | Yulkendy Valdez & Sonia Mañjon | TEDxAlbany

Executive Director Sonia Manjon and Advisory Council member Yulkendy Valdez gave a joint TED talk at TEDxAlbany in December 2019. They presented LeaderSpring Center and Forefront’s collaborative research project to create viable pathways to increase participation and retention of women of color in the technology sector. Check out the talk below!

According to the Center for Talent Innovation, only 11% of Black women have sponsors in the workplace, and 75% of Hispanic women want “safe harbors”—places w...

LeaderSpring Center recognizes Zach Norris, LeaderSpring Alum (EB16), for his new book: We Keep Us Safe: Building Secure...
01/23/2020
Pledge to support the book – Zach Norris

LeaderSpring Center recognizes Zach Norris, LeaderSpring Alum (EB16), for his new book: We Keep Us Safe: Building Secure, Just, and Inclusive Communities, a groundbreaking new vision for public safety that overturns more than 200 years of fear-based discrimination, othering, and punishment, available February 4th through Beacon Press. In We Keep Us Safe, Norris presents a bold vision for how the United States can achieve safety and security for everyone, especially the most precarious and vulnerable among us, by moving from the current fear-based model of safety (the Framework of Fear) to a care-based model (a Culture of Care). To support the publication click below!

The true cause of serious harms cannot be solved with a police force. We must move away from a framework of fear, towards a framework of care. It's time to redefine what #SafetyIs #WeKeepUsSafe #WednesdayWisdom http://zachnorris.com/

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Our #LeadStrong cohort got to enjoy Monday night's game and was featured on the jumbotron 🤩 Go Warriors! Thank you Chase and @eatlearnplay. #ItsOurGame

Women of Color LeadStrong: Game Changers in Philanthropy, Politics, and Tech
Women of Color LeadStrong: Game Changers in Philanthropy, Politics, and Tech

Women of Color LeadStrong: Game Changers in Philanthropy, Politics, and Tech

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