“This information will have immediate application – as early as a few days from now! … I feel more literate … and more confident that I will be able to stay on track with my finances.””

That resounding endorsement from a Fox Cities nonprofit executive director speaks to the quality of training already being provided through a communitywide effort to better equip the management and boards of Fox Valley nonprofits. The work is about to become the specialty of a community steering committee and an executive director.

The Nonprofit Leadership Initiative Steering Committee is currently advertising for an executive director to head up the effort. Starting in fall, that person will begin working on strengthening the capabilities of nonprofit executive staff and board members through learning opportunities, collaboration and leadership training, like the Nonprofit Leadership Institute that generated the comments above.

The effort began with a Community Leadership grant from the Community Foundation, which contracted to make the Nonprofit NEXT website available to area nonprofits early in 2015. The site offers articles, forms and document templates on subjects of interest to nonprofits. From there, the Nonprofit Leadership Initiative expanded to include a Nonprofit Leadership Institute and the Executive Directors Forum. United Way Fox Cities, Thrivent Financial, Community First Credit Union and Fox Valley Technical College all joined in supporting the concept.

The executive director will coordinate offerings for the Nonprofit Next website, set up forums for executive directors to discuss key issues, promote volunteer opportunities for board service and organize technical, management and leadership training.

The person selected will report to the Nonprofit Leadership Steering Committee but work out of the Community Foundation office.

Anyone interested should submit a resume, cover letter and references by Sept. 12 to the Nonprofit Leadership Steering Committee at 4455 W. Lawrence St., Appleton, WI 54914.