Alliance Executive Leadership Institute

The Alliance for Children and Families’ annual Executive Leadership Institute (ELI) is a leadership certificate program for emerging senior leaders in the nonprofit human services industry. It is co-sponsored by the University of Michigan’s School of Social Work and Ross School of Business.

Benefits for Attendees

Individuals who complete the institute develop managerial and leadership skills that position and equip them to meet their organization’s existing and future needs.

Most attendees are:

Senior-level managers who aspire to become CEOs within nonprofit human service organizations
Senior-level managers who are responsible for budgeting and staff supervision
New CEOs who desire specific training to strengthen their management and leadership skills
For-profit executives seeking to shift their careers into the nonprofit sector

Participants receive a certificate in nonprofit management upon completion of the two-year program. Attendees also are eligible to earn up to 3.2 continuing education credits per year.

Benefits for Organizations

ELI makes an organization’s succession planning decidedly easier because it is a concrete, affordable opportunity for senior leader training. By offering a visible career path, ELI also further solidifies key employees’ relationships with their organizations, as well as their connections to the human services industry.

Individuals who complete ELI develop their knowledge of sector trends and best practices, which increases an organization’s capacity to meet future growth needs.

Organizations also benefit from the organic networking that takes place among participants. Many ELI alumni remain connected after the institute and can call on one another for ideas, resources, and advice related to their organizations’ challenges and opportunities.

Instructional Methodology

Sixty-four hours of content is delivered over two years during two concentrated sessions. Each session takes place over a four and one-half day period at the University of Michigan campus in Ann Arbor.

Workshops cover:

Understanding the appropriate roles of executive leaders
Selling staff on the ideas, beliefs, and results that are critical to organizational success
Building a culture of philanthropy throughout the organization
Balancing the organization’s mission with its financial realities
Reviewing the organization’s capital situation, its plans for the future, and determining the best path to achieve long-term goals
Attracting, engaging, developing, and retaining extraordinary and diverse talent
Emerging trends within the sector

The course of study also includes pre-institute reading, a practicum, and individual mentoring. The second year of the program culminates in the presentation of projects completed between the first and second year. These presentations are given before the assembly of participants and faculty.

For questions about ELI, contact the Alliance Intellectual Capital Department.