United Way of Northwest Louisiana is offering current and emerging leaders of nonprofit organizations the chance to participate in an executive coaching program to improve their agency through the United Way of Northwest Louisiana Executive Academy.  As United Way of Northwest Louisiana (UWNWLA) has worked with nonprofits across ten parishes, two areas have been identified where nonprofits need assistance: obtaining financial resources and learning to operate with best practices. UWNWLA’s nonprofit academy will meet both of these needs.

The goal of the academy is to strengthen the sustainability and educate these nonprofits – helping them qualify for future grants. By providing nonprofits with these essential skills, United Way will increase the capacity of northwest Louisiana nonprofits to serve their respective communities. This five-month leadership development series will focus on these key areas:

• Understanding your leadership
• Management and coaching styles
• Perfecting your professional persona through presentation skills
• Meeting facilitation; purposeful networking
• Staying positive when you have to be tough
• Industry trends plus planning and visioning

“I’m so grateful for the opportunity given to me by United Way to do my job better and help even more people,” said YWCA Executive Director, Belinda Roberson, 2017 Executive Academy class graduate.

The program, sponsored by BHP, can accommodate a maximum of 20 nonprofit organizations with sessions beginning on Feb. 20, 2018 and will conclude with a closing ceremony on June 6, 2018. The individual investment per participant is $600. Twelve BHP sponsored scholarships are available to nonprofits based in Caddo, Bossier, DeSoto and Red River parishes. The series is led by Baton Rouge based management and strategic consulting firm, Emergent Method.

Any nonprofit leader is encouraged to apply – they need not be a current or former United Way grant recipient.

For more information on the program and to apply, visit emergentmethod.com/uwnwla-academy. The deadline to apply for the program is Nov. 24 and the class will be announced Dec. 1.