LLC Member Spotlight: Cynthia Chavez, LeaderSpring

The March 2010 “Spring” Member Spotlight shines on the work of Cynthia Chavez, Executive Director of LeaderSpring. Cynthia has served as an appointed member of LLC’s board since 2001. She is a member the LLC board Executive Committee and has also served as Chairperson for the board Nominations Committee. Cynthia has been an invaluable resource and champion of our work. Cynthia is also a member of the National Coaching and Philanthropy Project (CAP) Task Force, which advances coaching as a strategy for leadership development and organizational effectiveness. Most recently, she is a co-convener of selected philanthropic and community stakeholders in “The Conversation Lab: An Experiment in Funder/Practitioner Dialogues.” With LLC represented, the goal of this group is to create a trusting space that leads to candid conversations where funders and practitioners share openly and deeply about their views on the field. We appreciate Cynthia’s many contributions to LLC as an effective collaborator, thought partner, and fierce champion of our mission.

Since 1997, LeaderSpring has been improving the lives of hundreds of thousands of children, youth and families in the Bay Area by strengthening nonprofit leadership and organizational effectiveness. Four core strategies are at the heart of LeaderSpring’s efforts: (a) strengthening leadership and management skills; (b) fostering high-performing nonprofits; (c) increasing agency collaborations; and (d) increasing retention and renewal of a richly diverse group of leaders. Thanks to a host of Bay Area philanthropic supporters, many local leaders and their agencies have been awarded a two-year on-the-job Fellowship, valued at $30,000 each. They have received a comprehensive, integrated program of leadership development, management skills training, professional coaching, customized mentoring, peer learning, and networking.

Over the past 13 years, LeaderSpring has served 144 nonprofit leaders, 61% of whom are people of color and 72% of whom are women. These leaders employ over 3,200 staff, have combined budgets of over $198 million, and serve over 428,000 clients. LeaderSpring’s investment in one nonprofit leader is an investment in almost 3,000 community members. In 2010, LeaderSpring is launching their LeaderSpring Consulting Group to expand its reach and meet the growing demand for its program offerings.