Participation Commitments

Organizations selected for the program are expected to:

• Approach the program as a partnership, with success dependent on shared ownership, open communication, and mutual accountability between your team and LIL

• Collaborate with LIL’s operational support team to co-create and implement a tailored 12-month project plan with defined responsibilities

• Actively engage in weekly or biweekly advising sessions:

• Articulate goals and challenges with clarity;

• Provide organizational data, guidance, and insights;

• Stay responsive to timelines; 

• Follow through between meetings to drive work forward, and;

• Provide timely feedback if LIL does not provide the support you need or expect

• Dedicate approximately 10 hours per month to program-related activities*

• Assign two senior leaders to participate actively throughout the program. Additional staff should be engaged as collaborators based on the scope and strategic focus of the project

• Attend the in-person cohort retreat in early May

• Join virtual cohort sessions and contribute to peer learning and problem-solving

• Set clear goals and track progress with support from the LIL team

• Participate in a 6-month check-in and complete an annual evaluation to reflect on outcomes and share feedback

• Engage in the LIL Slack community to foster collaboration and knowledge-sharing with peers

• Facilitate collaboration between the board and LIL, inviting LIL representatives to participate in key board discussions related to operational and organizational strategy

*We acknowledge that working with an operations team is a sizable investment of your organization’s time, especially for nonprofits who often struggle with capacity. We strongly encourage applicants to apply only if they are able to fully commit to the close engagement that’s required of the partnership.  

For an idea of what our work together would involve, see our Operational Support Expectations for Engagement.