Stettinius Awards for Nonprofit Leadership: How to Apply

OVERVIEW OF AWARDS PROGRAM 

The Stettinius Fund for Nonprofit Leadership will award cash grants of up to $10,000 to nonprofit professionals who have demonstrated strong leadership potential.  Applicants must be employed by a recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations that serves the greater Richmond or Tri-Cities communities.  The award may be used to pursue professional development opportunities of the candidate’s own design, including executive seminars, advanced degree course work, best practice or applied research, on-site practica, professional exchange programs and travel. 

The Community Foundation’s Selection Committee will seek to identify specific evidence of leadership potential from the applications and letters of support.  The Committee seeks to identify emerging leaders who have the potential to take on greater responsibility and/or be a catalyst for positive change within the nonprofit sector.  Applicants may include executive directors, directors, program managers or project managers from area nonprofits and consortia.  Nominees should demonstrate:  (1) commitment to the nonprofit in the Greater Richmond area; (2) leadership capabilities including ability to communicate and collaborate effectively with colleagues within the nonprofit sector; (3) success in contributing to their own organizations; (4)  an understanding of their professional development needs, (5) innovative approaches to community challenges; and (6) a desire to serve as an agent of change to meet community needs and challenges.

 ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

  • An applicant shall be a current employee of a locally recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and have served a minimum of three years within the nonprofit sector in the metropolitan Richmond area (as defined by The Community Foundation service area).  These three years of experience should show increased administrative responsibility and knowledge of specific issue area or community need.
  •  Applicants may be employed by a national or regional nonprofit with responsibilities and operations in The Community Foundation’s service area.
  • Applicants from faith-based organizations, which are separately incorporated as a 501(c)(3) publicly supported charities, are eligible provided the organization is primarily engaged in providing human services, educational programs, arts or other secular services to clients and communities on a nondiscriminatory basis. 
  • Applicants whose primary responsibilities are related to religious or public sector (government) matters are ineligible.

SELECTION CRITERIA

  • Evidence of commitment to the nonprofit sector in the Greater Richmond area;
  • Evidence of ability to build, influence and sustain relationships vital to the success of your organization; (Ability to communicate and collaborate successfully with colleagues in the sector)
  • Evidence of an eagerness to learn the requisite skills to effectively lead and manage a nonprofit organization;
  • Evidence of potential to emerge as a transforming leader who removes impediments to the expression of the full human capacities of our community and individuals and groups within it;
  • Evidence of leadership capabilities and desire to develop the leadership abilities of co-workers and other colleague beyond their expectations.

APPLICATION PROCESS

TCF invites nonprofit professionals to submit the Stettinius Award for Nonprofit Leadership application.  All applications must include a resume and letter of support from a direct supervisor or the nonprofit’s board president.   Support letters should include a discussion of how the professional development opportunity will help develop the candidate’s leadership potential.

Graduates of the Partnership for Nonprofit Excellence, Emerging Nonprofit Leaders program are encouraged to consider applying to the program as the next step in the region’s continuum of leadership development programs.

The completed application, current resume and supporting letters must be received by The Community Foundation on or before 5:00 p.m., Friday, March 16, 2012  Applications and supporting letters sent electronically or by facsimile will not be considered.

To download the 2012 Application, click here.

SELECTION PROCESS

A selection panel will review the submitted applications and letters of support to identify a small group of candidates for interviews based on the selection criteria.  Interviews are scheduled for Thursday, May 31, 2012 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.   Candidates must be available on that date.

The Committee’s recommendations will be forwarded to The Community Foundation’s Board of Governors.  The decisions of The Community Foundation are final.

Announcement of Awards

The award recipients will be publicly announced during the 2012 Partnership for Nonprofit Excellence annual fall conference.

Contact Information

Applications should be addressed to:            

              Stettinius Awards for Nonprofit Leadership
              The Community Foundation Serving Richmond & Central Virginia
              Attn:  Susan Brown Davis,
                   Senior Vice President, Community Leadership Initiatives
              7501 Boulders View Drive, Ste 110
              Richmond, VA  23225

Directions to the Foundation’s offices appear on our website, www.tcfrichmond.org.