Leadership Development

Why join a Mastermind Program?

The need for agile nonprofit leadership has never been greater. Unfortunately, individuals in the nonprofit sector often do not receive the professional development they need to advance towards their leadership goals. We are committed to responding to this need through targeted leadership development coaching and training, and as a result, offer PMA's Mastermind Leadership Development Program to accelerate Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership. 

What is PMA's Mastermind Program? 

Our Mastermind Program is a uniquely structured four-month virtual program (seven two-hour sessions) that combines one-on-one coaching and peer mentorship to meet the needs of individuals in each cohort. Each cohort is composed of six to eight talented nonprofit leaders. This small group size ensures that each participant receives adequate individual coaching, while also expanding their network and benefiting from the accountability and feedback from the other participants.

Who is the ideal participant?

PMA's Mastermind Program is designed for nonprofit leaders with at least five years of experience who are serious about advancing their skills in the nonprofit sector and propelling their leadership to the next level. Since our program is virtual, we have leaders from across the country join us each season.

Check out the Mastermind Graduates below to learn about our previous [impressive!] participants who have completed the program.

Our Mastermind Graduates

The Mastermind network now boasts multiple cohorts of extremely successful, diverse, and dedicated nonprofit leaders who have participated thus far. These individuals have embraced the Mastermind concept, applauded the virtual format of the program, and continue to express how thrilled they are to have taken this time for themselves given their busy senior leadership positions.

What do past graduates say about their experiences?

"This has been the highlight of my professional development career."
"If you are interested in evaluating your career, where you want to go, and the skills you need to make a change at your current/new organization, this program would serve you quite well."
"I discovered an incredible community of peers that I can lean on for guidance and encouragement as we support each other on our journeys as nonprofit leaders."

What is the commitment if I am selected? 

The value of the "cohort model" is reliant on every member in the group being committed to advancing on their Path to Nonprofit Leadership as well as providing support and feedback to other participants in the cohort.

Participation in PMA's Mastermind Program requires a commitment of both time and energy during the seven two-hour sessions as well as between the sessions; we will ask that you complete carefully selected, manageable assignments in the weeks between sessions. Please note that these "homework assignments" are not required we know our leaders are quite busy, but we encourage participants to complete them to maximize their return on the investment in the program. 

Since the success of the program depends on the full commitment of each participant, we ask that all participants be prepared to attend all seven sessions, arrive at the virtual sessions on time, and participate fully.

There will be seven virtual sessions that take place over four months for each cohort; see below for tentative dates for the upcoming season.

Spring 2022 Season

• Session 1: Week of January 24th 
• Session 2: Week of February 7th 
• Session 3: Week of February 21st 
• Session 4: Week of March 7th 
• Session 5: Week of March 21st 
• Session 6: Week of April 4th 
• Session 7: Week of April 18th 

The seven two-hour sessions will be conducted via Zoom.

Mastermind Program Benefits

What take-aways/deliverables can I expect?

At the end of PMA's Mastermind Program, we are confident you will have a personal strategic plan to guide your leadership journey over the next one, three, and five years that will accelerate your Path to Nonprofit Leadership.

Other takeaways include: 

• The design of a Personal Planning Retreat 
• A personalized Vision Framework to guide Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership for the next one, three, and five years 
• An assessment of your 10 Essential Skills and Experiences for nonprofit leadership 
• A Curated List of Resource Material designed to guide your professional development curriculum 
• A strategy to identify and recruit your Personal Board of Directors

In addition, you will receive a Mastermind Leadership Development Certificate, along with specific language to include on your LinkedIn/resume, which will help you stand out amongst the competition for future leadership positions.

Application & Cost

What's required to apply?

The application is an online form (via SurveyMonkey) that will take you less than 10 minutes to complete.

Application to PMA's Mastermind Program is open to individuals working in nonprofits with at least five years of leadership experience.

PMA is committed to having a diverse and dynamic membership for our Mastermind Program. We seek to have representation from a cross section of the nonprofit community including different sectors, ethnic/minority groups, and genders. 

In reviewing applications, PMA's Selection Committee looks for potential participants who demonstrate the following: 

• Commitment to advance their career in the nonprofit sector 
• Motivation to participate in extracurricular professional development  
• Ability to make the time commitment required by the program

Click here to apply for a spot in an upcoming cohort.

How much does the program cost?

Registration for PMA's Mastermind Program is $1150, which covers all costs for the seven two-hour small group coaching sessions, program materials, and support by email/phone as needed.  For those individuals interested in receiving one-on-one coaching in addition to the cohort activities, a Premium Registration option is available for $1,450. The premium registration comes with three additional one-hour coaching sessions with Patton to be used at your discretion. For example, you could use an additional coaching session during the Mastermind Program to receive more targeted coaching on a particular topic, or perhaps later when a leadership opportunity comes available, and you'd like to get coaching to prep for the interview. 

Are there financial aid and/or scholarships available?

We expect many employers will underwrite the cost because of the value for their employees, and ultimately their organization. However, partial scholarships are available and will be awarded, on a discretionary basis, based on need (these individual conversations will take place after a cohort has been selected for each program). In the event a scholarship is not available, we are willing to work out payment plans with participants on a case-by-case basis.

How do I apply?

We are excited that you are ready to accelerate your journey on Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership by participating in PMA's Mastermind Program. Applications are accepted year-round for upcoming Mastermind Programs. Even though applications are accepted year-round, we do have deadlines for each season. Upcoming deadlines:

To fill out an application please click here.

The application is an online form (via SurveyMonkey) that will take you less than 10 minutes to complete. It will ask you about your current role, why you're interested in the Mastermind Program, and allow us to gather some initial information about your scheduling preferences should you be accepted.