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Emerging Leader FEllowship
Your path to executive nonprofit leadership starts here.
Stepping into the role of executive director or CEO is one of the most rewarding and challenging opportunities in the nonprofit sector. This leadership development course is designed for individuals who are ready to grow into top-level positions and lead organizations with clarity, confidence, and purpose. Whether you’re currently in a mid-level management role or transitioning from another sector, this eight-month journey will help you build the skills, mindset, and strategic vision required to lead a mission-driven organization in an increasingly complex and competitive environment.
At the heart of strong nonprofit leadership is the recognition that no leader lasts forever. That’s why succession planning matters.
Designed for Impact
Practical tools, custom content, and curated resources tailored to your mission.
Community Powered
Connect in the LUNA Town Square™, our virtual hub for live sessions, peer interactions, and expert-led discussions.
Guided Growth
Our online and hybrid courses, including the flagship Level-Up Nonprofit Accelerator, will supercharge your organization.
"As a founder of our nonprofit, immersing myself in this program with our dedicated LUNAtics has been nothing short of extraordinary. It has been an enlightening experience but also invigorating."
Hands-on learning and personalized support every step of the way
Course Material
This fellowship emphasizes the importance of preparing not only for your own advancement but also for the sustainable future of your organization. By cultivating a culture of leadership at every level and embedding succession planning into strategic decision-making, nonprofit leaders ensure that their mission endures, their teams thrive, and their impact continues beyond any single individual.
- Your first 90 days
- Governance
- Board management
- Financial acumen
- Essentials of resource development
- The board's role in securing resources
- Human resources
- Talent management
- Strategic planning
- Succession planning
- Transition planning
- Organizational culture
- Visionary thinking
- Resiliency
- Change management
Tuition
The fellowship is not yet open to the public. It is available for funders wishing to support a cohort beginning in early 2026
If you are a funder and to learn more, please contact Glenn Kaufhold, our co-founder and managing partner.
Frequently Answered Questions
We are welcoming organizations that meet the following criteria:
- Your organization is incorporated, has 501(c)3 status or pending (for US organization) or has a fiscal sponsor.
- You have at least three board members who are not related.
- You are raising less than $250,000 (US) from individuals annually.
- You share LUNA's commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice.
Unfortunately, we are not accepting applications from political organizations.
Change happens in nonprofits when leadership is on board. That's why we strongly recommend that two people from your organization participate, ideally the executive director (if you have one) and a board member.
Once you join LUNA, at least one person per group must prepare for and participate in all the online sessions and live workshops. If you have to miss a live workshop, you will be able to access the recording. You also need to complete the capstone project assignments (see "The Experience" section of this website).
We understand that life happens, and you may not be able to complete the program. Talk to us, and we'll be happy to let you re-start in a future cohort. But, if you ghost us at any point or don't complete the program requirements, we will invoice you for the full value of the scholarship.
We have carefully designed lessons and assignments that we know will make the biggest difference for you. What you learn every week will be very actionable. At every step of the way, there will be things you can start to implement right away.
LUNA is a community of continuous learners. Your place in that community doesn’t end when the course is finished.
As a member of the community, you will receive:
- Continued access to the course materials
- Free membership to our LUNA Town Square community and access to our resource libraries, forums, and LUNA Live events
- Discounted rates to other LUNA courses
We have optional coaching packages available with the instructors of each accelerator so that you may ask questions, workshop ideas, or seek advice.
Starting in 2026, we will introduce additional courses that take deeper dives into a variety of topics. You will find announcements of those in the LUNA Town Square platform, our website, and through periodic emails.
We want this to be a great experience, so we are limiting each cohort to no more than 15 organizations with two people from each. This will be an intimate, supportive learning environment for everyone.
Your journey begins by clicking the APPLY button in the top right corner of your screen.
Once you have started the course, we do not offer refunds.
The fellowship is designed for brand new CEOs or those who aspire to that level of leadership. At the moment, the fellowship program is by invitation only through a funder that is piloting this project.
The learning is done online, and through monthly live workshops. Materials are available each month, and include videos, downloadable presentation decks, templates, and other curated resources.
Our instructors are available by DM through the LUNA Town Square platform to answer any questions you may have. For more in-depth assistance, we have optional coaching packages available with the instructors of each accelerator so that you may ask questions, workshop ideas, or seek advice.
The Emerging Leader Fellowship is seven months long, with content available very month. We will also have monthly live workshop sessions.
- At bottom change “next cohort begins” date to November 2026
- Register now button to Join the Waitlist
