Valley Non-Profits Graduate from Spur Leadership Program
Spur Community Foundation recently wrapped up the sixth year of its Executive Director Leadership Coaching Program, helping valley non-profits become more effective and efficient in accomplishing their missions.
The leaders of Ballet Sun Valley, The Hunger Coalition, and Sun Valley Museum of Art completed the 6-month, bi-weekly training with Spur by reflecting on what they have learned from the individualized coaching designed to help them understand and refine their leadership style and maximize their effectiveness.
“Soon after Spur Community Foundation was founded in 2016, we realized that many nonprofit leaders were operating on instinct and without guidance for how to effectively move their organizations forward,” says Sally Gillespie, Spur’s Executive Director. “Investing in leadership is a core component of how Spur strengthens the nonprofit sector, which in turn contributes so much to life in our community.”
Since launching the program in 2018, nineteen executive directors have benefited from the program. The success of the program prompted Spur to expand its professional development offerings. A program that supports nonprofit Board Chairs launched in 2021 and another, focused on teaching the fundamentals of the role to first-time Executive Directors, just launched last month.
Matt McNeal, Board Chair of the Wood River Trails Coalition, had this to say about the program he attended. “The Spur program provided invaluable tools and actionable strategies that I immediately was able to implement in our organization. We are trying to build a resilient, relevant institution for the long term and the Spur training went a long way in making sure the fundamental building blocks can support that vision. And I really enjoyed being a part of a cohort with other board chairs."
Nonprofits that have benefited from Spur’s Board and ED leadership training programs include:
Ballet Sun Valley NAMI – Wood River Valley
Blaine County Charitable Fund Pioneer Montessori
Blaine County Education Foundation Project Big Wood
Blaine County Housing Authority The Alliance of Idaho
Blaine County Recreation District The Sage School
Blaine County School Board The Senior Connection
Environmental Resource Center The Space
Environmental Resource Center The Spot
Hailey Public Library Sun Valley Museum of Art
Hospice and Palliative Care of the Wood River Valley Sun Valley Film Festival
The Hunger Coalition Sun Valley Institute of Resilience
Far + Wise Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation
Flourish Foundation Swiftsure Ranch
Friends of the Sawtooth Avalanche Center Visit Sun Valley
Men’s Second Chance Living Wood River Trails Coalition
Mountain Humane
Founded in 2016, Spur's mission is to inspire effective philanthropy by helping people to give purposefully and local nonprofits to achieve maximum impact.
In just seven years, Spur has received $23 million in donations and distributed $20.9 million in grants. Through its nonprofit programs, it has helped more than 50 local organizations by devoting as much as 2,000 hours per year to free advisory services.
For more about Spur Community Foundation, please visit SpurFoundation.org or call Spur at (208) 450-2600.