Click here for the list of questions. 

Click here for the full application.

Why join the Queens PLC's?

Leadership is an act of service—lifting up your community and empowering your team. When you succeed, everyone around you succeeds too. But who is serving you? Success is absolutely possible with the right support, proven tools, and inspiring peers. That's exactly what our Peer Leadership Circles provide.

Today's leadership challenges include:

• Balancing mission impact with financial stability.

• Securing funding in an increasingly challenging landscape.

• Navigating challenges you never anticipated as a leader.

• Looking to strengthen your leadership skills but need the right support system.

Our Peer Leadership Circles give you what every great leader needs: a trusted network, practical tools, 

and the support to lead with confidence

WHO SHOULD APPLY

• Nonprofit Leaders who directly impact programs, service models, fundraising strategy, leads teams, and/or is building a career serving Queens-based nonprofits.

Leader = Anyone leading programs, initiatives, and/or teams at a Queens Serving nonprofit. Tell us how you leverage your influence to make our Queens Community better. Just make the case on the application. If you are a leader, we want to support you.

Are you a leader who is...

• Balancing mission delivery with keeping your organization financially healthy?

• Fighting to secure funding that is getting more and more scarce?

• Tackling challenges you never expected to face as a leader?

• Ready to grow professionally but unsure how to get the support you need?

Then you should apply on SEPTEMBER 16th to join the first cohort of the Queens Peer Leadership Circles.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Applications open September 16th at 9:00 AM

Step 1: Apply Submit your application starting September 16th at 9:00 AM - we review applications in the order they're received and accept the first 20 qualified applicants.

Step 2: Quick Review We'll confirm you meet our basic requirements:

• Your organization serves Queens

• You are a leader at a nonprofit. 

• You can commit to attending all 6 sessions

Step 3: Brief Interview Qualified applicants will be invited to a 30-minute conversation to confirm your commitment to the full program and help us understand your specific needs so we can customize the experience for your cohort.

Step 4: Confirmation The first 20 participants who complete this process will be admitted. If we're at capacity, you'll be placed on our priority waitlist and notified if a spot opens or if we form another cohort this fall.

Timeline: All applicants will know their status by end of day September 18th or within 72 hours of applying.

Queens Peer Leadership Circles

CONTENT

Foundation Topics (Sessions 1-3)

Your Leadership Impact: Building Courageous & Compassionate Leadership
You are not alone in feeling the weight of leadership responsibility. This session explores how to harness your unique power—understanding its reach and limitations—to best serve your organization's mission while ensuring your own sustainability and that of your staff. The focus is on leading effectively during challenging times while remembering that at the heart of it all, you are serving neighbors—both in your community and within your organization. Participants learn to maintain their health, well being, and passion for the work that matters most.

Sustaining Impact During Disruption: Success During Tough Times is Possible
This module provides hope alongside practical strategies. Through success stories of leaders who have navigated uncertainty and emerged stronger, participants discover that not only is survival possible, but growth and innovation can flourish even in difficult circumstances. You'll apply these lessons to current struggles while identifying hidden assets and opportunities within your organization and the broader community. You are not alone in facing these challenges—learn from peers who've been there and found their way through.

Excellence in Action: Planning and Programming for Sustainable Impact
Participants dive into best practices for strategic planning and program design that prioritizes both community impact and leader wellbeing. This session recognizes that sustainable excellence requires leaders who can maintain their effectiveness over time. Fundraising and sustainable income stream development are woven throughout, not as additional pressure, but as tools for creating the stability that allows you to serve your neighbors with confidence and continuity.

Responsive Learning (Sessions 4-6)

Three additional topics democratically chosen by participants. This ensures the six months together contributes to the nonprofit ecosytem participants build during the PLC sessions. 

HOW

Each Sessions Will Include:

• Thought-Provoking Reflection Questions: Each session opens with leadership questions designed to remind participants that you are not alone in your struggles. The question, reflection, and discussion will help you reconnect with your core purpose of serving the humans in your communities and organizations.

• Actionable Case Studies: Participants explore real-world challenges and success stories that prove tough times can be navigated successfully. These aren't theoretical exercises—real life examples and practical applications in the current environment.

• Practical Tools & Co-Created Resources: Ready-to-use templates and frameworks that prioritize both organizational effectiveness and leader sustainability. These tools are designed by and for people who understand that you can't pour from an empty cup. Effective leadership requires maintaining one's own health and passion for the work. 

• Strategic Connections & Ongoing Support: Dedicated time for participants to realize they are not alone by building genuine peer relationships. The individual coaching office hours provide personalized support for maintaining both organizational excellence and personal wellbeing throughout the leadership journey.