Overview

“Leadership is lonely,” shared NBA hall of famer and 5x NBA champion Kobe Bryant, reflecting on the unique, pressure-filled role that leaders play. Sometimes nonprofit leaders can feel like they are on an island - that perhaps the only other people on the planet who understand their experience are other nonprofit leaders. This dynamic is especially true in the social sector, where the urgency to address some of our society’s most persistent and complex challenges can make the stakes for leadership feel even higher.

While leadership is no doubt challenging, it doesn’t have to be lonely. Research shows that building meaningful professional relationships can boost workplace wellbeing, increase engagement, and create opportunities for collaboration. That’s where the NLC’s Peer Community Groups come in. Peer Community Groups provide a unique space for nonprofit leaders to come together in a community of support to share and solve challenges while elevating collective experience, wisdom and perspective. With the guidance of a skilled facilitator, participants build meaningful relationships with their fellow group members while both accessing and contributing to a safe and supportive learning community.

In addition, 2025-26 Peer Community Group participants also gain exclusive access to the Nonprofit Leaders Advisory Council (NLAC), a diverse group of experienced nonprofit leaders and coaches who serve as a team of advisers and experts for PCG leaders. The NLAC ensures that each PCG leader has one on one support to help them work through unique challenges and to pursue their personal goals. 

Structure

Participants

Peer Community Groups are open to senior leaders from Philadelphia nonprofits that are past or present grantees of the Barra Foundation, sponsored by another foundation or organization, or who pay a membership fee. Leaders can register through a registration portal provided by NLC program staff. If you have questions about eligibility or are interested in an NLC membership, reach out to impact-ed@sas.upenn.edu for more information. 

Schedule

The meeting schedule for 2025-26 peer community groups is below. Sessions are in-person on Fridays from 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. and will be hosted by individual Peer Community Group participants at their office locations. We will update the specific meeting locations in the program overview guide and on the website as they are confirmed. If you are interested in hosting a PCG session this year, please reach out to impact-ed@sas.upenn.edu.

• Friday, January 23, 2026

• Friday, March 13, 2026

• Friday, May 8, 2026

• Friday, July 17, 2026

• Friday, September 18, 2026

Participants will receive a bank of hours (free of charge) to use for accessing coaching or mentoring through the Nonprofit Leader Advisory Council. The NLC team will share more information with registered participants about the process for signing up for sessions with an NLAC advisor.

Meeting Format

Each Peer Community Group is assigned a facilitator who provides a consistent structure for connection and learning and helps the group identify the key challenges and issues they will tackle together in each session. Each meeting includes time for individual reflection, peer sharing, and group problem-solving. The first meeting provides time for group members to learn about each other, build shared agreements for the space, and identify key issues/topics to address in future gatherings. Subsequent meetings follow a peer consultancy format through which participants select 1-2 challenges to address collaboratively through the meeting.