Ready to Take a Seat in the boardroom?
Project LEAD 2024 applications are now open!
Apply now. The application deadline is Friday, December 8th, 2023, at 11:59pm.
Only 6% of nonprofit board chairs identified as Black, 5% as Latino and 2% as Asian or Pacific Islander, according to a recent study by BoardSource. This lack of representation on boards and board leadership throws challenges in the work that nonprofits do, and their influence in the communities they serve. We must change who’s at the table to achieve racial equity in our community. For over 30 years, United Way has been doing something to change that.
Project LEAD—Leadership Effectiveness and Diversity—is a nonprofit board training program open to skilled, passionate, and equity-centered Black, Indigenous, and other people of color. It empowers them to take the first step toward board leadership.
The 1,200+ Project LEAD graduates are a testament to our community’s commitment to service and diversity. It’s crucial that we take a stand to make sure our community’s boards are representative of the communities they serve and that all voices have an equal seat at the table. You can be a part of that change.
For more information, email projectlead@uwkc.org
Real People. Real Stories.
2024 Class Schedule
Date/Time/Location | Topics | Speakers |
---|---|---|
Wednesday, February 28, 2024 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. Location: Hines | Issues Facing Nonprofit Organizations/ Program Orientation | Stephan Blandford – Children’s Alliance Kuri Jallow speaking and Regina Malveaux – UWKC (UWKC) |
Saturday, March 2, 2024 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Location: Hines | Board Operations and Protocol (8:30-12) & Collaboration and Conflict Resolution (12:30-4:30) | Jessica Salvador & Anh Vo– Collective Leadership |
Wednesday, March 6, 2024 6:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Location: Hines | Stand by Your Mission: The Board’s Role in Advocacy | Paola Maranan – ArcBend Consulting |
Saturday, March 9, 2024 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Location: Hines | Fiscal Management: What Board Members Must Know (8:30-12) & Strategic Fundraising with a Racial Equity Lens (12:30-4:30) | Kari Moore – Accountability Services & Thaddeus Teo – Seattle University School of Law |
Wednesday, March 13, 2024 6:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Location: Hines | Managing Risk: The Legal Implications of Board Service | Jeffery Liang – Banyan Legal Counsel LLP |
Saturday, March 16, 2024 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Location: Hines | Building the Airplane as You Fly it: Creating Bold Strategy in Your Organization (8:30-12) & Equity Leadership ~ How to Get your Board to Do the Right Thing (12:30-4:30) | Ruel Olanday Jr – Equitable Recovery & Reconciliation Alliance & Dr. Haydee Lavariega – Collective Liberation in Practice |
Wednesday, March 20, 2024 6:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Location: Hines | Making the Connection: Learning from Experience | Damien Sevilla – First Western Properties |
TBD 6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. Location: | Graduation | TBD |
How It Works
During this month-long intensive training, participants show up ready to listen, learn and participate. The program concludes with a graduation ceremony and board networking event, where graduates can meet representatives of nonprofit organizations that are seeking new members for their boards. Training sessions are held on nights and weekends and include topics like:
- Issues facing nonprofit organizations
- Board operations and protocol
- Collaboration and conflict resolution
- Fiscal management
- Strategic fundraising with a racial equity lens
- Creating bold organizational strategies
- Managing legal risk
- Equity leadership
Partner With Us On Project LEAD
By partnering with us, you will be investing in working toward a better, more racially equitable future for our community and signaling to others that your organization is committed to supporting more equal leadership opportunities.
Thanks to Our Sponsors:

