When she became executive director of Cabrini Green Legal Aid (CGLA) last year, Aisha Edwards knew she was heading a group encountering a new leadership dynamic.
The organization had grown in recent years, adding staff but also experiencing turnover; meanwhile, the budget had significantly increased, but in a way that wasn’t sustainable. To best serve CGLA clients, Edwards knew she wanted to stabilize staffing and start the new leadership season strong. So when she heard about a program for Chicago leaders combining business education with consulting and coaching, she and her leadership team were intrigued.
Edwards and two other members of CGLA’s leadership team joined the first cohort of IGNITE, a new program designed to support leaders of nonprofits who are serving primarily Black communities in Chicago. IGNITE is the signature offering of the Golub Capital Social Impact Lab and is run by Chicago Booth's Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation in partnership with the Chicago Urban League.
The nearly yearlong program combined business classes, networking, and peer mentorship to give nonprofit leaders a space to both learn and share their experiences.
“It provided a lot of context and insight for the overall foundational ‘why we do what we do,’” Edwards said.
Three-person leadership teams from eight different nonprofits were selected for the first cohort, which wrapped up a nine-month program in June. Each group received stipends to support capacity-building work.
Each leadership group participated in classroom sessions led by Chicago Booth faculty and nonprofit practitioners, learning about a variety of topics from decision-making to optimizing programming and services. The program facilitated networking as well as monthly executive coaching on an individual basis.
“IGNITE helped us assess what programs we’re offering and got us thinking about how we can better align our services and manage our caseloads. Those types of insights early on in the program were extremely helpful,” Edwards said.
Throughout the program, the leadership teams also heard from experts on topics like the Great Migration and the roots of inequality and disparity. Returning to the Cabrini Green Legal Aid offices, Edwards shared these discussions, sparking new conversations with her leadership team.
“It gave a much needed historical perspective to current challenges,” she said, “and why one case at a time may be vital, but it is not going to fix the issue long term.”
Cabrini Green Legal Aid, which was established in 1973 to provide legal services to the Cabrini Green community, has grown into a citywide and statewide group to support low-income people impacted by the criminal legal system.
Interacting with the legal system can impact an entire family and community; to reflect these many layers, the group provides not only lawyers and social workers but also connects people to social support services like employment and housing help. The organization’s yearly policy initiatives are informed by case work and partnerships with those who have lived experiences with the legal system. CGLA has expungement and sealing help desks at the Daley Center, Markham Courthouse and the Juvenile Courthouse.
Coming in as a new executive director, Edwards found the connections she made with other leadership teams about shared challenges, like hiring and retention, to be among the most valuable parts of the IGNITE program. The ability to speak with others about goals and reflection, she said, made clear the importance of taking time for that lens on the leadership team.
“IGNITE provided that space to zoom out and make sure we were thinking about the big picture, the strategic overview and how everything fits together,” she said. “I think IGNITE just reminded us of the importance of reflection, taking notes, and providing context to what we’re doing and why we’re doing it.”
Other leadership groups included cohorts from LIFT Chicago, Love Unity & Values (LUV) Institute, NewRoot Learning Institute, One On One, Red Clay Dance Company, True Star Foundation, and West Side United.
George Wu, Chicago Booth professor of behavioral science and faculty director of IGNITE, said these nonprofits do vital work serving the community, but it can be a lonely job for those leading.
“For managers of all sorts, it’s very, very hard for them to create time and space to step back and to reflect and to think long and hard about what they’re doing,” he said. “Programs of this sort are super useful because they are explicitly commitments to do that.”
Tyeise Huntley, director of the Golub Capital Social Impact Lab, says IGNITE created a unique opportunity for these organizations serving Chicago’s Black community to create their own shared community to connect on their wins and challenges and grow together.
“There was so much synergy at the end, two organizations ended up co-locating together. True Star Foundation was moving into a new space, and One On One was looking for a new space. After connecting in the program, they're now both in the same location,” she said.
Wu and Huntley said that working with all the nonprofit leadership teams was inspiring.
“It’s just so rewarding to see all the excellent work that these organizations are doing and to play whatever role we can in amplifying the impact that they’re making,” Wu said. “That’s really what the program is about, recognizing that there are many nonprofits doing amazing things, and playing a role in making them that much better and their work that much more impactful.”
“With this first cohort, these leaders were like pioneers. It was exciting to see them work together, learn from each other, and talk through different ways to make things better in the city for the people and communities they serve,” Huntley said.
This fall, the leadership groups will reunite in New York to reflect on their experience and build connections with nonprofit leaders in a different region. Applications will open this fall for the 2024 IGNITE cohort. Click here to learn more about the program.
