Leadership Fellows at The Trust

What Leadership Fellows at The Trust does

Leadership Fellows at The Trust is a non-profit leadership development fellowship program established in 2015 by the New York Community Trust in partnership with the Austin W. Marxe School of Public and International Affairs at Baruch College. The program targets mid-career nonprofit professionals with at least five years of nonprofit experience and at least three years of managerial experience, equipping them with the knowledge, competencies, and skills to lead nonprofit organizations effectively. It addresses a documented leadership gap driven by a wave of executive director retirements across the nonprofit sector, particularly in the New York metropolitan area.

The core offering is a 12-week fellowship delivered through two cohorts per year (Spring and Fall), each comprising approximately 50 practitioners. The curriculum consists of 12 class sessions taught by Baruch Marxe School faculty and experienced nonprofit practitioners, supplemented by 4 Dean's Dinners with sector and government leaders, individual mentorship, and a change-project component in which each Fellow develops and implements a strategic initiative within their organization. Completing fellows may apply 3 academic credits toward Baruch degree programs. Program eligibility is tied to organizations that have received grants from the New York Community Trust, Westchester Community Foundation, Long Island Community Foundation, or Fund for the City of New York within the past three years; executive directors or CEOs nominate candidates through a structured application process.

The business model is non-commercial: all program costs are underwritten by the New York Community Trust, making the fellowship effectively free for accepted participants, who only cover travel expenses. The program operates with a small core staff of 8 employees, drawing on Baruch faculty and volunteer mentors for instruction and guidance. Since inception, the program has produced 600+ graduates representing 250+ nonprofit organizations across New York City, Long Island, and Westchester. Distribution runs through the NYCT grantee network, the program website, email newsletters, and organic social channels, with no paid acquisition.

Name

Leadership Fellows at The Trust

Legal name

Leadership Fellows at The Trust

Website

https://leadershipfellows.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Leadership Fellows at The Trust is a non-profit fellowship program, established in 2015 by the New York Community Trust with Baruch College, that trains mid-career nonprofit professionals from NYC-area grantee organizations through a 12-week cohort-based curriculum, producing 600+ alumni from 250+ organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Leadership Development / Executive Education

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Executive Leadership & C-Suite Development (EDABAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Team & Group Executive Coaching (Leadership Teams) (EDABANAF)

Keywords

• Nonprofit leadership development
• Executive education program
• Professional fellowship training
• Management skills training
• Capacity building programs

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Fellowship Program Funding: All costs associated with the fellowship are underwritten by the New York Community Trust. The program is effectively free for applicants, with accepted fellows only covering their own travel costs to and from sessions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Leadership Fellows at The Trust runs a 12-week leadership development fellowship for mid-career nonprofit professionals, delivered through 12 class sessions taught by Baruch College Marxe School faculty and experienced practitioners, plus 4 Dean's Dinners, individual mentorship, and a change project. Approximately 50 fellows are equipped per cohort, with two cohorts (spring and fall) per year, and accepted fellows can apply for 3 academic credits toward a Baruch Marxe School degree program.

Product overview

Leadership Fellows at The Trust is a single, unified leadership development fellowship program for mid-career nonprofit professionals, established by the New York Community Trust in 2015 and delivered in partnership with the Austin W. Marxe School of Public and International Affairs at Baruch College. The program centers on a 12-session curriculum taught by Baruch faculty and experienced nonprofit practitioners, complemented by 4 Dean's Dinners with sector and government leaders, individual mentorship, and a change project. Completing fellows may receive 3 academic credits applicable to Baruch degree programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Leadership Fellows at The Trust Fellowship Program A 12-week leadership development fellowship for mid-career nonprofit professionals, comprising 12 class sessions taught by Austin W. Marxe School faculty and experienced practitioners, 4 Dean's Dinners with sector and government leaders, individual mentorship, and a change project. Each cohort enrolls approximately 50 fellows, with two cohorts per year (spring and fall). Fellows accepted into a Baruch Marxe School degree program receive 3 academic credits. The fellowship is offered free to accepted participants, with costs underwritten by the New York Community Trust.

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Austin W. Marxe School of Public and International Affairs at Baruch CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Academic partner providing distinguished faculty for teaching 12 class sessions per cohort, hosting Dean's Dinners, and offering 3 academic credits for program graduates who enroll in degree programs. The Center for Nonprofit Strategy and Management partners on Leadership Conversations.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• National Council of Nonprofits: National network of nonprofit organizations providing advocacy, training, and capacity-building resources to strengthen the nonprofit sector. Comparable mission of sector-wide nonprofit leadership and organizational capacity development.
• Fund the People: National initiative focused on investment in nonprofit workforce and leadership development infrastructure. Comparable as an ecosystem-level advocate and practitioner in nonprofit leadership pipeline building, with similar funder-facing positioning.
• CompassPoint Nonprofit Services: Provides executive coaching, management training, and leadership development specifically for nonprofit leaders, with a strong focus on serving executive directors and emerging leaders. Directly comparable in target audience (nonprofit managers) and core offering (cohort-based leadership training).
• BoardSource: National nonprofit leadership organization focused on strengthening nonprofit governance and executive leadership through training, consulting, and peer learning. Comparable as a capacity-building intermediary serving the nonprofit leadership pipeline.
• The Management Center: Delivers management and leadership training, coaching, and consulting to nonprofit executives and managers nationwide. Highly comparable mission and methodology to Leadership Fellows, with a similar focus on building practical management skills for social-sector leaders.
• American Express Nonprofit Leadership Academy: Corporate-funded cohort-based leadership development program for senior nonprofit executives. Closely comparable model: corporate/foundation funding, multi-session curriculum, peer cohort structure, and targeting of established nonprofit leaders.

Broad incumbents

• Center for Creative Leadership: Global leadership development provider offering executive education, coaching, and research across sectors. Comparable in delivering structured leadership training, but CCL is broader (serves all sectors) and larger scale than the sector-specific Leadership Fellows program.
• The Bridgespan Group: Management consulting firm focused on the nonprofit and philanthropic sector; their research on nonprofit executive transitions was cited as a founding rationale for Leadership Fellows. Adjacent rather than directly competing, as Bridgespan primarily consults to nonprofits and foundations rather than training individual leaders.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/leadershipfellows

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Leadership Fellows at The Trust