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Next Generation Leadership Campaign

 

The National Conservation Foundation (NCF), in partnership with the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD), launched a campaign on Oct. 1, 2018, to develop the next generation of conservation leaders. On Monday, Feb. 4, 2019, NCF Chairman Steve Robinson announced the launch of the Next Generation Leadership Institute at NACD’s 73rd Annual Meeting.

The NCF Next Generation Leadership Campaign seeks to create an endowed fund to cultivate future leaders of the conservation district community through leadership development, training and ongoing engagement with next generation leaders. Contributions made to the campaign of up to $100,000 will be matched dollar for dollar by a generous benefactor.

The Next Generation Leadership Campaign supports NCF’s mission of developing the next generation of conservation leaders. Campaign contributions will support a program that will provide future generations of leaders with the training and resources needed to provide effective leadership to advance locally-led natural resource conservation.

We must develop tomorrow’s leaders today to build on NACD’s proud legacy of locally-led, working lands conservation. By raising awareness of this need, building support, and providing the right training and resources through leadership development, conservation delivery will be stronger now and in the future.

The program will be officially launched at the 2019 NACD Annual Meeting in February and will provide:

  • An advisory committee to help design program outcomes
  • Trainings, meetings and webinars for leadership participants
  • Face-to-face opportunities for leadership participants at NACD meetings

What do individuals or conservation districts get out of donating to the Next Generation Leadership Campaign?

Donations go toward an endowment fund through the National Conservation Foundation (NCF). The Foundation Board is committed to growing this fund and utilizing the revenue received from donations for program expenses. Conservation districts will benefit from this campaign through a national leadership program that will provide access to webinars and electronically-shared leadership content. In the future, there may be other ways to engage local conservation district leaders through region meetings, state meetings and more in-person networking interactions.

Who is this campaign trying to reach?

Emerging leaders within the locally-led conservation district movement. The inaugural class of participants will be identified in the coming months, however, the campaign is geared toward supporting emerging leaders within local conservation districts, state associations and NACD.

This campaign has a vision meant to look ahead to the next five years, ten years and beyond to distinguish who will lead local conservation districts, state associations and NACD into the future.

Is there a specific “plan of action” or “road map” to reach a desired goal?

The official program will launch in 2019 at NACD’s Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas.

The program will provide:

  • An advisory committee to help design program outcomes
  • Trainings, meetings and webinars for leadership participants
  • Face-to-face opportunities for leadership participants at NACD meetings
  • Additional program opportunities to be determined

What are the deliverables and measurable milestones?

Deliverables and measurable milestones in the first year will include producing an inaugural class of national participants; completion of training opportunities; and exposure to national conservation partnership programs and initiatives, including an in-person training of select emerging leaders at events such as the annual Spring Fly-In in Washington, D.C., or NACD’s Annual and Summer Meetings. Potential training topics could include conservation district origins and history, national conservation partnership, personal leadership, media outreach, conflict resolution, diversity, fundraising, grassroots advocacy and policy, board governance, nonprofit management and recruitment.

What are the desired outcomes?

This campaign seeks to cultivate the next generation of conservation leaders within local conservation districts, state associations and NACD to be strong advocates for locally-led conservation. Anticipated outcomes include development of increased leadership capacity, strategies and competencies for local, state and national leaders, personal growth among program participants and opportunities for applied learning.

 

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