This month marked National Nonprofit Day (Aug. 17) – a day to recognize and appreciate the vital work of nonprofit organizations and the impact they have on communities. This year, the Cisneros Institute is reflecting on our partnership with NALCAB, the National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders, to develop and deliver tailored executive leadership training.
When NALCAB’s LEAD Fellows first arrive at The George Washington University’s Foggy Bottom Campus in Washington, D.C. to participate in an intensive leadership training with the Cisneros Institute, Executive Director Dr. Elizabeth Vaquera, kicks off the week by saying : “I know it will be difficult, but I encourage you to step away from your day-to-day responsibilities as much as you can, and really dedicate this week to being a student.”
This is no simple ask for nonprofit executives whose work includes everything from strategic planning to daily operations to fundraising to board and staff management, all while uplifting their missions. Despite this reality, for Silvia Castro Bennett, President and CEO of Suazo Business Center and 2025 LEAD Fellow, going “back to school” was a worthwhile investment in the why behind the work she does: “this was a strategic opportunity to grow - not just myself as a leader, but also to help my organization become a stronger, more grounded and intentional changemaker in our area.”
This belief in the value of personal and leadership development as a means for building organizational capacity and making a real impact on communities is what defines the LEAD Fellowship and the Cisneros Institute’s ongoing partnership with NALCAB.
A Unique Partnership
The Cisneros Institute works with nonprofit partners to create and implement leadership and professional development programs grounded in academic research and customized to best practices for their organizations. The Cisneros Institute began its partnership with NALCAB in 2022 when they announced they were seeking a university partner as they prepared to launch the LEAD Fellowship, a 15-month fellowship for Presidents, CEOs, and Executive Directors of member organizations focused on economic asset building.
“In their RFP, NALCAB was searching for a partner to bring together leadership theory, personal assessment and development, and a systematic understanding of the contexts that define the work of nonprofits in their network. We knew immediately that we were uniquely situated to build out a wonderful partnership,” notes Dr. Vaquera.
Both organizations worked closely together to design a customized, academically-grounded executive training intensive that would equip participants with the foundations they would continue to build from over the course of the fellowship. Since then, two cohorts of nonprofit executives have completed the program with the most recent group of fellows visiting GW’s campus in June 2025.
During their time with the Cisneros Institute, LEAD Fellows spend eight hours a day immersing themselves in lectures, activities, and assessments. Time with the program leads - Dr. Elizabeth Vaquera, Trey Johnston, and Dr. Janice Shack-Márquez - includes everything from unpacking the assumptions behind major leadership theories and styles to analyzing Census data to assessing emotional intelligence and intergenerational communication. Additionally, the Cisneros Institute draws on the opportunities of the nation’s capital to organize unique opportunities like private visits with the Smithsonian Institution and government leaders.
Silvia Castro Bennett reflects, “What set this program apart was its intentional grounding in both academic and lived experiences... blending theory, research, and practical application felt tailored for my community.” This “pracademic” (practical + academic) model defines the Cisneros Institute’s approach to leadership development across all their programming.
Deputy Director Trey Johnston, who led the design of the program and serves as an instructor, adds that another important aspect of the program is that it isn’t prescriptive: “There is no one magical approach to leadership that fits every single scenario. Rather, we believe that the most valuable thing we can help leaders do is to build a toolbox of strategies and resources that they can critically assess and pull from to address whatever needs occur.”
The Power of Community
The LEAD fellowship brings together participants in a cohort model where they can share and learn from one another, an all-too-rare opportunity for many nonprofit executives. For Silvia, her time in DC with the Cisneros Institute collaborating with like-minded leaders reenergized her. She says, “Being surrounded by a cohort of brilliant, committed Latino leaders created a sense of belonging that seems lacking in many areas of our experience these days.”
In the classroom, participants regularly share their own experiences and open up to one another about what has worked in their organizations, as well as the hard lessons they’ve learned along the way. This has resulted in a tight-knit community of alumni that remain connected personally and professionally.
Since the start of NALCAB and the Cisneros Institute’s collaboration in 2023, nonprofit leaders from 13 states and Washington, D.C. have completed the intensive at GW, using their learnings to expand the impact of their organizations.
As the Cisneros Institute celebrates National Nonprofit Day, we’d like to thank our friends at NALCAB for their ongoing trust, partnership, and commitment to further developing nonprofit leaders across the country. We look forward to continuing our work together in the coming years.