On October 6, sessions will begin for JVA’s fifth Executive Director Academy (EDA). Started in 2007, EDA has helped nonprofit leaders from across the region and the country develop the abilities needed to succeed as an executive director. The seven-week intensive course focuses on areas that are integral to the role of executive director—management, leadership, governance, strategic planning, fundraising, finances, marketing, grantwriting, evaluation and more.

Classes will be held from 3–6 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays at JVA’s Denver headquarters. Each class will be recorded so that if an EDA student is not able to attend a session, the student can still access the material that was covered.

“JVA made it incredibly convenient to take these classes and to make it happen in your world,” said Pauline Alighieri, president of Friends of Mel Foundation and a 2008 EDA graduate.

JVA will provide EDA students with a workbook that contains more than 300 pages of resources, tools, objectives and templates. Along with these materials, EDA offers the opportunity to develop a network with other leaders from the nonprofit community.

For new executive directors, people who are planning to move into an executive director position and those who are transitioning from the private sector to the nonprofit sector, EDA is the chance to learn from experts who know what works.

“It’s not just a 13-class course,” said Melia Heimbuck, executive director of Credit Union Foundation and a 2008 EDA graduate. “It’s something you take with you as long as you’re in nonprofits.”

To register for EDA, visit www.jvaconsulting.com/EDA.

To hear what other have to say about EDA, listen to the testimonials below.