Nobody hands you a all-in-one manual when you become an executive director.

This week alone, you’ve been the fundraiser, the HR department, the board's partner, the financial steward, and the person who unlocked the supply closet when the key went missing. Nobody trains you for all of it at once and when something goes sideways, there's rarely anyone in the building who actually understands what it's like.

A cohort for first-time Executive Directors

An 8-month cohort designed for first-time nonprofit executive directors of any tenure and any organization size.

You didn't take this job because you wanted notoriety. You took it because you cared more than anyone else in the room. Now you're the one everyone looks to, and no one prepared you for it. If you've asked yourself any of these in the last six months, you're exactly who this is for.

the questions you’re sitting with

Am I cut out for this?

What do I actually control here — and what was broken before I walked in?

How do I stop confusing "the org needs this" with "I have to be the one who does it"?

Am I failing, or is this job structurally impossible the way it's currently built?

What does it actually look like to build something here that outlasts me?

Let's name something plainly: the nonprofit sector runs on women's leadership and consistently under-resources it. However you got here — you built it, you were hired in from outside, the board came looking for you specifically — no one handed you a runway that matched the weight of the seat. You are expected to be endlessly available, endlessly warm, and endlessly composed, and when you set a boundary, it reads to some boards as a character problem instead of a basic operating requirement.

None of that is a reflection of your capability.

It's the structure you inherited.

The Foundation is not a space to process that quietly and move on. It's a room full of women who are also carrying it, working alongside someone who's carried it too — and who built real tools instead of just naming the problem and calling it a day.

  • You're in your first Executive Director role

  • You lead a nonprofit where you're often the ED, the ops team, and the fundraiser all at once

  • You've had at least one moment this year where you thought "no one told me this would be this hard"

  • You want peers who understand your job, not a coach who's never done it

  • You're tired of "self-care" being the answer to problems that are actually structural

is for you if:

  • You want a support group. This is a working cohort. You'll leave with tools, not just validation.

  • You're looking for someone to tell you it's not your fault and stop there. We name the structural problem and build the infrastructure to work inside it.

  • You already have all the answers. The cohort works because people are honest about what they don't know yet, not because everyone in the room is right.

  • You need this to be anonymous. This cohort will require vulnerability. That's the point.

is NOT for you if:

Sign Up

What You’ll Learn

Congrats! You now have 15 bosses! Turn your board into a functioning team, not a monthly performance.

board dynamics

Build a donor strategy that doesn't rely on you doing it all, alone, every year.

fundraising fundamentals

financial literacy

The numbers that run the org, finally making sense.

Boundaries & Burnout Prevention

Structure your role so sustainability isn't something you have to fight for.

staff & culture

Lead your team with clarity and care, without losing yourself in the process.

Learn how to communicate with clarity, confidence, and purpose. This course explores active listening, tone, body language, and message delivery for stronger, more impactful connections.

succession thinking

Build something with intention that outlasts you.

Meet Your guide

liz mayfield

Founder & CEO of Briga Collective & former executive director

I know what it's like to be the most senior person in the room and still have no idea what you're doing half the time. That's not a personal failing. That's what happens when the sector hands people executive authority without executive infrastructure.

Briga Collective exists to close that gap — through interim leadership, governance training, and cohorts like this one, built for the people doing the job right now.

Learn More

investment

  • 8 monthly half-day cohort sessions (virtual)

  • 8 monthly 1:1 coaching sessions with Liz directly

  • Access to The Forge Library — a shared resource of templates, checklists, and policy starters organized by pillar

  • A peer network that outlasts the 8 months

$2500

Sign Up

You weren't supposed to figure this out alone.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • No. It's a working cohort. You'll leave every session with something to use, not just something to feel.

  • That's your call. Many EDs frame this as professional development — because it is.

  • Yes. You can split the $2,500 into monthly installments over the length of the cohort instead of paying up front — reach out and we'll set up what works for your budget.

  • A deposit secures your spot once you're accepted; the remaining balance follows your chosen payment plan. Seats are limited to 8, so applying early matters more than paying in full up front.