What We Do

Leadership Development

Whenever I see success, whether it is a successful project, an effective policy, or a well-run NGO, I can trace it back to a strong leader. 

UNF, Executive Director of Women and Population, Tamara Kreinin

Who We Are

By an overwhelming majority, Action Fund donors chose to support Leadership Development in the third funding cycle of WDN's Action Fund. The goal of the third Action Fund will be to help position women’s leadership as an integral part of the infrastructure of the progressive movement.

The Leadership Education Circle will provide members with the opportunity for in-depth learning and discussion as we examine different leadership models, issues and cutting-edge approaches to advancing women's leadership, as well as challenges and opportunities in the field. This circle has a shorter and more specific timeline than most of WDN’s other educational circles, and our work is organized through a series of educational conference calls and one or two in-person meetings over the course of this year.  The lessons we glean from the Circle will guide us in designing the grantmaking process for Action Fund 3. The grant development process will begin in November 2008, and the grant will be awarded in spring 2009.

What We Do

Future programs include educational audio conferences around issues of women’s leadership such as:

• International Women’s Leadership, focusing on theoretical frameworks of leadership development, and specific examples of leadership development in practice in the international arena;
• Leadership training programs and their successes and challenges;
• How does leadership emerge? Where are the platforms for leadership?

The Leadership Education Circle reflects WDN’s key theme of Civic Participation and Progressive Infrastructure: Strengthening our democratic institutions and community-based organizations to ensure that all people have the capacity to actively engage in shaping the policies that impact their lives. This is one of our seven key areas of work and study.