KRISTIN GEHRIS

“Deb is very empathetic and kind. She is somebody you can build a friendship with and really know she cares about you, your future, and the impact that you have within your community. She works with many people, but still cares about the individuals she works with. I enjoyed working with her and all the feedback we have from all of our agency leaders really value the experience of working with her as well.”

In working with their 30 partner agencies, The United Way of Berks County recognizes that professional development is one of the biggest challenges, especially when individuals have worked their way through an organization and move into a leadership role. The new leader may be great at the programmatic piece or working as a case manager, but running an organization is outside their current skillset.

Since many of these smaller nonprofits don’t have a budget for professional development to support their staff, United Way hired Deb to help them create a cohort training model to provide curriculum, resources, and connections for organization leaders who are new to their role.

“United Way believes that if an agency has a strong leader, it will make the organization stronger, which will make the community stronger. It’s really a win-win for us to be able to provide this investment and support these agency leaders,” explains Kristin.

To date, five leadership cohorts (approximately eight people in each one) have gone through the program, which includes both group coaching and one-on-one coaching with Deb. In addition to learning about budgeting, resources, and strategic planning, program participants have built a sub-network with other agency leaders that serves as a sounding board.

Post training surveys have consistently shown positive feedback on the cohort experience and Deb’s expert guidance. Participants enjoy the one-on-one coaching with Deb where they can work through challenges in a confidential, safe place.

“At one of our events, five or six individuals who were from the last cohort were sitting together. It was rewarding to see they really connected and that they are building those friendships outside of the coaching format. Now they have somebody to go to when going through a tough time or just to celebrate successes. This is more than just the training — we foster those relationships within our agency network.”