Chat with AGB Board BotBuild the leadership capacity of your foundation.
January–May 2027 | Washington, DC + Online
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Having a “ready-to-go” succession plan in the event of interruptions in foundation staff leadership is among the shared responsibilities of a foundation CEO and a foundation board. The role of a foundation CEO requires a wide range of skills and capacities. Becoming a foundation CEO entails a transition from leading a functional team to leading a complex enterprise with responsibility for setting strategy, fostering organizational culture, overseeing HR, finance, operations, and investments, and working with and potentially reporting to not only a volunteer board but the president of the affiliated institution.
The AGB Foundation Leadership Academy prepares prospective foundation CEOs to make that transition.
This five-month executive development experience provides aspiring CEOs with an opportunity to learn from seasoned foundation chief executives, benefit from individual mentoring, engage in candid conversations about the full spectrum of issues for which a foundation CEO may be responsible, and build relationships with a select cohort of peers from other foundations. The program will also include a structured process to help participants assess their readiness to assume the CEO role, identify opportunities for professional growth, evaluate possible career moves, and develop a playbook to excel in the CEO role when the right opportunity presents itself.
January–May 2027 | Washington, DC + Online
The Leadership Academy will include in-person cohort meetings at the 2027 AGB Foundation Leadership Forum in Washington, DC, six online sessions, one-on-one mentoring sessions, and a capstone workshop in Washington, DC, in May.
Tuition
$8,750
Inclusive of registration for the 2027 AGB Foundation Leadership Forum. The registration fee does not include travel or hotel accommodation. Participation in the Leadership Academy will be limited to small cohort.
Is the CEO Role in Your Future?
The Academy is designed to prepare accomplished foundation and advancement professionals to assume a foundation CEO role.
Participants will leave better prepared to:
- Assess their readiness for CEO leadership and close critical experience gaps.
- Lead across strategy, finance, operations, talent, governance, and risk.
- Build strong partnerships with their board and university leadership.
- Enter the CEO role with a practical 90/180-day plan.
- Evaluate professional opportunities and recognize potential red flags.
- Navigate the search, interview, due diligence, and negotiation process.
Boards shouldn’t wait until they have an interruption in staff leadership to cultivate interim or next-generation leadership. And aspiring foundation CEOs don’t need to be taken by surprise in the CEO role. This academy will position them for success in future leadership roles either at their current foundation or at another institution.
The Academy Program
I. Understand the Role | January 24–26 | Washington, DC, in conjunction with the AGB Foundation Leadership Forum
The Role of the Foundation CEO | January 24, 2027 | 10:00 AM–12:30 PM
Explore foundation structures, CEO authority and reporting relationships, the partnership among the CEO, board chair, and university president, and the shift from functional leader to enterprise leader.
You’ll also begin learning how to evaluate foundations you may someday consider leading.
2027 AGB Foundation Leadership Forum | January 24–26
Academy tuition includes registration for the AGB Foundation Leadership Forum.
Use the Forum to deepen your knowledge of the profession, connect with established foundation leaders, and intentionally expand your peer network.
The Search and Hiring Process | January 26 | 12:30–3:30 PM
Learn what boards look for in a CEO and what candidates should look for in a foundation.
Explore due diligence, interview strategy, red flags, compensation, contracts, organizational support, and the questions to ask before accepting a CEO role.
II. Build Your CEO Capabilities | Six Live Online Leadership Sessions | February–April
All sessions: 2:00–3:30 PM ET
Becoming an Enterprise Leader | February 16
Assess how your leadership must evolve when the entire organization becomes your responsibility. Develop insights into establishing strategic priorities, delegation, risk management, team leadership, and partnering in leadership with a board.
Aligning Staff, Board, and Institution Partners | March 2
Learn how CEOs foster alignment around vision, strategy, culture, performance, and partnership among the foundation, board, and institution.
Understanding the Enterprise | March 16
Build working knowledge of the core functions a foundation CEO oversees, including finance, legal, investments, technology, HR, communications, fundraising, and entrepreneurial ventures.
Working with a Board | March 30
Explore board composition, committees, meeting design, role clarity, fiduciary responsibilities, succession, and the CEO-board chair relationship.
Challenges, Compliance, and Red Flags | April 13
Work through recurring issues foundation CEOs face, including organizational independence, leadership turnover, stewardship of gifts and donors, endowment management, and legal issues.
Building Your CEO Transition Playbook | April 27
Develop your approach to the first 90 and 180 days of a CEO role, including key relationships, organizational assessment, priorities, communications, and early leadership decisions.
III. Prepare to Step into the Role | In-person Capstone Experience May 18-19 | Washington, DC
The Landscape of Public Higher Education and Advancement | May 18 | 1:30–4:30 PM
Engage with higher education and policy leaders about the forces shaping public higher education, philanthropy, and the work of foundations.
Cohort Dinner | May 18 | 6:00–8:30 PM
CEO Transition Playbook Review | May 19 | 8:00 AM–12:00 PM
Bring together everything you’ve learned in a working session with AGB leaders and consultants.
Your Foundation CEO Transition Playbook will address:
- Leadership strengths and development priorities
- Due diligence for prospective CEO opportunities
- Your first 90/180-day action plan
- Strategic priorities for your first year
- Board and organizational alignment
- Early leadership moves that can set the tone for your tenure
You’ll leave with a resource designed for the day the CEO opportunity becomes real.
A Small Cohort. Exceptional Access. A Highly Personal Experience.
The Academy is intentionally limited to a small group of select participants, creating space for candid conversation, individual attention, and meaningful relationships. You’ll learn directly from seasoned foundation CEOs, foundation board leaders, AGB senior fellows and consultants, and higher education and policy experts—leaders who can share firsthand perspectives on what it takes to pursue, secure, and succeed in a foundation CEO role.
You’ll also receive two confidential, one-on-one coaching sessions with seasoned foundation CEOs and build a close network with other rising leaders who share your ambition.
If becoming a foundation CEO is part of your future, prepare before the opportunity arrives.
