Leadership and Entrepreneurial Apprenticeship Development Program (LEAD)

This is an educational program designed to provide undergraduate, masters or law students or rising nonprofit staff with hands-on experience in nonprofit businesses, career possibilities, and opportunities. At the same time, the Apprentices add value by lending their expertise and business skills to reservation-based nonprofit organizations who receive access to highly motivated American Indian students or professionals who can offer business planning, budgeting, feasibility planning, marketing, and grant-writing, etc.

LEAD program will: 1) encourage Native college and university students to become the future leaders of reservation-based nonprofits; 2) build the resources of existing leaders in the Native nonprofit sector; and 3) support Native nonprofits that are working to build leadership capacity in rural and reservation-based communities.

Apprentices may either apply along with a Mentor with whom they are not currently employed or choose to be paired with a Mentor from a slate of Host organizations which will be selected under a separate application process.

Candidates must have demonstrated leadership potential and a commitment to pursue a career in the Native nonprofit sector, and must meet the following criteria:
* Three years, full-time work experience that includes management of people and/or projects,
as well as an applied understanding of fundraising, finance and technology;
* Be affiliated with an Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, or American Indian Tribe;
* Be clearly focused on community change through leadership development;
* Possess specific career goals and objectives, and a desire to periodically self-reflect and assess
progress and lessons learned.