LT Project LEAD
Your Path to Board Leadership Starts Here.
Project LEAD, United Way of King County’s nonprofit board training program for people of color, is beginning an exciting new chapter—now proudly housed at Leadership Tomorrow. We’re honored to continue Project LEAD’s powerful legacy of preparing diverse leaders to serve and shape our community.
LT Project LEAD—which stands for Leadership, Effectiveness, and Diversity—is a board training program designed for equity-centered, skilled, and passionate Black, Indigenous, and other people of color. The program equips participants with the tools, knowledge, and confidence to step into nonprofit board service and make a lasting impact.
Priority Deadline: December 19, 2025, before 11:59 p.m. PST
Final Deadline (if space allows): January 16, 2026, before 11:59 p.m. PST
There is a nonrefundable $25 application fee. If this fee is a barrier and your income is below $70,000, please email elizabeth@leadershiptomorrowseattle.org to request a scholarship before submitting your application.
How You’ll Grow:
Deepen Your Nonprofit Expertise: Gain a strong understanding of the nonprofit sector — its landscape, challenges, and opportunities.
Practice Board Leadership: Put your learning into action through mock board exercises. You’ll also fundraise $250 for LT Project LEAD, experiencing firsthand how fundraising supports mission-driven organizations.
Develop a Practical Board Toolkit: Build confidence in your ability to serve on a board. Learn about board structures, roles and responsibilities, financial oversight, fundraising expectations, and the legal duties and liabilities of board members.
Strengthen Core Leadership Skills: Cultivate habits of clarity, reflection, and collaboration. Develop the ability to think creatively and strategically, make informed decisions, and work effectively with diverse perspectives.
Join a Vibrant Leadership Network: Connect with a growing community of leaders from all sectors and backgrounds. Through Leadership Tomorrow’s extensive alumni network, you’ll find opportunities for collaboration, mentorship, and lasting relationships that extend well beyond the program.
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We anticipate a cohort of 40-45 leaders. Due to the critical community need for representation of BIPOC individuals at the board level, LT Project LEAD is open only to those who identify as BIPOC. We look for candidates who demonstrate:
Previous and current volunteer service at a significant personal or community level.
Demonstrated experience and success working as part of a team — at work, in the community, or elsewhere.
A strong interest in the curriculum and commitment to the program.
Curiosity and willingness to explore other viewpoints.
Demonstrated readiness for board service. Please review “Are You Ready to be a Board Member?”
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Tuition for LT Project LEAD is tiered to encourage broad participation and reflect our commitment to equity and access. We strongly encourage participants to seek employer sponsorship, as many organizations are willing to invest in their employees’ leadership development. Tuition is due once you are accepted into the program.
The standard tuition is $600, with reduced rates available based on income:
Tier 1: $600 – For individuals or households earning over $110,000 annually
Tier 2: $400 – For household incomes between $70,000 and $109,999
Tier 3: $200 – For household incomes below $70,000.
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Due to the amount of information covered during each session, it is of the utmost importance that participants arrive prepared, on time, and remain for the entire session. Please review the class dates carefully to ensure that you are available to participate in ALL sessions. The program schedule is available here.
Wednesday, March 4, 2026, 6:00 p.m.- 8:00 p.m. | Location: LT Office
The Nonprofit Landscape and Issues Facing Nonprofit Organizations & Program OrientationSaturday, March 7, 2026, 8:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. | Location: LT Office
Board Operations and Protocol & Collaboration and Conflict ResolutionWednesday, March 11, 2026, 6:00 p.m.- 8:30 p.m. | Location: LT Office
Stand by Your Mission: The Board’s Role in AdvocacySaturday, March 14, 2026, 8:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. | Location: LT Office
Fiscal Management: What Board Members Must Know & Strategic Fundraising with a Racial Equity LensWednesday, March 18, 2026, 5:30 p.m.- 8:30 p.m. | Location: LT Office
Managing Risk: The Legal Implications of Board ServiceSaturday, March 21, 2026, 8:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. | Location: LT Office
Building the Airplane as You Fly It: Creating Bold Strategy in Your Organization & Equity Leadership: How to Get your Board to Do the Right ThingWednesday, March 25, 2026, 6:00 p.m.- 8:30 p.m. | Location: LT Office
Making the Connection: Learning from ExperienceTBD Date (We are considering Saturday, March 28, 2026 or Wednesday, April 1, 2026 5:30 p.m.- 8:30 p.m.) | Location: TBD
Board Networking Fair & Graduation -
Participants are expected to:
Attend and actively participate in ALL program sessions to ensure consistent learning experience for all participants.
Honor the program expectation to serve on a board and/or committee of your choice following completion of the program.
As part of the learning experience, participants will fundraise $250 for LT Project LEAD. LT will provide tools and resources to support participants in their fundraising efforts.
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Priority deadline is December 19, 2025.
To ensure program excellence and a positive experience for all participants, selection is based on a competitive screening process. After submitting an application, eligible applicants will be contacted for a brief phone interview. Applicants not selected to move forward will be notified via email.
LT Project LEAD Testimonials:
“Project LEAD was a profound experience. I gained practical skills that I’ve been able to integrate as I serve on the board of a nonprofit, started my own, and continue to actively engage and support causes that I deeply believe in.”
“Project LEAD is an amazing opportunity to grow my knowledge of how to be a responsible and effective leader in my community. It is also a great way to meet like-minded people that want to help their communities as much as I do.”
“Project LEAD has been so instrumental in my personal journey on so many levels from connecting with someone with whom I share my nationality, a rarity for me, to connecting with some brilliant people from all spectrums of the profit, nonprofit and public sectors. I can honestly say I left with much more than I brought.”
Project LEAD Sponsors
