"The chance to be with leaders of organizations of similar-sized budgets and working from a similar place has been really nice. As an ED, you’re in the middle of everything and also all alone."
Samantha Sencer-Mura, Executive Director, Mid-Continent Oceanographic Institute
"Sometimes being an executive director – and how I imagine it’s like being an artistic director – feels very lonely, especially in a small organization."
Dawn Bentley, Executive Director, Minnesota Fringe
"Even when you think that you are doing OK, it isn't until you go through the board development process that the full board has the opportunity to engage in active strategy and goal creation."
Linda Kvasnicka, Board Member, Old School Art Center
"It can be hard to prioritize board development when you've got programs to run and a grant application due by 4:00 pm on Friday. Working with Propel helped us take a vague notion that our board could be more engaged and effective, and helped us break it down into manageable chunks."
Allison Sharkey, Executive Director, Lake Street Council
"Getting involved in Propel’s trainings was one of the most crucial things for me as a new nonprofit leader."
Lisa Lassen, Executive Director, Itasca Life Options
"We’ve heard from patients that while medical expertise and technical skills of the provider are necessary, what really impacts patients’ experience of health and well-being is the relationship to the health care delivery overall and the experience each point along the way."
Alissa Light, Executive Director, Family Tree Clinic
"We’ve been training ourselves to think differently about how we save, manage debt in the most effective way, and plan for a surplus. It’s like moving from surviving to thriving… we have a different mindset, and the Equity Builder program has helped get us there."
Betsy Roder, Executive Director, New York Mills Regional Cultural Center
"For an organization like us still in a growth phase, if you don’t have support or the opportunity to apply for upfront loans like we were able to get from Propel, it can be hard to continue to grow."
Johnny Allen, Executive Director, JK Movement
"It was great to have Phil [Hatlie] actually drive up here, sit down with me, learn more about our organization, and really go to bat for us. That’s not something you always see in the world of finance."
Kristi Halvarson, Executive Director, Community Health Service Inc.