The nonprofit Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute has helped polish the skills of more than 2,000 area professionals who now, as alumni, are serving at least 280 other nonprofits in the area. The institute and its programs have become a mainstay for professionals on the rise here, but the nonprofit organization now wants to make its programs — such as the Community Leadership Program, Community Connect and the Calibrate Leadership Series — better reflect the diversity in the community. 

Many of you know the Community Leadership Program, which enrolls 50 participants each year, chosen from a field of applicants that is two to three times that size. Community Connect is a mentoring program. Calibrate stages seminars to explore important topics. The institute also runs an awards program. 

In the past three years, there has been a fair amount of introspection after the organization noticed the classrooms and community projects the classes take on weren’t as inclusive as they would expect. A committee was formed, now led by Bridget Cravens-Neely, a Community Leadership alum and business consultant at Nationwide and co-owner of Bottle & Bottega — Des Moines.

We are taking action,” Cravens-Neely said. “We want the leadership institute to have that appearance of ‘I see you, I see your value, and I welcome you.’” 
 
Class project chairwoman Brianne Fitzgerald said the organization faced the same issues many of us do in our own organizations. “It’s been eye-opening how many barriers to entry, so to speak, we kind of unintentionally put out there,” she said. “Now we are eliminating those, so it’s working.” 

Amy Jennings, institute executive director, said, “We recognized that there were voices from our community that weren’t regularly represented,” Jennings said. “We always want to be teaching and modeling the right thing to do. The right thing is that everyone thrives, and that all voices are heard.”

The drive for more inclusion comes as the institute pushes to boost the current limit of 50 Community Leadership Program members higher, because up to 150 apply each year. At the same time, volunteers are reaching out to alumni to help discuss how to encourage more diversity. There are plans to contact key organizations and publications in various communities with diversity based on race, income levels, sexual orientation, disabilities, and other factors. 

An important point: The idea is to encourage more diversity among applicants, but the applications are scored blindly. Judges do not know the names or demographics of the applicants being considered, Jennings said.

In the past two years, the percentage Community Leadership Program participants who are people of color or born outside of the United States grew from 12 percent to 18 percent; Community Connect grew from 17 percent to 24 percent in the same category. The Des Moines area is 81 percent white, the U.S. Census reports. 

The Community Leadership Program spans nine months a session, with full-afternoon class sessions once every three weeks and hours of volunteer work on specific nonprofit projects. A mentoring program, Community Connect, helps another 30 professionals. 

Board Chairman Sam Early, actuary at Principal Financial Group, said each of the past several classes, including the one about to be announced, has been more inclusive, Early said.

“The last couple of years we’ve done better with our diversity in the class. Our whole volunteer network is alums of the class, so we have increased diversity on our volunteer committee. So the curriculum committee is more representative of the community, which leads to a better curriculum. That brings a better network of people who can come and speak to the class.” 

The institute focuses on central skills identified by the late A. Arthur Davis, a community leader and former Des Moines mayor, and by the Capital Crossroads visioning effort. A new mission statement says the goal is “to develop, connect, inspire and challenge community champions through life-changing leadership experiences.” Its vision is “a thriving community for all, served by an endless source of civic stewards.” 

The institute formed in 1982, the result of a committee Davis started among local chambers of commerce in 1979 to address community needs. The first two classes lasted two years each. 

Jennings said the institute is refocusing on Davis’ vision that participants would “learn together, dream together and act together.”

The institute also has changed the nomination process. Previously, only alumni could nominate people for the program. Now, you can nominate yourself, anyone in the community can nominate someone and alumni can make nominations.  An application workshop was added so that candidates can make sure they are promoting themselves properly. Some people were having good phone interviews but not backing that up with a print application.

“Depending on the community you are talking to,  it may be part of their cultural practice not to brag on themselves,” said Cravens-Neely. “We tell people to brag. Brag on yourself all day long.”

There is a fee for the program but scholarship are available. 
Details are at www.gdmli.com