Shared Leadership Models: implementing approaches to enhance nonprofit resiliency and impact
Wednesday, August 27, 2025
9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Virtual Workshop via Zoom
Individual Members: Free to Attend
Organizational Members: Free to Attend
Non-Members: $55
About this event
As the scope and intensity of nonprofit leadership roles continue to grow, our sector faces increasing challenges of burn-out, leadership turnover and diminished effectiveness. One strategy some organizations have turned to is “shared leadership.” This approach seeks to distribute responsibility for steering the organization among a team of two (or more) leaders. The rewards can be great, but intentionally establishing roles, communication and trust-building are critical. In this workshop we will explore several models for shared leadership, how organizations might approach adopting and implementing such models, as well as case studies of organizations that have successfully transitioned to this approach.
Learning Outcomes:
This workshop will blend theory with practical strategies, giving nonprofit leaders the knowledge and tools to integrate shared leadership models into their organizations successfully.
- Understand the principles and benefits of adopting a shared leadership model.
- Learn practical tools for implementing shared leadership structures.
- Identify strategies to promote collaboration, trust, and accountability in shared leadership teams.
- Develop a draft action plan to incorporate shared leadership principles or models into your nonprofit.
Workshop Audience:
Nonprofit leaders, executive directors, senior managers, and board members.
Faculty
Kristen Caloca
Kristen Caloca is the founder and CEO of KMC Social Impact Strategies, which supports mission-minded organizations in advancing impact for stronger, healthier communities through strategic communications.
For nearly two decades, Kristen has advised national, state, and local social impact organizations in the public, private, and philanthropic sectors on using strategic communications as a lever for change.
Her expertise includes public affairs and advocacy, narrative change, media relations, crisis communications, internal communications, integrated marketing campaigns, and community engagement. She has also coached organizations through building and strengthening their internal communications capacity with strategic counsel and bespoke trainings.
Kristen is a highly skilled crisis communications counselor. She advises executives from small nonprofits to large organizations and government agencies. She has deep experience navigating issues alongside leaders and their legal counsel to manage threats and minimize risk while championing transparency to support brand trust and reputation. Her crisis experience includes developing communications and community engagement strategies in response to class action lawsuits and leading through significant brand reputation threats from law enforcement investigations to personnel misconduct and more.
Before launching her consultancy, Kristen was a leader at Cause Communications, a nonprofit in Los Angeles that helped other nonprofits use communications to advance social change. She was also a senior leader at international public affairs firm Mercury, where she worked alongside former Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and former California State Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez.
She received her BA in Communications with a concentration in Public Relations from Cal State Fullerton and is an alumna of Coro Southern California’s Executive Leadership Network program.