Turning Ideas Into Impact: How EIL-NP Transforms Non-Profit Leadership

A woman stands at the front of a classroom giving a presentation titled “Conversation Failures.” The slide on the screen reads, “What causes them? What can we do to prevent them?” Several people are seated at tables, listening attentively and taking notes. The presenter points toward the screen, and another smaller display on the side of the room shows the same slide. The setting appears to be a professional training or workshop, with “Interstates” branding visible on the screen.

Lisa Johnson, Project Manager | August 4, 2026

Excellence in Leadership for Non-Profits (EIL-NP) is a leadership program hosted by the Interstates Foundation, designed for non-profit leaders seeking to develop and improve their leadership skills. This free, two-day course provides nonprofit leaders with the opportunity to learn about topics such as Leadership Essentials, Communication, Feedback, and Personal Growth. In small-group settings, participants receive essential leadership strategies, tools, and resources to enhance their ability to serve their teams, organizations, and communities effectively. 

EIL-NP in Action

For the first time, the Omaha, NE, office hosted this annual event in April 2026, bringing together 11 leaders to learn, connect, and grow. We're celebrating another successful year with the expansion of EIL-NP into Omaha!

Bailey Brunner, Supply Chain Manager, who leads our EIL-NP cohort, reflects on the success of the recent Omaha cohort: 

What were some of the highlights/key takeaways from the Omaha cohort?

Seeing this program grow into the Omaha area and be a success in its first implementation has been a huge highlight. The attendees for this inaugural Omaha cohort were extremely participative and made the content being presented even more valuable as they bounced their own input and ideas off each other and with presenters. I think our presenters learned a little bit from the attendees as well.

The key takeaway for me has been how practical Excellence In Leadership is. Much of the feedback I’ve heard from leaders that attended in the spring is that they’ve already started implementing some of the practice into their own organizations and teams they work with, for example, the DISC assessment. They’ve seen and learned about DISC from other trainings, but the way we utilize it here at Interstates has been more practical and easily able to be used in their work and day-to-day lives.

How many organizations were represented?

There were 8 different Non-Profit Organizations represented out of 11 attendees. Organizations represented in this year’s first cohort were: Completely KIDS, The Wellbeing Partners, Omaha Public Schools, Youth Emergency Services, Boys & Girls Club of the Midlands, Omaha Pathways Community HUB, 50 Mile March, The Durham Museum. The connections made through this program have been beneficial for Interstates to find more ways to connect and serve the Omaha metro through the non-profit sector. We’re already starting to see more employee involvement with these organizations after the spring session concluded.

Several people in a conference room listening to a speaker.
The Interstates Foundation removes the financial barrier by providing high-quality leadership training at no cost to all attendees.

Lisa Johnson, Project Manager at Interstates, mentions the accomplishments of this program and shares how EIL-NP first came to fruition:

What inspired you to start EIL-NP?

Inspiration came from a few areas. It came partially from my experience working in a non-profit during a 2-year break from Interstates. At the same time I returned to Interstates, the Foundation was looking to grow the service project component of our giving. I remember sitting in a work area with Kristi Segar and Scott Peterson, brainstorming ideas, and one of us said, 'We should provide our leadership training for non-profit leaders.' And now, here we are!

What gap did you see in non-profit leadership development? 

A significant gap is related to accessibility and financial constraints. One can find several business leader training resources. However, non-profit budgets don't allow for travel and the associated fees. When a non-profit considers training for its employees who directly provide services versus training for leadership development, the priority is often given to service training. Interstates Foundation removes the financial barrier by offering leadership training at no cost to attendees. We're focused on our communities in the areas we serve.

How did you decide what topics or experiences would be part of the program? 

The topics covered in our training are the same as those in our internal Excellence in Leadership program. We include sessions in the areas of leading yourself, leading others, and leading operations to provide a well-rounded experience.

Four people stand together smiling behind a table in a classroom. In front of them is a tall spaghetti-and-tape tower topped with a marshmallow, part of a team-building activity.
Despite obstacles in the beginning, EIL-NP had its first cohort in the Fall of 2020 during the COVID pandemic. It was a team effort from the entire organization.

What were some of the first steps you took to get the program off the ground? 

Our earliest conversations date back to early 2019, when we began considering which topics to pull from our internal program and how the day would be structured. We sought input from employees regarding the organizations with which they were involved. We interviewed local non-profits, asking if they would find a program like this valuable. We looked internally for ideas and feedback from potential session facilitators. It has truly been a team effort from across the organization.

"EIL for Non-Profits ties directly to the Interstates Vision, Values, and Why. Providing non-profit leaders the opportunity to attend and participate in this leadership program allows them to utilize tools and resources to improve their organizations, which in turn positively affects the people their organizations serve."

Bailey Brunner, Interstates Foundation Board Member & Supply Chain Manager

How has the program evolved since it began? 

We take the feedback from our attendees very seriously and have used it to improve the program with each subsequent cohort. Our most significant changes were made early on to lengthen the program from one day to a two-day event, with about a month between sessions for participants to apply what they learned and report back to their cohort members as accountability. We added new topics, such as 'Issue Processing,' which is more of an operations-focused topic, as well as a 'Leader Q&A Session' where participants have access to executive-level leaders at Interstates in a forum to ask any leadership-related questions they may have.

The plan to expand the program to another area, such as Omaha, had always been a goal for the program. When we started, it seemed like a stretch to expand to a regional office. It was exciting to see that come to fruition and to have such a welcoming response from the Omaha non-profit market. 

What impact has EIL-NP had on participants or the non-profit community? 

My favorite part of the program now is reading the post-survey comments. I love knowing that attendees find this program impactful, even career-changing, as they step away from their day-to-day responsibilities and focus on developing their own leadership skills. The fact that we can directly impact so many leaders, who in turn impact their teams and ultimately the community, is truly remarkable. 

Post-Survey Comments

Graphic with a quote that reads: "It was great - I learned a lot about myself and was quite surprised. I'm taking a lot away from this."
Quote image with text: "It was great and would love for colleagues to be able to participate in the future. Definitely one, if not the best leadership trainings I have participated in."
Quote image that states: "I really enjoyed both training days. The information was relevant to my position and gave me more perspective into each topic."
Quote image with text: "It was all helpful! I appreciate the opportunity to participate in this program."
Quote image with text: "This whole program has been such a huge help to me as a leader. The content is tangible, and the opportunity for Q&A really provided a safe space to ask hard questions."

EIL-NP Statistics (2020-Spring 2026): 

  • 88 cohort participants
  • 63 unique organizations
  • 43 unique session facilitators 

Upcoming Cohorts 

Please visit the EIL-NP page for more information!