The Power of Collaborative Leadership in Nonprofits

The Power of Collaborative Leadership in Nonprofits: Strengthening the Senior Leadership and Board Relationship

Wednesday, March 19, 2025 - 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM CST

ZOOM Webinar: $50

About this session: The Power of Collaborative Leadership in Nonprofits: Strengthening the Senior Leadership and Board Relationship is an engaging workshop designed to foster stronger collaboration between nonprofit Senior Leadership Teams and Boards of Directors. The session explores the core principles of collaborative leadership, focusing on how open communication, trust-building, and shared decision-making can enhance organizational effectiveness. Participants will learn practical strategies for overcoming challenges to collaboration, identify personal leadership strengths through self-assessment, and develop action plans to integrate collaborative leadership into their organizations. A key component of the workshop is the integration of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) into leadership practices. Collaborative leadership and DEI are deeply interconnected, both emphasizing inclusivity, respect for diverse perspectives, and fostering environments where everyone’s voice can contribute to decision-making. When aligned, these principles create an organizational culture that values equity, embraces diverse leadership styles, and drives more innovative and effective outcomes. Through group discussions, exercises, and a commitment to applying these principles in real-world scenarios, participants will leave equipped to build stronger, more collaborative teams that prioritize both leadership and equity.

This workshop is highly interactive, focusing on participant engagement through discussions, group activities, and self-assessment exercises. Rather than a one-way presentation, it encourages participants to share their perspectives, reflect on their leadership styles, and collaborate with one another to solve real-world challenges. Activities such as action plans, skills assessments, and a Mad Lib-style team-building exercise allow participants to apply concepts in real time. Additionally, open-ended questions, group reflections, and interactive tools like Slido foster dynamic conversations, making the learning process both personal and collective. In this workshop, participants will receive a variety of resources to support their learning and continued growth. These include a detailed workbook with self-assessment tools, collaborative leadership frameworks, and action planning templates. Additionally, participants will have access to curated list of recommended readings and links to further tools and assessments through QR codes, ensuring continued learning beyond the session.

Who Should Participate: Executive Directors, Finance Officers, Management Staff, Board Members, and Staff

About the Presenters: Judie Caribeaux, Chief Collaborations Officer, Mission + Strategy | Greg Petersen, CEO for the Alliance and Mission + Strategy

Judie is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and has earned a Master of Arts in Communication from Northern Illinois University and a Master of Social Work from Aurora University. With the heart of a social worker and the mind of a business professional, she has more than 30 years of experience working with non-profits, universities, and municipalities.

Judie has a unique depth of experience and is adept at navigating challenging business conditions. As the Executive Director for a domestic violence victim services agency, she led the successful negotiation and implementation of a strategic merger which significantly expanded services and removed barriers to safety for victims. She served as Acting Executive Director for a municipality while the former Executive Director was under a State’s Attorney’s investigation. Judie has experience developing public-private partnerships between municipalities, Fortune 500 companies, non-profit organizations, and government agencies. As the CEO for a child welfare organization located in a suburb west of Chicago, she helped secure $3 million in congressional funding to build a new youth shelter. Early in her career, Judie launched a new nonprofit, served as its founding Executive Director, and is proud to say that agency is still thriving nearly 30 years later. She has extensive experience leading organizations through strategic planning, creating management routines, and developing high performing executive teams. She provides executive coaching to non-profit executives.

Judie was awarded the Non-Profit Executive of the Year by her peers through the West Suburban Philanthropic Network. She has taught at Regis College, Northern Illinois University, Elmhurst College, North Central College, and Aurora University.  She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Judie is trained in OCAI (Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument), Competing Values Framework, and ORSC (Organization and Relationship Systems Coaching) frameworks.


Since 1995, Greg Petersen has been a proud member of the Illinois nonprofit community. With a strong foundation in finance from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Greg joined IFF before transitioning to the I/DD provider community in 2004. Greg's strategic vision was honed by working on the founding team of the Alliance, where he served as Chief Administrative Officer until 2017. In July of that year he was appointed CEO of Glenkirk. Greg returned to the Alliance as its CEO in 2020. Throughout his career, Greg has sought innovative strategies including social enterprises to strengthen and sustain mission-driven organizationsacross Chicago and its suburbs. This culminated in the Alliance acquiring Mission + Strategy in late 2022, furthering the Alliance’s track record of successful collaborations. 

The acquisition of Mission + Strategy marks a significant milestone for both organizations. Together, their capacity is much greater than either organization had on its own. More importantly, the new Mission + Strategy ‘walks the talk’ of collaboration and best practice by offering a set of tested solutions which were created for nonprofits by nonprofits.

Greg’s service to Glenkirk, Search, and Keystone over the past two decades has given him a unique insight into the Illinois nonprofit environment. Together with the Alliance’s seasoned and talented leadership team,
Greg looks forward to continuing to support thriving nonprofit missions and communities across Illinois.