Accreditation strengthens community confidence and affirms an organization's commitment to delivering the highest quality service and programming. In alignment with these goals, the Association of Leadership Programs (ALP) has formed an exploratory Accreditation Committee to support the development of an accreditation process for Community Leadership Programs nationwide.
While every Community Leadership Program is unique, accreditation confirms competency, sustainability, compliance, and adherence to recognized best practices. It distinguishes organizations from competitors, builds goodwill, and supports funding efforts.
The Accreditation Committee will gather on the third Monday of each month at 1:00 PM ET. This effort is being championed by Tara Sargent (Leadership Washington County) and Sasha Smith (Leadership North Houston). For more information, please contact Lura Hammond at info@alpleaders.org.
A key ALP member benefit is connecting virtually with other members via Affinity Groups on a specific topic of interest.
An ALP member/champion facilitates these ongoing, intact groups. Members of the group share and gain ideas, insights, best practices, inspiration, and more.
The zoom link for each affinity group is only shared with members who have opted-in to specific groups. To sign up for an affinity group, click here. more info...
A new chapter is beginning for ALP — and you’re invited to be part of it. Join us on December 18 for Meet C. Marie: A Member Hello, a welcoming virtual conversation with C. Marie Taylor (she/her), ALP’s new Executive Director.
This casual, community-centered gathering is your chance to:
Hear C. Marie share her “why” and the leadership philosophy guiding her work
Share what you need most from ALP in the year ahead
Offer your boldest ideas for strengthening leadership programs nationwide
C. Marie brings more than 25 years of experience in leadership development, nonprofit strategy, and equity-centered systems change. Her work is rooted in a deep belief that leadership programs aren’t just cohorts and site visits — they are portals for imagination, belonging, and community transformation.
Whether you’re a longtime member, new director, board chair, or staff of one, your voice is essential in shaping ALP’s next chapter. This Member Hello is designed to be conversational, energizing, and grounded in the relationships that make this network so strong.
We can’t wait to gather, connect, and begin building this chapter together. more info...
Curating events and experiences in your community can be time-consuming and overwhelming. How can you ensure your efforts inspire meaningful, lasting engagement? This interactive workshop provides actionable strategies to help you maximize the impact of your events, drawing on decades of experience designing community programs and insights from a global study on what makes volunteer experiences meaningful. Through hands-on activities, group discussions, and practical examples, workshop attendees will explore:
How to spark receptivity: Address participant needs upfront to set the stage for deeper engagement.
What makes experiences truly meaningful: Design moments that connect participants to your mission and create lasting impact.
The secrets to inclusive spaces: Apply techniques from the arts to foster creativity, collaboration, and trust.
How to leverage feedback: Turn participant input into opportunities for stronger relationships and greater impact.
Don't miss this session if you want to walk away with key insights and tools you can immediately use to create experiences that strengthen your mission and inspire ongoing involvement!
AbouttheSpeaker: Beth Outland serves as the Vice President of Leadership Indianapolis. For over 30 years, Beth's career and civic engagement have focused on building community through creative experience design, innovative programming, and strategic problem solving. Prior to coming to Leadership Indianapolis, Beth served as the Vice President for Community Engagement and Strategic Innovation at the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. Fueled by a lifelong passion for the arts and a desire to support an inclusive, equitable, and thriving community, she is committed to building connections across sectors to catalyze personal, professional, and community development.
Beth's civic leadership roles include serving on the boards of Leadership Indianapolis and Centric and on the steering committees of Spirit and Place, TEDx Indianapolis, and the Music Crossroads Initiative. Beth is an alumna of the Stanley K. Lacy Leadership Program, class XXVIII, and was granted Creative Renewal Fellowships by the Arts Council of Indianapolis in 2005 and 2013. Beth became a company member of ComedySportz Indianapolis in 2014, where she has performed, coached youth programs, and led corporate workshops applying the skills of improvisation to address business challenges.
The Certified Community Leadership Practitioner (CCLP) certification is designed to enhance individual performance, elevate professional standards, and recognize the Association, Chamber of Commerce, and other nonprofit professionals who demonstrate the knowledge essential to the practice of program development in a leadership organization.
Candidates must complete 16 hours of CORE training before proceeding to the Mastery coursework. The CORE training will be offered virtually over five separate days. Participants must attend each of the following sessions in full:
Monday, January 26, 2026 | 12:00 - 4:00 PM ET
Monday, February 2, 2026 | 12:00 - 4:00 PM ET
Monday, February 23, 2026 | 12:00 - 4:00 PM ET
Monday, March 2, 2026 | 12:00 - 4:00 PM ET
The CORE training will include five modules:
Program Scope
Program Specifics
Program Strategies
Program Systems
Program Sustainability
The same ZOOM link will be used for all sessions and shared the week prior to the first session.
The Certified Community Leadership Practitioner (CCLP) certification is designed to enhance individual performance, elevate professional standards, and recognize the Association, Chamber of Commerce, and other nonprofit professionals who demonstrate the knowledge essential to the practice of program development in a leadership organization.
Candidates must complete 16 hours of CORE training before proceeding to the Mastery coursework. The CORE training will be offered virtually over five separate days. Participants must attend each of the following sessions in full:
Monday, January 26, 2026 | 12:00 - 4:00 PM ET
Monday, February 2, 2026 | 12:00 - 4:00 PM ET
Monday, February 23, 2026 | 12:00 - 4:00 PM ET
Monday, March 2, 2026 | 12:00 - 4:00 PM ET
The CORE training will include five modules:
Program Scope
Program Specifics
Program Strategies
Program Systems
Program Sustainability
The same ZOOM link will be used for all sessions and shared the week prior to the first session.