Evolving as a Nonprofit Leader Through Lifelong Education

Kelly Nevins has been a leader in the nonprofit sector since 1990, bringing expertise in strategic development, workplace equity, and community engagement. Since 2016, she has served as CEO of the Women’s Fund of Rhode Island, frequently speaking on the status of women and girls and the power of investing in gender equity. Although already a trusted figure and voice in her field, Kelly places significant value on continual, lifelong learning, which has brought her to four different Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) executive education programs — Creating Collaborative Solutions, Leadership for the 21^st Century, Evidence for Equity and Leadership for Social Impact — earning her an Executive Certificate in Public Policy.

With a wide range of HKS executive education experience, Kelly found throughlines through each program, allowing each time in the classroom to build upon one another. “Each of the programs I've attended have helped me to grow as an executive leader of my nonprofit organization, particularly in strategically leveraging stakeholders to support our mission,” she said. “Since each program has you focus on a different challenge you are facing, I benefited from having study group members weigh in on the ideas I had and offer recommendations for additional action. The challenges ranged from addressing sticky human resource issues to crafting advocacy strategies to weighing the cost of new programming.” 

Kelly made sure to maximize her time in each of the programs by ensuring the new concepts and frameworks she was absorbing were integrated into her work immediately upon returning to the Women’s Fund of Rhode Island. “During the programs, I kept a running list of ideas to explore and/or implement, as well as resources to follow up on. I used the same notebook for each of the programs, and I can easily see what I followed up on. Many of the ideas led to new actions or improved ways of communicating and I can see them in action throughout my organization now,” she explained. 

Kelly has taken programs spanning a seven-year period, and her career and organization have undergone major transformations since then. Each time she has returned to an HKS program, she has new experiences, perspectives, and challenges to bring with her. She told us, “The first program I did was in 2018, when I was a new organizational leader. I now have 10 years of experience running the Women's Fund of Rhode Island. The organization has grown from me being the sole employee to now having a team of 4.5 full-time employees and a rotating cast of interns. Our budget has grown significantly. I serve on various boards locally and internationally, so the learnings I took from HKS are not just for my organization but the broader communities I serve.”

Kelly knows firsthand the work and commitment that an HKS program requires, but believes the results make the effort extremely worthwhile.  “There is a lot to take in while you are a participant — daily readings, time with your study group, classroom time, and then networking opportunities,” she said. “The week goes by very quickly but the discussions and focus on the challenges you are specifically facing in your organization have impact long beyond the program. You also have the opportunity to connect to the broader alumni network, extending your "sounding board" beyond the classroom.”

As Kelly also knows from her own experience, nonprofit professionals are facing a particularly complicated landscape, and HKS’s executive programs provide the tools and insights needed to navigate those obstacles and keep social impact organizations thriving.  “Women's Fund of Rhode Island, like many nonprofit organizations/NGOs, is operating in a political climate that is very challenging,” she said. “Our work is squarely in the DEI space, which means we now must message and operate differently, even while staying true to our mission. Competition for funding has increased and/or disappeared from previously dependable sources, so we're exploring new ways to raise revenue without being fully focused on fundraising for our income. HKS strategies will continue to be helpful as we navigate this difficult time.”