About

WHAT IS HANO FELLOWS?

HANO Fellows is a multi-month cohort program for nonprofit executives designed to support leadership development, share nonprofit management principles and foster peer relationships in the Hawaiʻi nonprofit community.

The program will bring together 15 emerging nonprofit directors, who represent diverse missions and perspectives, but have a shared dedication to serving the people and communities of Hawaiʻi, to learn together. The program will also foster intentional connections with seasoned nonprofit leaders who have been through the Weinberg Fellows program and peer leaders who have been through the HANO Fellows program.

The program will include three in-person sessions—at the beginning, middle, and end of the program—if/as public health conditions permit. The rest of the sessions will be conducted virtually. Travel costs for neighbor island participants will be covered for any in-person sessions.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO APPLY?

The program is intended for nonprofit Executive Directors who are:

First time leaders with 5 years or less experience in their role
Leading teams at organizations with paid staff*
Leaders with an appetite for change and a commitment to learning and growth

*Organizations with no paid staff (only volunteers) are not eligible for this program. You must have AT LEAST TWO paid staff at your organization to be eligible – yourself and at least one other person

PROGRAM GOALS

For individual leaders:

To strengthen their confidence in themselves as leaders and in their management role
To support a stronger and beneficial peer network
To encourage a commitment to service in the nonprofit sector

For participating organizations (the program will emphasize three priority areas that will be interwoven throughout the sessions):

Strengthening organizational health and well-being
Supporting a focus on equity and justice by providing tools and practices to apply to internal and external work
Encouraging collaboration among/across participant organizations or with other organizations outside the cohort

For Hawaii’s nonprofit sector:

To build sector leadership and connectivity

APPLICATION PROCESS

View the candidate guidelines and apply here. (Applications for 2026 have closed)

2026 PROGRAM DATES

The cohort will commence and close with a two-day in-person retreat and we will do an in-person one-day session at the mid-point of the program. The rest of the time, we will meet virtually one day a month (typically the third Friday of the month) via Zoom. Each virtual session will include content from expert presenters, a mid-day break, and opportunities to build connections in large and small group discussions and activities.

April 17 & 18 (in-person)
May 15
June 26 (4th Friday due to holiday)
July 17
August 14 (2nd Friday due to holiday; in-person)
September 18
October 16
November 20 & 21 (in-person)

*dates may be shifted if in-person sessions become impossible due to public health circumstances

PLANNED TOPICS

Your Leadership Journey: Who You Are, Why You Do This Work, Wellness
The Nonprofit Ecosystem: Understanding Our Context
Organizational Alignment: Strategy & Planning
Compliance 101: What You Need to Know
Partners in Leadership: Working with your Board
Your Team: Staffing, Human Resources, Developing an Equitable & Inclusive Workplace
Sustaining Your work: Financial Management & Fundraising
Connecting with Your Community: Engagement and Collaboration
Connecting with Fellow Leaders: Opportunities with Weinberg Fellows and other HANO Fellows cohorts
Standing for Your Mission: Advocacy and Communications
Leading for Systemic Change

Individual coaching will be provided for each Fellow

PROGRAM COSTS & SCHOLARSHIP ASSISTANCE

Although the majority of the Fellows Program costs are supported by our generous funder partners, accepted participant organizations will be asked to contribute a modest $700 to cover the remaining costs (the full cost of the experience, per Fellow, is approximately $10,000).

A limited number of scholarships will be available for individuals whose organizations are unable to afford the full $700. If you are interested in a scholarship, please make sure to complete the last question on the application form.