Grow as a Leader

By providing training, support, and resources – and fostering connections with fellow nonprofit leaders and change makers - Chick-fil-A Impact Accelerator encourages nonprofit organizations to have greater long-term impact and contributions to the overall empowerment of our communities.

Nonprofit Founders and Executive Directors are invited to apply for in-depth training, development and networking through a grant-funded 10-month cohort program.

To qualify for the Chick-fil-A
Impact Accelerator you must:

Nonprofit

Be the Founder or Executive Director of a nonprofit 501(c)(3)

Impact Pillars

Focus on one of the four impact pillars:

Caring for People
Caring through Food
Caring for Communities
Caring for the Planet

Learn more about our commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility in these pillars

Location

Serve communities across the United States, Canada, or Puerto Rico

Organizational Stage

Be an established 501(c)(3) with annual operating budget ranging from $200,000 to $1,500,000

Application Timeline

cohort program

03/01/2024

Application for the Accelerator cohort program opens

cohort program

04/01/2024 Noon EST

Application for the Accelerator Cohort Program closes

cohort program

05/14/2024

Announcement of awardees into the Accelerator cohort program

Cohort Program Overview & Dates

Curriculum in Partnership with Plywood People

Grow and learn with nonprofit leaders in the cohort using the Plywood Process which includes three parts: Plywood Path, a Foundations Retreat, and Plywood Layers.

Path is an interactive seven-week online course designed to help problem solvers decide which direction to take with their idea. This course gives you insight on the "who, why and how" upon which you will build the foundation of your organization. You will be asked the hard questions and will be introduced to a community of support.

By participating in Path, you can expect:

To follow a proven problem-solving method that has been implemented by hundreds of people before you
To learn from 24 leading social entrepreneurs
To answer thoughtful questions with the opportunity to give and receive feedback from your peers
To attend a weekly video call with others in the course, led by a Plywood People facilitator
A personal invitation to continue the community engagement with an invitation to our private Facebook community group

As nonprofit leaders' purpose continues to grow, there is a growing need to help leaders continue to hone their skills, receive feedback about their projects, and be encouraged to move their ideas to the next level. This is the purpose of Foundations.  

Foundations is an intensive and immersive curriculum that takes place over 3 days. The training includes one 3-Day Retreat focused on Development and includes personalized advising.

By participating in Foundations, you can expect:

To learn about ten foundational areas nonprofit leaders need to track
To be introduced and advised by advisors on each category
To create, update and complete a Business Model Canvas
To receive strategic support and accountability

Layers exists to provide half-day monthly coaching for you and your organization. Through group advice, built-in accountability and access to a strong network of mentors, this is Plywood People's way of offering intentional and ongoing support to nonprofit leaders.

As a Layers member, you can expect:

To have consistent community and deeper relationships with a group of like-minded leaders
The ability to be heard and known in a small group setting
Introductions to Plywood Advisors
An opportunity to talk through tensions, and to offer and receive feedback