Four years ago, Project Redwood asked a simple question: how can we support grantees beyond writing a check?
The answer came from former grantee and Executive Director Sarah Koch of DIG, who urged Project Redwood to create Leadership Circles—confidential peer groups where nonprofit leaders could connect with one another, share challenges, and learn from peers who truly understood the demands of leading mission-driven organizations. GSB alumni volunteers with experience in creating Leadership Circles for CEO’s of for-profit companies, stepped forward to help.
Today, Gail Schulze and Dan Judd together manage two Leadership Circles for Executive Directors of Project Redwood’s current and past grantees. Gail facilitates a Circle for the Executive Directors of U.S. grantees, and Dan leads a Circle for the Executive Directors of grantees in Africa.
The partnership between Dan and Gail reflects the spirit of the program. Gail brings decades of leadership experience in healthcare ventures and as the CEO of international healthcare companies. Dan is a serial entrepreneur who has founded more than 140 companies. Separated by nearly four decades of Stanford history, they have discovered that their different generational perspectives make them stronger collaborators and better resources for the leaders they serve.
Each month, Executive Directors from current and former grantee organizations gather via Zoom to tackle challenges they rarely have an opportunity to discuss elsewhere. Together, they exchange ideas on fundraising, succession planning, board engagement, technology adoption, and organizational growth. Recently, Dan led discussions on practical applications of AI, helping these nonprofit leaders explore new ways to increase organizational efficiency and impact.
The most powerful outcomes, however, are not found in any single session. They emerge from the relationships built over time—leaders supporting leaders, volunteers sharing expertise, and a community committed to helping one another succeed.
The continued Circle participation of past grantees’ Executive Directors, even years after their grants have ended, speaks to the value of these connections. Gail and Dan’s partnership in Leadership Circles demonstrates that Project Redwood’s greatest strength is not only the funding it provides, but the communities it creates.