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Community Leadership Accelerator 2026—Registration and Getting to Know You Survey

Instructions

Thank you for making the decision to invest in your leadership and community. We are excited that you are taking this important step! If you have not already, please share information about this program with other leaders who you think would be a good fit.

What you can expect in the survey:

1. Getting to know you: We have designed the registration/getting to know you survey to learn more about who you are as a person and a leader. Please answer as honestly as you can.

2. In-person and hybrid options: This year we will be offering a virtual option, with opening and closing retreats being offered as a hybrid. You will be asked to choose which option works best for you.

3. Scholarships: Each year, we work to identify community partners who can help provide financial assistance. Funds can be requested through the registration process. The scholarship application link can be found at the end of this registration. Please know that there is no guarantee of scholarships. Resources are limited at this time and we have done our best to mitigate for this through our pricing structure. Please be sure to only ask for what you need.

The CLA registration deadline is midnight on March 13. We will be reviewing registrations and scholarship requests in early March, with the goal of confirming your participation in the program by March 25.

In the meantime, please hold the following dates (all 2026):
  • Opening Retreat: April 29, 30, and May 1 (in-person or virtual)
  • Virtual workshops: June 10, July 29, September 2, October 7 (all 9-12:30)
  • Closing retreat: November 4, 5, and 6 (in-person or virtual)
The opening and closing in-person retreats will take place at the Redemptorist Renewal Center, Picture Rocks, Tucson.

In community,

Bryn Jones, Gathering Elan
Sarah Griffiths, Sarah L. M. Griffiths

1.Tell us a bit about yourself:(Required.)
2.Contact information(Required.)
3.Name you want to be called
4.What is your gender identity?(Required.)
5.What is your sexual orientation? Check all that apply.(Required.)
6.What is your racial or ethnic identity? (Select all that apply.)(Required.)
7.Are you a person living with a disability, or differently abled?(Required.)
8.If you answered yes above, please tell us a little more about how we could support your full participation in CLA.
9.Is English your first language?(Required.)
10.Why are you interested in this program? What do you want to get out of it?(Required.)
11.Tell us a little about the personal and/or professional development that you've done to date.(Required.)
12.Describe where and how you currently show up as a leader.(Required.)
13.Describe where and how you previously have shown up as a leader.(Required.)
14.On a scale of 1-10 (10 being your ideal), how would you rate your work/life balance?(Required.)
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10
15.On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being the most ready), how ready are you for self-exploration?(Required.)
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10
16.When you think of yourself as an organizational and/or community leader, what 3 areas would you most like to develop in yourself?(Required.)
17.What strengths, qualities, and/or gifts do you bring to your leadership?(Required.)
18.This is a program aimed at developing diverse leaders who are grounded in their own leadership, can sustain themselves as leaders, value human connection and relationships, and can drive community change. What community change are you working towards and/or would like to work towards?(Required.)
19.Choose the number that best represents how you currently rate your ability in each of the areas (1 is low. 10 is high). How would you rate yourself?(Required.)
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10
Overall confidence level as a leader
Managing conflict
Maintaining a positive outlook
Having a growth mindset
Practicing active listening
Developing others as leaders
Having awareness of and managing emotions (in yourself)
Having awareness of and managing emotions (in others)
Setting and maintaining boundaries
Taking care of yourself (mind, body, spirit)
Understanding yourself as an authentic leader
Understanding power and power dynamics
Collaborating and sharing power
Understanding your personal values
Able to see from and include perspectives other than your own
Connecting to your larger purpose
Aligning your actions with your intentions
Awareness and inquiry into complex challenges
Feeling empathy and compassion
Practicing humility
Appreciating and feeling gratitude
Communicating effectively
Making decisions
Fostering accountability in self and others
Working and collaborating with people who have different points of view
20.This program is work, for your own growth, your organization or group's, and your community's. As such, all meetings will take place during the work-week. The opening and closing in-person retreats will take place at the Sonoran Desert Inn and Conference Center in Ajo, Arizona.

To experience the full impact of this program, you will need to define boundaries and carve out space. We recommend you block out an hour or two each week beyond the retreats, workshops and meetings to focus on what you are learning.

Outlined here are the program components:

Program: 6-month program with around 20-25 participants from Arizona, and possibly a few slots for participants outside of Arizona.
  • April 2026: 3-day opening retreat (with in-person and virtual options):
    • 4/29: 12:00 – 5:00
    • 4/30: 9:00 – 5:00
    • 5/1: 9:00 – 2:00
  • Virtual Workshops:
    • 6/10: 9:00 - 12:30
    • 7/29: 9:00 - 12:30
    • 9/2: 9:00 - 12:30
    • 10/7: 9:00 - 12:30
  • November 2026: 3-day closing retreat (with in-person and virtual options):
    • 11/4: 12:00 – 5:00
    • 11/5: 9:00 – 5:00
    • 11/6: 9:00 – 2:00
Other components:
  • EQ Assessment and debrief
  • Practicum—applying the principles in action—which culminates in a Leadership Memoir (required for completion of the program)
  • Two coaching sessions with each leader (one of which will be EQ debrief)
  • Participation in peer application circles
  • Homework, including pre-reading, practices and assessments
Are you willing and able to commit to participating in all program components? (Required.)
21.Are you holding all the dates (above) in your calendar? Please do!(Required.)
22.We recommend that you have a conversation with your supervisor—to explore ways of managing the time commitment of CLA with your other work, and making sure you have their support. Have you spoken to your supervisor and let them know the dates and times that you will be committing to the Community Leadership Accelerator?(Required.)
23.Have you spoken to your supervisor about ways of managing the CLA workload and balancing this with your other work commitments?(Required.)
24.Do you have your supervisor's support?(Required.)
25.What else, if anything, would you like us to know?
26.This year we are offering 2 attendance options:

Option 1: In-person (attending the opening and closing retreats in-person): This price is inclusive of all CLA materials, as well as room, board, and food (for the opening and closing retreats. It does not include travel):
  • $5,500: for smaller organizations (budget under $5m)
  • $6,500: for medium organizations (budget between $5m and $30m)
  • $8,000: for large organizations (budget over $30 million)

Option 2: Virtual (attending the opening and closing retreats virtually): This price is inclusive of all CLA materials:
  • $4,000: for smaller organizations (budget under $5m)
  • $5,000: for medium organizations (budget between $5m and $30m)
  • $6,500: for large organizations (budget over $30 million)

Please select your choice of Option 1 or Option 2.(Required.)
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