Case Study 3 — Leadership Pipeline for a Multinational NGO

Challenge:
An NGO dedicated to improving education access across Africa faced a leadership bottleneck: local project managers were skilled in operational delivery but lacked strategic planning, fundraising, and cross-border coordination experience. The organization’s growth into new countries was stalling due to this skills gap.

Agora’s Role:
We designed a year-long Leadership and Management Development Program for their emerging leaders. This included customized training modules on strategic planning, financial stewardship, stakeholder engagement, and program scaling. Each participant was paired with a mentor from Agora’s global executive network, ensuring real-world guidance alongside theoretical learning. We also integrated project-based assignments where leaders were tasked with designing and implementing a new initiative in their own region, giving them hands-on experience in managing expansion.

Outcome:
Within a year, 18 emerging leaders were promoted into senior roles, directly enabling the NGO to expand operations into two additional countries. Project reach increased by 35%, with improved fundraising capabilities and stronger cross-border collaboration.