Align Impact Lab
For mid-sized and scaling organizations standing at a crossroads and ready to build better together.
One cohort. Multi-year.
Real transformation.
For established organizations standing at a crossroads — ready to build the internal infrastructure their mission demands, and willing to do the real work to get there.
Apply now
"The result: durable independence. Built in — not borrowed."
Why Napa County
Napa's organizations carry
outsized responsibility. It's time they had outsized support.
Napa County is a community of deep roots and real stakes — where nonprofits, public agencies, and social enterprises serve residents who depend on them through wildfires, economic pressure, and rapid change. The organizations doing this work are led by people who are skilled, committed, and often stretched thin. The Align Impact Lab was designed for exactly this kind of leader — and this Fall, we're bringing it here.
The Common Good difference
Stop managing the gap.
Start closing it.
Multi-year partnership
Real change doesn't happen in a quarter, and we don't pretend it does. We commit to the long game because that's where transformation actually lives.
Cohorts capped at 5 organizations
If we took more, we couldn't be hands on. So we don't. Every organization in the cohort gets our full attention — not a fraction of it.
Cross-level engagement
We work across governance, leadership, staff, and community — because change has to hold at every level. One layer isn't enough.
Built for independence
We design our exit from day one. Our focus is on transferring capacity and independence to your team every step of the way — so the work continues without us.
Adaptability woven in
When reality hits — and it will — we're there to navigate the pivots. Plans that can't flex don't last. We build for the world as it is, not as the strategy assumes.
Community as co-author
Community voice shapes every phase — from vision to execution. Not just while we're in the room. Long after we're gone. Equity is a practice, not a statement.
What to expect
A multi-year journey designed around your reality.
Each year we convene a high-touch cohort of 3–5 organizations. In year one, you work alongside other senior leaders navigating the same pressures, held to the same standard, building toward the same depth of organizational change.
Years two and three shift to sustained support — quarterly coaching, adaptive check-ins, and real-time partnership as your strategy meets the inevitable friction of implementation.
Every phase is shaped by community voice. Every decision is made with your team, not for them.
Foundation & alignment
High-touch in-person convenings. Deep diagnostic work, shared direction-setting, governance clarity, and leadership alignment. Your team moves as one before the next hard moment arrives.
Implementation & momentum
Quarterly coaching and adaptive check-ins. Strategy meets reality — we stay alongside you for the hard calls, reinforcing what's working, navigating what isn't.
Ownership & independence
Your organization leads. We support. The goal is capacity built to last beyond us — a team and culture that doesn't need us in the room.
Who should apply
Serious about building the infrastructure your mission demands.
The Align Impact Lab is designed for established organizations who are ready to invest in the internal work needed to sustain and scale their community presence. We work with entire leadership ecosystems — not just individuals.
- Executive Directors and CEOs ready to lead through a structured, equity-centered transformation
- Senior leadership teams building shared clarity across board, staff, and community
- Organizations with a strong mission ready to invest in the internal work to sustain and scale
- Leaders committed to community voice as co-authorship — not consultation
- Organizations across all fields who believe alignment is the precondition for impact
Current cohort location
- Organizations currently located in Napa Valley, CA or surrounding areas are eligible for the Fall 2026 cohort
- Future cohorts will open in additional regions — join our list to be notified
- All organization types and sectors are welcome — nonprofit, public sector, and social enterprise
- Cohort size is capped at 5 organizations — applications are reviewed on a rolling basis
Ready to apply
Applications for the Fall 2026 Napa County cohort are now open.
This is a significant commitment — and we take the fit seriously on both sides. The application is the beginning of a conversation, not a transaction. We'll reach out to discuss your goals, your organization, and whether this is the right multi-year partnership for both of us.
Spaces are intentionally limited. If you're considering applying, don't wait.
Fall 2026 cohort details