Can you benefit from a LAP?

LAPs receive focused attention from a cross-sector team of civic leaders enrolled in Cleveland Bridge Builders. Eight or nine projects are chosen each year through a selective RFP process.

LAPs are learning labs for Cleveland Bridge Builders, a group of mid-career professionals who spend a year immersed in civic leadership training. Through these projects, they immediately begin applying newly-learned skills and approaches to civic leadership while contributing to the community and incorporating service learning into their program experience. For the selected nonprofits, the experience is a unique way to advance the organization’s mission and foster emerging civic leaders.

Any nonprofit or community-serving organization in Greater Cleveland can submit a proposal. Organizations do not have to be 501c3 organizations to apply. LAP proposals for the Class of 2025 will be accepted May 1-31, 2024.

2024 LAP organizations

  • Big Brothers Big Sisters
  • Entrepreneurship Educations Consortium of Ohio
  • DigitalC
  • Rotary Club of Cleveland
  • Rec2Connect
  • Talespinner Children’s Theater
  • Sisters Haven
  • Westlake Meals on Wheels

Program details

CBB participants are divided into LAP teams of approximately eight members based on sector diversity and a balance of work styles and experiences.

Each nonprofit selects a representative, known as a LAP Champion, to work with LAP teams throughout the process. The Champion should have the time, energy and skills (project management, subject knowledge, experience with teams/volunteers) to be an effective team adviser and liaison to the nonprofit.

LAP teams meet with their Champion for one hour during each of five CBB session days between November and May (Class of 2025 schedule). Teams will also meet between session days; how often a team meets is determined by the team with input from the Champion.

Selected projects are founded on an organizational issue or challenge that the LAP team can own and develop over the course of the program. If you have an idea for a project and want to see if it would be a good fit for a LAP team, reach out to Angela O’Donnell to discuss.

LAP Timeline

  • May 1-31 : Proposals accepted
  • June: Selection process
  • November – January: Building the relationship between team and champion, sharing organizational knowledge, defining the project
  • February – March: Project definition, focus, first action steps
  • March – May: Work comes together, major group activity, final outcome in planning stage
  • June: Wrap up, final deliverable and presentations