The Launch Collective is designed to equip leaders to innovate and sustainably steward the ministries God has called them to LAUNCH and LEAD. This is the most personalized full-service program Orchard offers for qualified ministry leaders. Many participants of this program have a strong commitment to their faith and a desire to help others but may need more skills to manage a nonprofit organization. The Launch Collective provides a constructive and supportive environment designed to help participants effectively launch or lead their ministry while addressing each leader’s specific operational challenges. To apply for this program, you can either have an idea for a new ministry you want to start or be in the early stages of leading an established organization.  

The Launch Collective was created to help as many leaders as possible answer God’s call to impact their communities. However, it does require a significant investment of time and effort, and the program emphasizes a culture of accountability to ensure the best possible results. If you are interested in applying, please keep in mind that there are specific criteria that you will need to meet, including: 

1. Age of Ministry – Is your organization relatively new, five years or younger, or have you led a nonprofit for five years or less? If so, you qualify. 

2. Cultural Alignment – To ensure your values align with Orchard’s Cultural Clarity Document, please read it by clicking HERE. This shared cultural alignment is essential to building solid partnerships. If you answered “yes” to this, you qualify!

3. Financial Need– If you have an established nonprofit, please ensure it qualifies to file a 990 – N postcard with the IRS by clicking HERE. This will help us to understand your organization’s financial needs better. If the answer is yes, you qualify. If you have yet to officially launch your nonprofit organization, you qualify.

Discern– If you only have an idea for a new ministry, you will start with our entry-level program, Discern. Discern is a guided process that will assist you in determining if God is truly leading you to establish a new ministry. If the answer is yes, we will provide you with guidance on organizing your new work and getting it off the ground. The final stage of this program is to legally incorporate your new initiative and file paperwork to obtain nonprofit recognition from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). 

Foundations Curriculum– If you’re leading a nonprofit organization or have completed the Discern process, you can enroll in our flagship Foundations Curriculum training program. This curriculum is designed to equip nonprofit leaders with the intellectual skills needed to run an organization and the spiritual skills required to lead like Jesus in motivation and practice. The training topics covered in this training include clarifying mission and vision, fundraising, maintaining a healthy board, adhering to IRS compliance, insurance, volunteer engagement, and many more. 

Orchard believes that “Community is a Gift,” and we have incorporated this into The Launch Collective program. Discern and Foundations are conducted through online cohorts of leaders at a similar stage. This provides an opportunity for participants to learn from one another while still receiving “systematically individualized” attention tailored to their needs. 

Once participants complete Foundations, they receive two consecutive years of individualized care. This includes: 

•  Annual Roadmap- Roadmaps is our process of creating a one-year strategic plan that addresses the direction the leader seeks to take their ministry and the operational challenges they face.   
• One-on-One Consulting- Orchard will utilize the leader’s Roadmap to pair them with consultants who can help address their specific challenges. Orchard compensates the consultants, and they are experts in their field.   

• Leadership Coaching – During all phases of the program, Participants enjoy ongoing care from Orchard staff and trained leadership coaches. 

You can apply for our program at any time! We have two groups starting every year: one in February and the other in June. If you submit your application by March 31, we will consider you for the group starting in June. If you submit your application by November 30, we will consider you for the group beginning in February. Please note that we only accept up to 25 applications per calendar year. 

If you’re starting with Discern, the program requires a four-year commitment. If you’re in Foundations, the program requires a three-year commitment.  

The Launch Collective program costs Orchard about $7,500 annually to serve each ministry leader effectively. However, accepted participants do not have to pay anything to participate. Every year, Orchard offers a full scholarship to twenty-five new leaders to participate in the program. This is a considerable investment of $22,500-$30,000 per leader for the entire duration of their engagement in the program. 

Orchard partners with generous donors to fund this program, enabling us to offer this opportunity to visionary leaders like you! We put in significant efforts to identify and select the most committed candidates. As the generosity of others funds this program, participants are expected to maintain high standards of engagement and accountability.