Innovation Circles
Become business savvy through the PATH Intl. skill development program for member centers.
PATH Intl. Innovation Circles is a business skill development program focused on fundraising, board development, and leading business practices for member centers of all sizes. With a generous grant from The Suzanne McGraw Foundation, Inc., the year-long program will provide six monthly course meetings with industry peers and facilitators and an additional six months of one-to-one coaching for center administrators to complete an individualized strategy initiative after the course is completed.
Other Innovation Circles Courses
Innovation Circles Leading Business Practices Course:
February 2026 - July 2026
The Leading Business Practices series brings PATH Intl. center leadership best practice recommendations for vital management and business operations. The course provides six monthly sessions of educational presentations on critical business knowledge, resources, and tools to support effective and sustainable leadership for centers. Presenters are subject matter experts with years of experience who will deliver practical information that can be applied to support organizational efficiency and longevity. Kathy Alm, retiring CEO of PATH Intl., and Laurie Meili will unravel the mysteries of nonprofit financial literacy and budgeting strategies. Melissa Conner, executive director of RENEW Therapeutic Riding, will address organizational culture, values, and best practices when managing people. Melissa Harris, director of service development at FIO Partners, will focus on strategic planning and successful business implementation.
The monthly topics will be tailored to the unique challenges for centers of three distinct organizational stages: early, mid, and mature. The six-month educational component of this course runs from February to July 2026. The Leading Business Practices course also provides six months of individual coaching to achieve an individually identified organizational goal.
Learn About Our Presenters
Presenters for Financial Literacy and Budgeting (February and March)
Kathy Alm has been in the equine-assisted services industry for over twenty-six years. She began her service as chief executive officer of PATH Intl. in August 2014, retiring in November of 2025. For the previous 15 years she served as executive director of Little Bit Therapeutic Riding Center in Woodinville, WA. She grew the previously grass-roots organization from a $280,000 annual operating budget to a professional $2.1 million organization. Kathy’s board service includes PATH Intl’s board from 2005 – 2013, including the office of board president, founder/board member of the Director of Disabilities Organization, board member of the Alliance of Eastside Agencies as well as founder/board member of Theatre Puget Sound. Throughout her tenure in equine-assisted services, Kathy has served as a PATH Intl. region representative, chaired the PATH Intl. Administrators’ committee, and facilitated numerous workshops and presentations on Equine-assisted Services (EAS) nationally and internationally as well as training on fundraising, board development, and organizational sustainability. She holds a BA from Pacific Lutheran University.
Laurie is a unifying leader, with broad experience in the management of accounting and finance operations, financial reporting and analysis, and budgeting. She has managed key business functions including human resources, grants management, compliance, database, and technology teams building collaborative relationships both internally and externally.
Laurie is an innovative problem solver who has developed and executed strategic plans, strengthened, and streamlined internal systems, and has built and developed accounting teams who excel at delivering accurate and timely financial information. By utilizing her strong communication and leadership capabilities Laurie has the ability to translate high-level strategies into detailed plans for implementation. She is a trusted advisor and mentor who is able to bring out the best in others and empower success by providing clear direction, expectations, and motivation. Laurie holds a master’s in business administration from Georgia State University. She invests time serving on various non-profit boards.
Presenter for Creating Strategic Priorities and Plan Implementation (May and June)
Melissa Harris, director of service development for FIO Partners, is a strategist who helps nonprofit leaders build shared understanding, direction and voice. Melissa brings her experience developing nonprofit brands, engagement programs and communications to her work at Fio Partners. In addition to client work, she leads Fio’s research and design of relevant products and services. Her previous roles include director of strategy and communications at CO:LAB, a brand development and design studio dedicated to nonprofits, and director of communications for the Connecticut Association of Nonprofits. She has a bachelor’s in English and philosophy from Providence College and a masters in nonprofit management and philanthropy from Bay Path University.
Presenter for Organizational Culture and Values (April) and Recruiting, Retaining, and Developing your Team (July)
Melissa Conner is a PATH Intl. CTRI®, ESMHL and Master Therapeutic Riding Instructor. She serves as the executive director for Renew Therapeutic Riding Center, a PATH Intl. Premier Accredited Center in Holland, Michigan. She has been a faculty member for PATH Intl. education, including Innovation Circles for several years and also serves on the riding certification subcommittee. Her passion is developing centers and individuals to their highest professional capacity in the field of EAS. She can be reached at .
Learn About THE TOPICS
While each month will have the same overall topic, the presentation and material will be tailored to meet the varying needs at each stage of organizational development — early, mid and mature.
Financial Literacy – LEADING WITH NUMBERS
Unlock the power of your nonprofit’s financials! This session goes beyond spreadsheets to help you truly understand what numbers mean and how to use them to evaluate your organization’s health, forecast its future, and craft a compelling narrative that brings your center’s mission to life. You will gain practical tools to turn financial data into strategic insights so you can lead with both confidence and credibility.
Presenters for Financial Literacy and Budgeting (February and March).
Budgeting – TURNING NUMBERS INTO ACTION
A budget isn’t just a financial plan, it is powerful tool for driving decisions, aligning priorities, and steering your organization toward long-term impact. In this session, we’ll explore how strategic budgeting supports confident, data informed leadership. Learn how to build accurate budgets, maintain reliable actuals, and use projections to prepare for what’s ahead. Walk away with strategies to turn your budget into a blueprint for impact.
Organizational Culture and Values – A JOYFUL WORKPLACE
Creating and maintaining a healthy workplace while delivering mission-critical services can be challenging. This session will focus on tools to establish and maintain an organizational culture and values system. These tools facilitate support to both people and animals at your center, which in turn positively impacts the community being served.
Creating Strategic Priorities and Plans – PLANNING FOR SUCCESS
You’re undoubtedly working on a lot of things—but what are you working toward? This session explores how to develop relevant and actionable strategic priorities and plans that will enable your organization to invest its energy and resources meaningfully. Gain universal frameworks and approaches that can grow with the organization, as well as nuanced considerations based on your stage of development.
Implementing Your Plan – BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
How do you avoid having a plan that “sits on a shelf”? You break it into steps and weave it into every part of your organization—from board and staff meetings to your efforts to build relationships, resources and capacities. This session offers practical guidance and tools to help “operationalize,” communicate, and garner support for your organization’s strategic vision, turning it into a reality over time.
Recruiting, Retaining and Developing Your Team – TALENT MANAGEMENT
Managing people and their talent is a critical skill for center sustainability and one that leaders often struggle with. This session will provide resources to build your management practices, allowing the talented team at your center to grow and flourish while supporting the future of your organization.
LEARN ABOUT STAGE SCHEDULES
Meets virtually on the first Tuesday of the month, 10–11:30 AM MT
Dates:
02/03/26, 03/03/26, 04/07/26, 05/05/26, 06/02/26 and 07/07/26 at 10:00 AM MT.
Meets virtually on the second Tuesday of the month, 10–11:30 AM MT
Dates:
02/10/26, 03/10/26, 04/14/26, 05/12/26, 06/09/26 and 07/14/26 at 10 AM to 11:30 AM MT
Meets virtually on the third Tuesday of the month, 10–11:30 AM MT
Dates:
02/17/26, 03/17/26, 04/21/26, 05/19/26, 06/16/26 and 07/21/26 at 10:00 AM MT.
About the PATH Intl. Innovation Circles Grant
The Suzanne McGraw Foundation, Inc. has awarded a $825,000 grant over three years to PATH Intl. to substantially expand its Innovation Circles program, which provides valuable training to leaders of therapeutic horsemanship centers nationwide. PATH Intl. Innovation Circles is a business-skill-development program focused on fundraising, board development and best business practices for member centers of all sizes.
Apply Today
Tuition Costs & Scholarships
Tuition: $500
The full cost of delivering each course is $2,500 per person. HOWEVER, through the generous support of the program’s grant funding partner(s), the subsidized tuition is only $500 per person. Additionally, partial scholarships are available to ensure financial means do not create a barrier to participation.
Partial scholarships are available and may be requested in the application.
FAQs
Innovation Circles (IC) is a PATH Intl. program designed to support center leadership by providing education, networking, and coaching. The IC program will consist of nine distinct courses.
Attendees will receive current, relevant information on critical business topics. They will have the opportunity to interact with peers, exchange information, form a long-term network, and gain valuable resources. The individual coaching opportunity for each attendee will be personalized and designed specifically to produce an identified organizational goal.
This program is designed for center leadership and decision makers including executive directors, chief executive officers, chief operating officers, board members, etc. Attendees must have an affiliation with a PATH Intl. Member Center or PATH Intl. Premier Accredited Center.
Each course consists of monthly webinars followed by small group virtual networking sessions to support learning objectives for the first six months. An additional six months of individual coaching is included to help each attendee achieve an organizational goal.
The full course is one year. During the first six months, participants meet monthly for 90 minutes. There is a 30-minute online seminar followed by 60 minutes of networking in facilitated circles. After the first phase, participants will meet monthly with a coach to complete an identified organizational goal.
The topics covered will include in-depth presentations on fundraising, board development, and best business practices. The first three courses, titled Fundraising Essentials, will focus on best practices in fundraising and will be offered for each phase of organizational development—early, mid, and mature.
The full cost of delivering each course is $2,500 per person. HOWEVER, through the generous funding of our grant funding partner(s), the subsidized tuition is only $500 per person. Additionally, partial scholarships are available to ensure financial means do not create a barrier to participation. Tuition: $500.00.
Yes. More courses will be offered soon.
No, PATH Intl. individual membership is not required to attend this grant-funded membership-benefit program. However, attendees will need to provide documentation of affiliation with a PATH Intl. Member Center or PATH Intl. Premier Accredited Center.
Applications open in October for the first course: Fundraising Essentials. Registration links will be provided after the application process is complete.
No, all information will be provided during the educational sessions within the course.
Participants are expected to attend all monthly sessions to receive the maximum benefit from the program.
Two unexcused absences will result in removal from the program.
The Michigan Nonprofit Association’s Organizational Assessment and Planning Tool will be used to assess each participant’s program and will be part of the initial application process.
Indicate the need for a scholarship in the application process. A link to the scholarship application will then be provided. Scholarship application must be completed within 2 business days of receiving the link. The application process includes a completed application, a letter of recommendation, an assessment, and an interview.
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