Nonprofits rarely have access to the kinds of training and experiences available in top corporate environments, even though they address some of the world’s biggest challenges. McKinsey.org’s Ability to Execute (A2E) for Nonprofits program is bridging this gap by providing mission-driven organizations with practical skills to multiply their impact.
Equipping nonprofits to deliver greater impact
A2E is a six-month, hands-on program that supports a select group of organizations each year, helping teams build practical skills that strengthen how they work together and deliver results. The program is designed to turn these skills into consistent ways of working and create a shared language across the organization. Participants develop nine essential capabilities, ranging from problem-solving and root cause analysis to communication and leadership, designed for immediate, on-the-job application.
“A2E enables nonprofits to unlock their full potential through fundamental skills that endure in an organization long after the program formally ends,” says Zach Rodgers, senior program manager for A2E. “This helps close a critical capability gap in the nonprofit sector and create a lasting impact for the communities they serve.”
Since 2022, A2E has reached nearly 12,000 participants at organizations serving 46 million beneficiaries worldwide.
A learning journey built for real-world application
Grounded in McKinsey’s experience across industries and geographies, the A2E capabilities are designed for roles at all levels, from early-tenure staff to senior leaders.
The learning journey begins with a town hall and self-assessment to establish each participant’s baseline. It then progresses through a series of learning cycles, each with a workshop to introduce key skills, self-paced modules to reinforce them, and peer-learning sessions to apply the skills in real-world organizational contexts.
The program concludes with a final self-assessment to measure growth and skill adoption, a capstone to reflect, and a sustainability plan to ensure the capabilities, ways of working, and shared language stick after the program ends.
The A2E difference: building skills that last
Traditional training programs often struggle to translate learning into lasting behavior change. Without reinforcement, new skills remain theoretical.
What sets A2E apart from similar programs is its stickiness
A2E takes a different approach. It focuses not just on skill building, but on shaping mindsets and behaviors, ensuring that what participants learn shows up in how teams actually operate. Participants apply tools in real-time, on real challenges, with active involvement from their leaders. This combination helps embed changes into day-to-day work, making them more likely to stick.
“What sets A2E apart from similar programs is its stickiness,” says partner and A2E co-founder Dominic Skerritt. “These concepts get adopted and endure within the organization long after the program formally ends. They become part of the organization’s DNA, a deeply rooted way of working that is self-sustaining.”
The impact is measurable. Nearly 40 nonprofit leaders from A2E alumni organizations reported the following results 12 months after completing the program:
- 100% say their organization continues using at least one skill
- 95% report A2E has continued to have a positive impact on their organization
- 92% feel better equipped to deliver on their missions and serve their beneficiaries
- 87% say their staff have remained more efficient and effective since completing the program
- 82% report A2E led to lasting behavior change throughout their organization
Strengthening capabilities to expand Per Scholas’ reach
As Per Scholas rapidly expanded from a handful of locations to a national footprint, it faced a critical question: how to build internal capabilities needed to support its growth. McKinsey.org partnered with the nonprofit, which provides tuition-free technical and soft skills training, along with career coaching and job placement support, to help individuals launch careers in IT.
A2E has supported Per Scholas in introducing a shared language and more disciplined ways of working. Meetings became more focused, decision-making clearer, and teams more consistent in how they execute. One idea, in particular, stuck: prioritizing the “big rocks,” or the work that matters most, over the “pebbles” and “sand” that can dilute focus from their organization’s highest priorities.
As Per Scholas CEO Plinio Ayala puts it: “By learning to focus on what’s important and manage time better, our staff frees up ‘think time’ to improve our work, plan for the future, and be ambitious.”
Multiplying the impact of nonprofits around the world
Per Scholas is one of many organizations where McKinsey.org’s A2E program is helping nonprofits turn learning into lasting change. In Brazil, A2E helped organizations like Reprograma, Ensina Brasil, Nova Escola, and the Latin American Leadership Academy strengthen core management skills, improving meeting effectiveness, communication, and prioritization. In Greater China, nonprofits have used A2E to move from reactive ways of working to more focused, strategic execution. And in the US, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta applied A2E to enhance how leaders manage teams and execute, bringing more structure and clarity to day-to-day operations.
Across these examples, the takeaway is straightforward: A2E helps build capabilities that stick. The result is stronger organizations that are better equipped to prioritize, deliver, and expand their impact over time.