Leadership is never finished. Even the most accomplished among us benefit from a teacher and a community of peers.

That instinct is exactly what the Buncher Institute for Leadership Development was built to nurture. Established in 2023 and generously endowed by the Jack Buncher Foundation, Buncher Institute exists to connect, inspire and train the volunteer leaders who serve on the boards of Pittsburgh's Jewish organizations.

Strong lay leadership doesn't happen by accident. Every synagogue, agency and institution in our community depends on board members who show up prepared, ask hard questions and know how to guide an organization through change. Someone has to invest in building that capacity, and that's Buncher Institute's job.

Its flagship program, Leading for Tomorrow, is a nine-month cohort for emerging board leaders, each one nominated by their own board chair as ready to grow into a leadership role. This year's inaugural cohort graduates in August, having completed the program with zero attrition: every member finished what they started. The curriculum draws on adaptive leadership theory and peer consultation, a model built to end the isolation that so often comes with board service and replace it with real relationships among people carrying similar responsibilities.

Buncher Institute's reach doesn't stop at one cohort. Director Ellen Gettinger recently became a certified BoardSource Governance Consultant, and Buncher Institute is putting that expertise to work through expanded, free board coaching for any Jewish organization in Pittsburgh that wants it, on governance, culture or simply where to go next.

When leaders at every stage invest in their own growth, it says something about how seriously Pittsburgh's Jewish community takes the work of leading well—from first-time board member to veteran executive.

That's mentorship.
That's growth.
That's Federation.