Lesson 1: What does a Think Tank do?
Lesson 2: Types of Think Tanks
Lesson 3: Business Basics
Lesson 4: Fundraising Basics
Lesson 5: Get Started!

This page offers additional resources for think tank management to Atlas Leadership Academy participants. From regularly updated links, to valuable resources, and a regularly updated series on Products You Can Replicate. This page serves as a library of links to useful information for participants in the Atlas Leadership Academy.

Atlas’s Think Tank Primer
Products you can Replicate -coming soon

Websites for Sharpening Your Understanding of Liberty:

Learn Liberty
Online Library of Liberty

Tools for Finding Jobs and Internships in the Freedom Movement:

Talent Market
Liberty Guide
Heritage Job Bank
Conservative Jobs

Fundraising Resources:

Grant Craft
European Foundation Center
Foundation Centre
World Initatives for Grantmaker Support
Budget Template
Boardsource.org
Mal Warwick Associates

Books Cited in Think Tank 101:

The Tipping Point, Malcom Gladwell
Good to Great, Jim Collins
Delivering Happiness, Tony Hseih

1. How do I enroll in this program?

2. How do I know how many credits I’ve earned?

3. Why should I participate in ALA?

4. How are credits awarded?

5. What do credits mean?

6. How much does it cost to participate?

7. The monthly webinars aren’t offering training in areas I need. How can we change this?

8. How long does it take to achieve 12 credits and become an Atlas Leadership Alumnus?

9. I run a student conference and would love to find a way to get alumni of this program more involved, is ALA for them?

10. How can I get to know other participants and graduates of ALA?

1. How do I enroll in this program?

If you have participated in an Atlas Leadership Academy program, we have already enrolled you into the Atlas Leadership Academy program and awarded the appropriate number of credits. If you are new to Atlas, please visit the Network Member page to enroll today.

2. How do I know how many credits I’ve earned?

Take a look at the Atlas Leadership Academy main page so see the catalog of programs and their credit value. If you have participated in any of these programs in the last 5 years, you have earned the credit. To confirm your credit total and to get suggestions for how to earn remaining credits, contact Cindy Cerquitella at cindy.cerquitella@atlasnetwork.org.

3. Why should I participate in ALA?

This program is the result of many decades of experience working with and training think tank leaders. If you believe you have the potential to have a large impact for liberty, these training opportunities will help you grow quickly with the help of others who share your commitment and vision for a free society. In addition, Atlas Leadership Academy participants will receive special consideration for Atlas trial, project and travel grants.

4. How are credits awarded?

Successful completion of any of the Atlas Leadership Academy training opportunities earns you credits. Atlas will track your progress and provide you credit totals periodically along with suggestions on next steps. Atlas retains sole discretion over awarding credits. Incomplete or unsatisfactory participation in training opportunities may result in failure to earn credits.

5. What do credits mean?

Earning credits towards the Atlas Leadership Academy graduation sends the following market signals to Atlas, donors and employers.

• You are serious about investing in your skills and knowledge.
• You have gained rigorous training in the business aspects of running a think tank.
• You have demonstrated initiative.
• You have demonstrated a firm understanding of the ideas of liberty.

Once you have earned a total of 12 credits, you will qualify for graduation from Atlas Leadership Academy. You will receive special recognition at Atlas events, as well as a ready-to-frame certificate of accomplishment.

6. How much does it cost to participate?

Each training opportunity has a different registration fee — some are offered free of charge, none cost more than $500 to register. Atlas is able to offer these training programs at such reduced prices thanks to the generosity of our donors.

7. The monthly webinars aren’t offering training in areas I need. How can we change this?

Email Cindy Cerquitella if you’d like to offer a suggestion, or would like to host a webinar as an instructor.

8. How long does it take to achieve 12 credits and become an Atlas Leadership Alumnus?

There is no set timeline for completing the requirements, but in most cases it will probably take a minimum of one year. Note that the online programs (Atlas Challenge, Think Tank 101 Online) can be taken anytime and require no more than six weeks to complete. Think Tank MBA (spring), The Atlas Experience (spring), Think Tank Leadership Training (fall), and Liberty Forum (fall) take place only once per year. Freedom Schools are scheduled throughout the year in various parts of the world. Webinars are scheduled roughly once per month. Free Enterprise Center trainings are scheduled in groups or individually on a case by case basis. Several of these programs have limited space, and require an application process. Credits are good for 5 years.

9. I run a student conference and would love to find a way to get alumni of this program more involved, is ALA for them?

Certainly! Atlas Leadership Academy offers training to anyone looking to have an impact advancing liberty. Students and interns are often looking for next steps, and the Atlas Challenge is highly recommended for young people who are thinking about their future.

10. How can I get to know other participants and graduates of ALA?

Join the Atlas Leadership Academy page on Facebook! (coming soon)

Freedom Schools provide instruction on the history, ideas and philosophy of liberty. They are hosted in local languages around the world and provide an exciting opportunity to learn about liberty and to meet like-minded colleagues in your region.

In 2012, Freedom Schools will be held in the following countries:

Mozambique
Ivory Coast
Indonesia
India
Azerbaijan
Turkey
Vietnam
China
Russia
Morocco
Brazil

For more information, please contact Matt Warner at matt.warner@atlasnetwork.org

Flagship Events (1 credit)
Atlas’s flagship events, The Atlas Experience and Liberty Forum, offer a series of panels and discussions on think tank management and policy topics. Coupled with the international networking associated with attendance, these events are valuable opportunities for learning and growth. To learn more about these events including this year’s dates and locations, click here.

Free Enterprise Centers (2 credits)
Free Enterprise Centers provide regional training to think tank leaders from local experts. Learn about the best methods for running a think tank from leaders in your region.
Participation in either a Freedom School, Atlas Flagship event or Free Enterprise Center training earns you 2 credits.
The following Atlas partners serve as Atlas Free Enterprise Centers:

Libertad y Desarollo
Chile
Contact: Claudia Hernandez

Lithuanian Free Market Institute
Lithuania
Contact: Edita Maslauskaite

Centre for Civil Society
India
Contact: Baishali Bomjan

Montreal Economic Institute
Global
Contact: Cindy Cerquitella

This six-week online training course guides you through a series of exercises designed to help you think deeply about how your unique talents can be developed to advance liberty. Each week you’ll be introduced to key insights and life lessons from some of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs and you’ll be challenged to evaluate the materials and to apply them to your journey.

Who will benefit from this course:

• Young entrepreneurs contemplating a career advancing liberty.
• New think tank leaders eager to sharpen their vision
• Mid-career professionals looking for a new challenge

You’ll learn:

• Your capacity for the hard work ahead and ability to tackle problems head-on
• Your true passions and prospects for achieving your goals
• Lessons from heroes you admire
• Where you can make the most impact

When you’re finished, you’ll leave with:

• A strong understanding of your skills, your passions and you’re goals for expanding liberty
• A network of mentors and collaborators who can guide you as you move forward
• A vision for your future in the freedom movement

Successful completion of this course will earn you 2 credits within the Atlas Leadership Academy. Once you’ve defined your vision and goals, we encourage you to move on to the online Think Tank 101 Course, which will earn you 3 credits, and will provide practical information on starting or leading a think tank.

The Atlas Challenge has been adapted from the rigorous and proven approach to organizational success developed by successful entrepreneur and Acton Business School Founder Jeff Sandefer. The lessons you’ll learn here, customized for the think tank world, are the same lessons taught to MBA students in one of the world’s most compelling business schools.

To learn more about Acton MBA, click here.

Don’t forget to become an Atlas Network Member!

Embark on the Atlas Challenge today!

There is a $99 fee for this program. Please contact Cindy Cerquitella for scholarship opportunities.

The Atlas Leadership Academy (ALA) is a flexible curriculum of online courses and onsite training programs that allow you to gain the skills you need to succeed in the world of free market think tanks. Whatever your current circumstances – whether you are leading a think tank now or just beginning to contemplate a career advancing liberty, Atlas Leadership Academy offers programs to help you.

We know that your scarcest resource is your time, and these programs allow you to advance your skills on your schedule. Atlas caters to a worldwide network of free market leaders, and now, with the Atlas Leadership Academy, anyone can access our exciting products and training online.

Below you will find a menu of training courses and opportunities, each offering a unique experience as well as credits toward completion of the Atlas Leadership Academy graduation requirements.  Once participants have successfully earned 12 credits, they will enter into Atlas’s Atlas Leadership Alumni program. Alumni will have access to specialized programs within Atlas, and will be given preferential consideration in future grant making decisions.

Enroll Today!

This five-lesson course provides the introductory information you need to start or improve a free market think tank. Each course will provide a lesson and practical applications to guide you on your path.

Each lesson is available in both video and text format, and includes practical exercises designed to put your new skills to work in a productive way – moving you closer to your goal of establishing or revitalizing a successful think tank. Those who have successfully completed this course will receive 3 credits towards the Atlas Leadership Academy program.

Who will benefit from this course?

• Individuals in the early stages of launching a think tank.
• Groups in their first few years of launching a think tank.
• Those seeking to revitalize a stagnant organization.

You’ll learn:

• The important role a think tanks play in society
• The different think tank models used to achieve the greatest change in society
• How to conduct a market analysis to determine the best way to achieve the results you desire
• The basics of drafting a strategic plan and budget for your organization
• How to establish a track record in order to attract others to your work
• Essentials for fundraising successfully

You’ll leave with:

• A market analysis of what your society needs and how you can fill that need
• Sample business plans, budgets and funding proposals
• Products ready to be promoted, and relationships with local partners
• A basic business plan ready to be shared with supporters

This course is available for you to take at any time, online, for free. As you work through the courses, take them seriously, and apply them to your current plans.

Once you’ve completed the Think Tank 101, take a look at and consider participating in the other trainings available through Atlas Leadership Academy such as monthly webinars, Think Tank MBA and one-on-one training through one of our Regional training programs. These will not only help you gain more credits towards completing Atlas Leadership Academy, but you will also gain a wealth of new friends and experiences that will help you to succeed.

Lesson 1: What does a Think Tank do?
Lesson 2: Types of Think Tanks
Lesson 3: Business Basics
Lesson 4: Fundraising Basics
Lesson 5: Get Started!

Lesson 1: What does a Think Tank do?
Lesson 2: Types of Think Tanks
Lesson 3: Business Basics
Lesson 4: Fundraising Basics
Lesson 5: Get Started!