ELEVATING
THE VOICES OF WOMEN OF COLOR
IN INDUSTRIES THAT DESPERATELY NEED THEIR LEADERSHIP, FEARLESSNESS, AND CREATIVITY.
OUR
MISSION
To build an empowered community of leaders of color, equipping them with the professional advancement and healing needed to transform communities and the world.
UNDERSTANDING OUR
WHY
LIMITED ADVANCEMENT
The 2019 Building Movement Project (BMP) survey stated that “women of color who reported that their race and/or gender have been a barrier to their advancement indicated that they were sometimes left out or ignored and sometimes hyper visible under intense scrutiny, with both conditions creating burdens.”
LACK OF SOCIAL CAPITAL
The 2019 Building Movement Project (BMP) also noted Black women were among the least likely to say they had received a mentor on the job (43%) and among the most likely to say they often or always lacked social capital and networks (30%).
FUNDING DISPARITIES
Women of color led nonprofit organizations receive the least funding from philanthropic sources. The Echoing Green and Bridgespan research, Racial Equity and Philanthropy: Disparities in Funding for Leaders of Color Leave Impact on the Table, unveils the racial disparity in today’s funding environment and argues that population-level impact cannot happen without funding more leaders of color.
WHAT OUR CLIENTS ARE
SAYING
Taylor Hall
Chief of Staff
Crossroads Community Services
The BWNPL cohort was an opportunity I knew I needed, but that I entered with little expectation. I define this community as one where I felt comfortable to show up as my authentic self and be vulnerable. I saw myself in my peers through our commonalities and shared experiences. I was also able to dream of my future self because I was surrounded by so many beautiful, powerful, and accomplished Black women that inspired me. This community helped me heal and grow. The impact of this space will last the span of my lifetime because I walked away with lifelong relationships, more confidence, more self-awareness, and tools that will continue to elevate my personal and professional endeavors. I will tell anyone who listen about the BWNPL cohort. I hope to share my learnings and connections with other women.
Shane Woods
Executive Director, GirlStart
Founder/CEO, Brainstem Consultant
Being a part of the cohort allowed me to rediscover the young woman I had been when I was a young HBCU graduate full of dreams and an unwavering drive to make a difference in education. I was able to shed the layers of jaded experiences, missed opportunities, and professional disappointments by talking and being in fellowship with my fellow cohort sisters. We learned to define who we are and walk every day as great women full of purpose, grace, and wisdom. Leaving as a public speaker, author, and upskilled professional allowed me to step into a new role just months after the end of the cohort. This was one of the best experiences I have ever had and will continue to recommend this to other Black Women in Nonprofit Leadership.