WGC 2021 Grant Spotlight: Leadership Development Program for Women of Color

The Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County is excited to announce a new Social Justice funding partnership with The 3rd and The Highland Project for the development and implementation of a Leadership Development program for Women of Color in Howard County, Maryland.
 
“Social Justice is the assertion of the ideal that all humans should have the same rights and opportunities; it is woven into the WGC’s mission, vision, goals and statement of unity, including our diversity, equity and inclusion focus and our efforts to raise awareness of gender disparities” said Barb Van Winkle, WGC Advisory Board Chair. 
 
The Women’s Giving Circle is providing a $20,000 multi-year grant to The 3rd as an investment in the growth of the organization broadly, and specifically to provide support for increased representation for Women of Color in leadership positions throughout the county. This Leadership Development program will be developed as part of the services offered at The 3rd and will provide information, training, resources and connections for increased representation on local committees, task forces, boards of directors, and other leadership bodies in Howard County.
 
“The WGC is proud to partner nationally with The Highland Project and to invest locally in The 3rd” said Candace Dodson-Reed and Alison Canning, WGC Grants Committee Co-Chairs. “We are excited to provide support to a local organization that is focusing on gender and race equality, and now specifically on leadership opportunities for Women of Color.”
 
The 3rd is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization that is building a space that fosters dreams, creates community, and provides mentorship, which enables Women of Color to turn their ideas into economic power and freedom. As a co-created community of entrepreneurs, The 3rd has been developed with the belief that Women of Color need a space to build, execute, and thrive, and also need access to skill building, collaboration and accountability. 

“This is what this new funding partnership brings to The 3rd and to Women of Color throughout our community” said Laura Bacon, Founder of The 3rd. “Our growth will be exponential with the local support from the Women’s Giving Circle and the national support from The Highland Project, and we are thrilled that both organizations understand and support the unique challenges we face, and the unique gifts we bring to the table.”

As part of this multi-year Social Justice Grant, the Women’s Giving Circle is also providing a $10,000 grant to The Highland Project, a national coalition that is cultivating a coalition of Black women who are leading communities, institutions, and systems in the creation of multi-generational wealth and change where they live and serve. The Highland Project will provide strategic guidance and coaching to The 3rd during the development stage of this personalized Leadership Development program. 
 
“We are very excited to support the leadership of The 3rd and women of color pathblazers in Howard County” said Gabrielle Wyatt, founder of The Highland Project. “We believe our partnership can serve as a national model for working with local giving circles and nonprofits to support leadership development for Women of Color around the country.” 
 
This partnership will support the growth of The 3rd overall, and this new leadership curriculum in particular that will be modeled on a version of the Highland Project, which we hope will cultivate a pipeline of Women of Color who are leading the way in all sectors in Howard County.

“We know that gender and race equality are closely linked and we are honored to have the WGC invest in both to support leadership development for Women of Color through this important funding partnership” said Buffy Beaudoin-Schwartz, WGC Executive Director.

Learn more at www.womensgivingcircle.org

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