WGC and The Horizon Foundation Partner on New Report Highlighting Black Women's Experiences in Nonprofit Leadership in Howard County

At the Women's Giving Circle's Black Philanthropy Month 2024 Kick-Off Happy Hour on August 1, we were excited to announce our partnership with the Horizon Foundation to fund a new report highlighting stories and wisdom from Black Women Nonprofit Leaders in Howard County.

The WGC's grantmaking is informed by the WGC’s State of Women and Girls in Howard County, our online baseline compilation of data about women and girls from statistics published by a range of federal, state, and county agencies as well as public, private, and nonprofit organizations.​

The State of Women and Girls in Howard County is a website that presents information on the state of women and girls in Howard County in six categories:

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• Demographics and Diversity 
• Work and the Economy 
• Education and Educators 

• Health and Well-Being
• Safety and Justice 
• Leadership and Political Participation

This data is helping WGC to better support women and girls in our community. And, we hope that others in the community will utilize this baseline data to enhance support for women and girls as well.

At our Black Philanthropy Month Happy Hour, WGC Chair Jennifer Bodensiek said:

"I am excited about our intentional support for Black women in our community. This year, we are joining forces with our long-time partners at The Horizon Foundation to look into the nonprofit leadership experiences for Black women in Howard County. Together, we are collecting data and information on challenges for Black women leaders across the country and how the funding community and others are working to support them. And, we are speaking with and listening to women here in our community. Our goal is to highlight what we learn, and develop some action steps for how we can provide support. For the Women’s Giving Circle, this effort will build upon the data we continue to collect as part of our State of Women and Girls in Howard County that we use to inform our grantmaking."

Nikki Highsmith Vernick, President and CEO of the Horizon Foundation joined us at the Happy Hour to say a few words about our partnership:

"Good evening. I am excited to be here and my gratitude to each of you for supporting Black Philanthropy month. The Horizon Foundation has a new strategic plan.  For the first time in 27 years, we have changed our vision and mission. 

• Here is our new vision statement: The Horizon Foundation envisions a Howard County free from systemic inequities, where all people can live abundant and healthy lives.

• ​And here is our new mission statement: We work side-by-side with community to build power, advocate for policy change and dismantle structural racism to achieve better health for everyone in Howard County and greater Maryland.

We promise to work side-by-side with black women in our community. To be better allies. To be better funders. And, to be a more supportive community particularly to black women in non-profit leadership roles.

We are working in partnership with the Women’s Giving Circle to fund a report highlighting stories and wisdom from Black Women Nonprofit Leaders in Howard County. We will be working closely with Tiffany Erbelding and Rashel Taylor, who are here today, to interview Black women who are:

• Currently in nonprofit leadership positions (CEOs, Executive Directors, and Board Members)
• Black women who have declined positions of leadership, and
• Those in the potential pipeline for leadership in the future  

The purpose of the report and interviews are to:

• Elevate their stories and experiences
• Share perspectives on how we can better support women of color leaders (as boards, as funders, as employers, and as community organizations), and
• ​Specifically, as funders, we want to understand ways that we have potentially harmed women of color leaders and/or ways we could better back and champion these amazing women

So, just a heads up that we could be calling upon you. Either by participating as an advisory member, an interviewee, or potentially as a reader and audience member when we release the report in late fall. Thank you in advance to all of you who share your wisdom with us. We are grateful."

We are excited for this opportunity and will inform the community about our development efforts along the way - stay tuned!

Questions: Contact WGC Executive Director Buffy Beaudoin-Schwartz: [email protected]

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