WGC & Horizon Foundation Host Allyship Workshop

9/9/2025

This past year the Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County and The Horizon Foundation partnered to compile a report examining Black women's experiences, challenges, and contributions in nonprofit leadership roles in Howard County. “Elevating to Evolve: Stories of Wisdom, Excellence and a Call for Change from Black Women Nonprofit Leaders in Howard County” sheds light on the unique journeys of these leaders and calls for actionable steps toward greater equity and inclusion.

The goal of the report is to elevate stories and experiences, and to share perspectives on how individuals, boards, and funders can better support Black women leaders.

We hosted two town halls with local funders, nonprofits, and board members to discuss the report findings and the roadmap within for organizations to address disparities and support transformative leadership, because we know that ensuring that nonprofit leadership reflects the diversity of the communities they serve is essential for equitable and effective outcomes.

As a result of these early conversations with funders and the community we identified several initial activities to support Black women in leadership roles in the sector, including this important Allyship Training for funders and our nonprofit partners at the Howard County Nonprofit Collaborative.

We welcomed Whitney Parnell, Founder & CEO of Service Never Sleeps. SNS is a nonprofit organization that serves as a resource for justice-minded individuals by providing them with the knowledge and tools to advance racial equity within their own spheres of influence. Whitney led us through a thoughtful and meaningful conversation on allyship and our shared humanity - where we agreed that as part of this important work, we are collectively focused on "a world where we are all embraced for who we are, and able to thrive to reach our highest potential."

The WGC and Horizon Foundation will continue to highlight the findings of the report and bring the community together to work toward change - we hope you will continue to join with us.