As we enter the season of giving thanks, we want to express our appreciation to all dedicated to advancing racial equity and social justice. The Weingart Foundation stands with you. In line with our commitment to inclusivity, we are highlighting two efforts confirming the power of listening.
It takes intentional effort to seek out diverse voices and more importantly, to act on what you hear. We recently sought the input of key nonprofit organizations building power and providing critical services, as well as expert sources on the importance of including people of color on nonprofit boards. We hope the following helps inform your work as it has ours.
Key Learnings from Listening to Frontline Organizations
Eric Medina and Sara Montrose, Program Officers
Earlier this year our program officers reached out to community leaders throughout Southern California for a series of listening sessions. Listening to communities and responding to their needs is at the core of what we do.
Leaders shared how they are addressing the mental health crisis, educational inequities, homelessness and housing needs, food insecurity, and health care gaps—all laid bare by the pandemic. They also shared about their inspiring work to advance racial justice and systems change.
Click here to read this post from Weingart Foundation program officers Eric Medina and Sara Montrose about what we’re hearing and how funders can respond.
Board Diversity: Beyond the Numbers
Dr. Yolanda Gorman, African American Board Leadership Institute; Patrick Salazar, Latinos LEAD; and Vera de Vera, Weingart Foundation
Vera de Vera, who is a program director at the Weingart Foundation and leads our capacity building work, recently moderated a discussion on board diversity with Dr. Yolanda Gorman, board member and faculty of the
African American Board Leadership Institute (AABLI), and Patrick Salazar, founder and executive director of
Latinos for Leadership Excellence and Diversity (Latinos LEAD). In the recorded conversation, Dr. Gorman and Mr. Salazar share highlights of board diversity pilot projects their organizations implemented and lessons learned. The video offers guidance to nonprofit organizations in recruiting and supporting people of color on their boards of directors and creating a more inclusive culture within their organizations. You can find other resources on board diversity
here.
Please click here to view the video and hear directly from these experts.
