Leadership Montgomery Receives Grant Funding to Support Racial Equity Efforts, Seeks Registrants for New Program

 

Rockville, MD (July 30, 2019) – Leadership Montgomery (LM) has received grants totaling $185,000 to help fund its racial equity programming and initiatives. The grants – ranging from $20,000 to $100,000 – will provide programs to build capacity to address racial disparities and to advance racial equity in Montgomery County. Race equity is a crucial component of the organization’s Leadership in Action initiative, which addresses critical social issues impacting Montgomery County. The initiative was launched in 2016 after the organization hosted the town hall “Policing in a Post-Ferguson World” that convened the community and its leaders to discuss the relations between law enforcement and the public in America.

“The goal of the Leadership in Action initiative is to inspire leaders to boldly improve Montgomery County” said LM President and CEO, C. Marie Taylor. “Our funding partners are demonstrating their own commitments to leadership in action and by investing and participating in racial equity work. We are thrilled to expand the initiative through the continuation of the racial equity workshops and introduce the eight-month REAL Inclusion program.”

LM’s 2019 racial equity programming funders include:

  • Meyer Foundation, $100,000: To support the continuation of racial equity workshops and the expansion of programming including the REAL Inclusion Program.
  • Montgomery County, $40,000: To support racial equity work.
  • Healthcare Initiative Foundation, $25,000: To support nonprofit organizations participating in the REAL Inclusion Program.
  • Consumer Health Foundation, $20,000: To support government employees participating in Racial Equity Institute workshops and the REAL Inclusion Program.

In 2018, LM piloted a series of two-day Racial Equity Workshops, led by the Racial Equity Institute, where participants interactively explore perspectives on race, racism, and racial and ethnic disparities. The workshops were then followed by debrief sessions aimed at further understanding the roles we play when it comes to equity in America, our communities, and our organizations. More than 350 leaders participated in the training in the first year.

As an expansion of this work, LM will launch an eight-month racial equity program in October. The REAL Inclusion (Racial Equity Action Leadership) program will examine the systemic beliefs, practices, and policies that have perpetuated racial inequities and situates that analysis within the context of organizational leadership. This program will also incorporate a unique and structured dialogue process that begins with understanding the historical roots of racism and ends with examining best practices for operationalizing equity within organizations. At the end of the program, students will receive a certificate of completion through LM’s partner Montgomery College.

Registration is now open for the REAL Inclusion program. Interested program participants can register through LM’s website at www.leadershipmontgomerymd.org/real-inclusion. Course tuition is $2,800 and includes the cost of food, facilitators and course materials.

The two-day Racial Equity Workshops will also continue during the 2020 fiscal year. Registration for the 6 offerings is available at www.leadershipmontgomermd.org/racialequity.

About Leadership Montgomery

 For 30 years, Leadership Montgomery has built bridges between the private, public, and nonprofit sectors of Montgomery County, Maryland to improve the community—the neighborhoods in which people live and the businesses in which they work.  Today, Leadership Montgomery provides six curriculum and service-based programs: CORE, Emerging Leaders, Senior Leadership Montgomery, REAL Inclusion, MoCo Insider and the Corporate Volunteer Council, as well as Leadership in Action initiatives, post-graduate programming, and special events. To date, Leadership Montgomery has graduated over 2,500 leaders, 955 of whom now hold board seats in County-based businesses, supported 864 local nonprofits with over 30,000 hours of volunteer service annually.

 

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