By Hiba Haroon, Enterprising Ventures of Color
Release Date: June 19, 2024
Juneteenth is a sacred day of recognition, remembrance, and reflection. Even though the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 declared African Americans to be free, this freedom wasn’t immediately granted to those still under confederal control. It wouldn’t be until June 19, 1865, when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, and declared more than 250,000 enslaved Black people free, that freedom would be actualized.
Over the next 17 years, known as the Reconstruction Era, formerly enslaved Black people worked tirelessly to reunite with families and loved ones, established institutions such as schools and hospitals, and deepened their political and social activism.
On this historic day, Enterprising Ventures of Color (EVC) remembers all that Black communities have fought for and obtained. We also recognize that there is still much to do. At a time of growing health, economic, and other social disparities and increased hate and extremism against Black communities and other marginalized communities, we must remain steadfast in our commitment to both protecting the freedom we have obtained and pursuing the freedom we have yet to experience.
Nonprofit organizations of color – those primarily serving, staffed, and led by people of color – have been a cornerstone of local, state, and national movements for decades. They are often the most trusted institutions in communities and play an instrumental role in moments of crises, as well as in long-term advocacy and systemic change.
After the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the murder of George Floyd and other unarmed Black and people of color in the United States, philanthropic institutions stepped up to increase funding for organizations of color serving people of color, understanding that those closest to and rooted in communities are vital to addressing the multifaceted challenges of our times.
However, we are now seeing a backsliding away from funding racial equity and justice work, a trend that is deeply troubling and dangerous. EVC recognizes the funding disparities that exist between white-led and BIPOC-led organizations and understands how these working conditions impact the financial security and well-being of leaders and staff of color. This is why we are committed to investing in the individual, organizational, and collective resilience of nonprofit leaders of color and partnering with funders to leverage the social, financial, and economic resources needed for these organizations to have long-term sustainable impacts. Most importantly, this work is about liberating capital and resources that Black, Indigenous, Latin, Asian, and other communities of color built (and continue to build) but have stolen from them.
Today, we are launching the application for the EVC Training Institute’s inaugural Leadership Academy designed for nonprofit leaders of color across the Greater Washington region, including Washington D.C., specifically Wards 7 & 8; Baltimore, MD; and Richmond, VA. The two-day in-person Leadership Academy will focus on elevating personal leadership and will be followed by more intensive sessions (EVC Immersion) for those interested in building or strengthening specific skills in areas such as revenue generation, financial management, strategic communications, and impact evaluation. Participants in both the Leadership Academy and Immersion will be invited to apply for a nine-month Fellowship Program, with five organizations ultimately selected to access coaching, workshop a programmatic challenge, and qualify for additional direct funding.
EVC is working towards a future where leaders of color deliver impact from a place of abundance and opportunity rather than scarcity and limitation and where communities of color are truly free and resourced to dream and actualize their potential. If you are a leader of color working in financial health in the Greater Washington Area, we invite you to apply to the Leadership Academy and join us on a transformational journey!
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