New Racial Wealth Divide Initiative

February 10, 2016 – Georgetown University’s Center for Public and Nonprofit Leadership (CPNL) is partnering with the Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED) and JP Morgan Chase & Co. in the new Racial Wealth Divide Initiative to address racial wealth disparities in five cities. The goal of the two-year Initiative, which kicks off this Spring in New Orleans and Miami, is to strengthen the asset building capacity and connectivity of local organizations of color. “CPNL’s role in the Initiative is to teach the participating nonprofits leadership and management practices that will help them become sustainable organizations and strong community leaders,” explained Luisa Boyarski, CPNL’s Assistant Director.

“We know there is a significant gap in diversity between the people who rely on nonprofits for critical financial and social services and the leadership of those organizations,” said Jeremie Greer, CFED Vice President for Policy and Research.

The Center for Public and Nonprofit Leadership will be responsible for an intensive leadership development experience for the cohorts of nonprofit leaders of color, based on CPNL’s signature Nonprofit Management Executive Certificate Program. The leaders will participate in an in-person nonprofit training, virtual learning, one-on-one coaching and a practical application capstone project—to build the leadership capacity at multiple levels: individual, organizational and community.

“Our Center is extremely proud to be part of the Racial Wealth Divide Initiative,” said Dr. Kathy Kretman, CPNL’s Director. “The Center’s mission is to strengthen the capacity of leaders to work across organizations, communities and sectors to advance social and economic opportunities. If we can provide the training, resources and support to organizations of color to accomplish their goals, then we have achieved our’s.”