Accepting Applications: Collective Capacity-Building Cohort with a Racial Equity Focus

BACKGROUND

The Foundation is committed to advancing racial equity across all our work in Forsyth County because data shows that race serves as a reliable predictor of an individual’s educational, health, and economic outcomes. We recognize that systems—the institutions, policies, and resource allocation in our community—have played a major role in this data and that we must focus on these systems to bring about real change.  

Our commitment is both urgent and long-term, and we recognize that we cannot make lasting change alone. We’ve heard from many nonprofit leaders who are committed to building racial equity within their organizations and we also acknowledge that this work requires significant investments of time and money. By joining together and supporting local nonprofits, we know we can work to address deeply entrenched barriers and harmful disparities that are holding us all back.

Since 2018, the Foundation has taken action to align our values of diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout our internal culture, systems, and practices. The Foundation also invests significant resources to advance equity through our Focus Area work, Mission Aligned Investments, Capacity-Building Grants, and Black Philanthropy Initiative and Women’s Fund grants.  

In the past, the Foundation has offered other small group learning opportunities around different capacity-building topics, including in marketing and resource development. This cohort will focus on building racial equity.

DETAILS: COLLECTIVE CAPACITY-BUILDING COHORT

The Foundation is requesting applications from recent grantees interested in participating in a 4-month learning cohort to support and strengthen their racial equity work. A small group of diverse nonprofit organizations and participants (no more than 12 organizations and 24 people) will be selected to work with an external consulting firm, Seeds of Change. The Foundation will pay the program cost for all participants.

Eligibility

This opportunity is for nonprofit organizations that:  

• serve Forsyth County, North Carolina.  
• are grantees of the Foundation, the Black Philanthropy Initiative, or The Women’s Fund of Winston-Salem within the past three years.  
• demonstrate an active commitment to racial equity, with priority given to organizations that have already begun examining their policies and practices with a racial equity lens.  

This opportunity is not intended for organizations that are in the beginning stages of their racial equity journeys; however, an application for a Capacity-Building Grant would be suitable for these organizations.

Program Timeline

This program consists of monthly in-person group sessions and virtual coaching hours, launching on December 13, 2023, and closing on April 16, 2024. Coaching hours will be scheduled directly between Seeds of Change and each nonprofit organization. Monthly group sessions are pre-set and will be held at the Foundation's Burress Family Center for Philanthropy (located on the third floor of our office building at 751 West Fourth Street). Please see the dates below to ensure full participation before applying.

• Virtual Meet and Greet
  Wednesday, December 13, 2023 | 10:00 – 11:00 AM
• Group Session  
  Wednesday, January 31, 2024 | 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM  ‍
• Group Session  
  Thursday, February 22, 2024 | 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM ‍
• Group Session
  Wednesday, March 27, 2024 | 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM ‍
• Final Group Session and Closing Lunch
  Tuesday, April 16, 2024 | 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM

HOW TO APPLY

Apply online by 5:00 PM on Friday, December 1, 2023. Applicants will receive a decision within the first week of December.  

If you have specific questions, please reach out to:

April Durr
Program Director, Responsive Grantmaking
adurr@wsfoundation.org