Foundation Launches East Side Saint Paul Women Leaders Initiative
Women in leadership have unique needs that when addressed and supported make our communities stronger.
Rooted Philanthropic is excited to announce the launch of the East Side Saint Paul Women Leaders Initiative. This initiative was realized through the voices of East Side leaders who shared with us the many struggles they experience and the isolation they feel as they work to strengthen their communities. These women were hungry for a space that would offer wellness activities, networking opportunities and leadership skill-building.
The research is clear that women in leadership are critical for a healthy community. Yet women burn out and leave both formal and informal leadership roles too frequently. This is especially true for women who identify as Black, Indigenous and People of Color. Working with a consultant, Stephanie Harr, we spent several months listening to East Side women leaders who identified a set of themes and issues that had the potential to hinder their success and ways in which success might be achieved. They also helped us identify a set of strategies that could strengthen their leadership and create the network necessary to address isolation and help them succeed. As a result, the foundation has developed a one-year initiative to implement these strategies and gauge the efficacy of this approach to leadership development and support for future cohorts of women leaders on the East Side of Saint Paul.
Specifically, the one-year initiative for 16 women will include:
- Leadership opportunities through a weekend retreat and regular, ongoing cohort gatherings to hone leadership skills, rest and build a strong network of peer support.
- A pool of financial resources to support each cohort participant’s personal leadership development at up to $3,000 per participant.
If you are a woman leading on the East Side of Saint Paul who is seeking connection and community with other women leaders – please consider applying!
The cohort will launch with a kick-off on Thursday, October 10th from 5:30-7:30 PM.
The mid-year Weekend Retreat will be January 24-26, 2025, exact times and location TBD.
Who should apply?
All women leaders over the age of 18 whose leadership impacts the East Side of the City of St. Paul, either because you live or work (or both!) on the East Side, are invited to apply. We welcome all women and non-binary people who identify with womanhood to participate. BIPOC leaders are encouraged to apply. Our team will work to ensure that the cohort is a racially diverse, intergenerational group of women. We encourage folks to apply who have leadership experience, whether formal or informal. You don’t need to have an official title to be a leader.
There is no cost to join but you must complete an application by September 22, 2024. Selection of the cohort participants from all applications will occur the week of September 30, 2024.
The Initiative Consultant
Courageous Change Collective is led by a three-woman team shaped by their experiences as Immigrant, People of Color, Indigenous, LGBTQ people. They are united by shared passion for growing communities of love and justice through transformative facilitation. They have over five decades of professional experience working hand-in-hand with communities, non-profit organizations, government agencies, and health and education systems. They are a team of practitioner-consultants, drawing on experiences embedding a racial equity lens within their past organizations, and continuing to lead and participate in community engagement, leadership development, and racial equity initiatives.
To learn more, click HERE.
If you have questions, please contact [email protected].