WARREN, OHIO—SEPTEMBER 11, 2024—The Raymond John Wean Foundation has announced a new leadership development opportunity for the Mahoning Valley nonprofit sector. The Wean Foundation will launch its first Nonprofit Leadership Cohort in early 2025. Over eight months, the program will provide up to 10 mid-career nonprofit professionals with coaching, peer-to-peer learning and opportunities to implement skills learned within their organizations.
After completing the Nonprofit Leadership Cohort, which is at no cost to individuals or their nonprofit organizations, participants will have the opportunity to apply for a Wean Foundation Strategic Partners Fellowship. The fellowship enables individuals to grow within their organizations and ensures they are fairly and appropriately compensated for their advancement. This effectively expands the Strategic Partners Fellowship program, established in 2022, from two to up to 10 fellows working at Mahoning Valley nonprofits that align with the Wean Foundation’s strategic priorities.
The Nonprofit Leadership Cohort builds on the success of the Wean Foundation’s former Emerging Leaders program, a collaborative learning exchange that began in 2013 and engaged more than 80 Mahoning Valley leaders. Adjustments were made to ensure continuity and sustainability of the Nonprofit Leadership Cohort and—most importantly—to offer individuals who go through the program the chance to connect to future opportunities for growth.
“Through all of these efforts, we are focused on creating leadership opportunities for Black, Hispanic and Latinx individuals, developing and promoting equitable compensation practices and expanding the capacity of our Mahoning Valley nonprofits,” said Fallon Peterson, Senior Director of Programs and Operations at the Wean Foundation. “That’s a win for individuals, a win for nonprofits, and a win for our community.”
The announcement of the new Nonprofit Leadership Cohort came at the close of the Wean Foundation Anniversary Summit on Tuesday at The Grand Resort in Warren, which brought together more than 150 neighborhood, nonprofit, business, government, and other community leaders in celebration of its 75th anniversary. During the Summit, attendees worked together to develop ideas and solutions to strengthen the nonprofit sector. Specifically, discussions focused on ways to advance equitable compensation through community education, policy and advocacy. Dr. Ruha Benjamin, the Alexander Stewart 1886 Professor of African American Studies at Princeton University, founding director of the Ida B. Wells Just Data Lab, and author of several award-winning books, including Viral Justice: How We Grow the World We Want, gave a keynote address.
The Wean Foundation will hold information sessions on October 9, 10 and 12 for those interested in learning more about the Nonprofit Leadership Cohort. More details can be found at weanfoundation.org/get-involved/.
About The Raymond John Wean Foundation
Established in 1949, the Wean Foundation is dedicated to community building in the under-resourced communities of Warren and Youngstown in Ohio’s Mahoning Valley. The Wean Foundation leverages a dynamic combination of grantmaking, capacity building, convening and partnerships to provoke new thinking, strengthen communities and disrupt the status quo to achieve its vision: empowered residents creating an equitable Mahoning Valley. Visit weanfoundation.org to learn more.
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Kasie Rogers (she/her)
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The Raymond John Wean Foundation
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