NEW FELLOWSHIP TO TRAIN NEXT GENERATION OF GRANTMAKERS, PREPARE PHILANTHROPY TO BE MORE INCLUSIVE AND EFFECTIVE IN SOLVING COMMUNITY PROBLEMS
Share
Tweet
(Saint Paul, MN – Oct. 16, 2013) – The Minnesota Council on Foundations (MCF) and the Bush Foundation today announced the launch of the new MCF Philanthropy Fellowship program which aims to increase the number of people from under-represented communities holding leadership positions in philanthropy.
The MCF Philanthropy Fellowship will prepare high-potential leaders for careers in philanthropy. In the first year of the program, three fellows will be employed by the Minnesota Council on Foundations and placed in three-year appointments at the Bush Foundation to work either with its Community Innovation or Education team. Fellows will gain valuable work experience while infusing new energy and viewpoints into the Foundation’s work. They will also receive significant professional development and networking opportunities via MCF, the leading educational resource for grantmakers in Minnesota.
“Philanthropy is a powerful force for change in our communities. But if the leaders of philanthropic organizations do not reflect the communities they serve, then those institutions will be less effective,” said the Bush Foundation’s Alfonso Wenker, designer of the new fellowship program. “The MCF Philanthropy Fellowship is about more than changing the face of leadership in philanthropy; it’s about preparing philanthropy to be more inclusive and therefore more effective in solving community problems.”
The program concept began as a Bush Foundation project called the ‘Resident Fellows Program.’ Seeing the potential for positive impact throughout the philanthropic community, Bush Foundation partnered with the Minnesota Council on Foundations to create a program that could easily expand to other foundations in future years.
“MCF has entered into this partnership with the Bush Foundation because we are committed to developing a diverse philanthropic pipeline as we train the next generation of grantmakers,” said Trista Harris, MCF president.
Three Fellows will be selected through an application process that opens today and closes at noon on November 13, 2013. Fellows should have at least five years professional experience and come from a community that is currently under-represented in philanthropic leadership. The immediate focus will be on increasing racial diversity. Visit http://bushfoundation.org/MCFFellows for more information or to apply.
About the Bush Foundation
The Bush Foundation invests in great ideas and the people who power them. The Foundation
was established in 1953 by 3M executive Archibald Bush and his wife, Edyth, and today works in communities across Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and the 23 Native nations that share the same geographic area. Learn more at http://www.BushFoundation.org.
About the Minnesota Council on Foundations
The Minnesota Council on Foundations (MCF) works actively to expand and strengthen a vibrant community of diverse grantmakers who individually and collectively advance the common good. MCF members represent three-quarters of all grantmaking in the state, awarding more than $1 billion annually. Members include private family and independent foundations, community and other public foundations, and corporate foundations and giving programs. For more information, visit http://www.mcf.org.
Reader Comments(0)