Wean Foundation Funds 2 Local Equity Programs

WARREN – The Raymond John Wean Foundation announced grant partnerships with two local organizations with missions to seek equitable access to resources, knowledge and opportunity for minorities.

The combined support to the two programs is $246,812.

The first grant was awarded to the Organización Civica y Cultural Hispana Americana Inc. (OCCHA), which has a long-standing history of providing social, economic, cultural and educational programs primarily to the Hispanic/Latinx and multi-cultural communities and Youngstown’s Spanish-speaking residents.

“The OCCHA staff and Board of Trustees thanks the Raymond John Wean Foundation for this grant that will be used for operational expenses. These funds allow OCCHA to further its mission of improving the lives of the Hispanic and Multi-cultural communities,” said Angelica Diaz, executive director of OCCHA.

The second partnership is with the YSU Center for Nonprofit Leadership, which provides a 12-week professional development opportunity with the the intentionality of race equity and inclusion values embedded in design of the fellowship.

Based on research from the National Association of Colleges and Employers which shows minority students are disadvantaged when it comes to internships, the program focuses on minority internship participation, actively recruiting and tracking participants and host organizations led by people of color.

Black students are underrepresented as paid interns and overrepresented as unpaid interns, while Hispanic and Latino students are more likely to have not had any internship by graduation.

Interested students and organizations are encouraged to reach out to Dewberry at LJDewberry@ysu.edu. An application will be emailed to organizations in mid-October. Students can apply to specific positions beginning in January 2023.

“It is an honor to continue our strategic partnership with the Wean Foundation for this important work,” says Laura Dewberry, director of the YSU Center for Nonprofit Leadership. “We believe this program is a model for how a foundation/university partnership can create inclusion and equity in the nonprofit workforce. We are excited to implement the Nonprofit Leadership Summer Fellowship Program once again in the summer of 2023.”

The Wean Foundation board is emphasizing the importance of increasing economic mobility of residents in Warren and Youngstown neighborhoods and continues to seek partnerships with organizations well-aligned with their missions and values. Organizations interested in grant opportunities should complete the WeanFolio, which is the first-step to possible partnerships with the foundation.

The Wean Foundation will also be hosting several upcoming Capacity Building Program opportunities that will be held in-person this fall.

• Equitable Organizations Learning Series – a customized series consisting of three 90-minute sessions where organizations will learn key tactics for strategically planning to achieve equitable organizations, beginning with equitable compensation.
•  American Negotiation Institute’s Finding Confidence in Conflict – a workshop where participants, through the lens of race equity and inclusion, will develop strategies for gaining confidence and conquering the most difficult conversations in life and business.
• Ohio Voice Movement Ecology Workshop – a full-day workshop that will introduce participants to a social movement ecology framework.

To learn more about capacity building opportunities with the Foundation contact Tara C. Walker- Pollock at 330.394.5600 x105 or tpollock@weanfoundation.org.

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.