About the Program
Inspired by the Career Pathways Program at the Council on Foundations, the 21/64 Certified Advisors of Color Program is a year-long leadership development opportunity dedicated to the training and advancement of Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) identifying professionals and advisors working with philanthropic families and individuals in the field.
Purpose
The purpose of this program is to foster a community of BIPOC identifying philanthropic professionals and advisors to build trusting and transformative relationships with donors with whom they work in their communities in an effort to diversify their philanthropic investments.
Objectives
With the intention of taking responsibility for evolving the field of philanthropic advising, 21/64 organized a national Advisory Committee who helps to oversee the Program and was instrumental in selecting the Inaugural Cohort of this Program's pilot year. In 2023, 21/64 hopes to convene another cohort of 16 BIPOC identifying professionals in philanthropy and advising to:
- Deepen their practices around multigenerational family, wealth and philanthropy: so as to be relational and transformational rather than transactional with donors of all ages, stages and backgrounds;
- Engage using a mentorship, coaching and peer learning model: to provide a supportive and brave learning environment, to explore ideas, navigate challenges, adopt new strategies and advance their careers;
- Hone personal narratives: to help participants articulate their vision as philanthropic advisors and in doing so, inspire donors to diversify their philanthropic investments toward just, equitable and community-led initiatives; and,
- Amplify voices: by leveraging our networks to provide thought leadership opportunities where participants can share their ideas and experiences, what they have learned, how the Program has influenced their philanthropic advising, and express a call to action to encourage diversity in the field.
Cost
Each participant’s investment in this year-long program in 2023 is $1,900, which is solely to cover participation in the 21/64 Virtual Multigenerational Approach Training. This fee will be augmented with additional funding that 21/64 raises to provide each participant with a total of $10,000 in peer consultations, educational workshops, mentoring and thought leadership support.
Location
All training, meetings and workshops will be hosted virtually via Zoom.
Selection Process
Applications will be reviewed by the 21/64 Advisory Committee consisting of current 21/64 Certified Advisors who are dedicating their time, talent and ties to the organization’s efforts in becoming equitable, diverse and inclusive in its practices, techniques and program delivery at 21/64.
We are grateful for their contribution to our work, investing in the leadership of BIPOC identifying peers and the philanthropic advisory space.
Eligibility
We encourage philanthropic professionals (working in private foundations, grantmaking institutions, community foundations, commercial gift funds, wealth advisors, independent consultants etc.) who identify as Black, Indigenous and People of Color and who work with philanthropic families to join us with these qualifications:
- More than four years experience working with high capacity giving families and individuals.
- Dedicated to a long-term career in nonprofit or social change leadership.
- Committed to attending all of the Program’s phases listed in the program schedule below.
- Professionally based in the North America.*
*For the 2023 cohort, we are reserving spots for professionals in North America. If you are based or working outside of the North America and are interested in joining the next cohort, let us know.
Selection Criteria
- Personal and professional leadership goals.
- Community and volunteer experience.
- Interest and readiness to integrate a multigenerational approach in the applicant's work.
- Openness to incorporate interpersonal skills and lived experiences into the applicant's technical skills.
Funders
We are grateful to our funding partners for their support as 21/64 takes responsibility to help evolve the philanthropic advisory field to be more inclusive in an effort to diversify philanthropic funding and social impact investments within and beyond the sector.
- Joyce and Irving Goldman Foundation
- Surdna Foundation
- Max M. & Marjorie Fisher Foundation
- Fetzer Institute
- Lisa McGill
- Courtney Harvey
Application
21/64 helps donors and clients take an identity-based approach to determining how and where to move resources for social change. Therefore, we believe in honoring and honing our narratives as professionals in order to help those with whom we work to clarify their own philanthropic identities.
In lieu of a traditional interview, submitting a resume or writing an application essay, we invite you to share a video by only responding to the following questions and statements. We anticipate that your video will be no more than 8 minutes in length.
Please respond only to the following questions and statements:
- Use of Self: The 21/64 Certified Advisors of Color Program (CAOC) was founded to advance the work and career journeys of BIPOC professionals and advisors in philanthropy. Please share with us how your identity informs your approach to advising; moreover, this year we are curious about how your faith, religious tradition or spiritual practice grounds you in your work. Tell us a story of how that component of your identity serves you.
- Role: How do you want to advance your career by participating in CAOC? What do you hope you’ll do next after completing this Program? Give us an example.
- 21/64’s Multigenerational Approach: Please describe the multigenerational work you are already doing or hope to grow into because of adding this approach to your way of working. Paint a picture.
- 21/64’s Community: There are many professional development opportunities in the field. What about 21/64’s Approach makes you want to have this cohort experience here?
- Bonus! Tell us something about yourself that we should know that we did not ask.
How to Apply:
- Reach out to Andine for general inquiries and to start the application process.
- Review the Program's schedule to ensure that you are available for all of the dates of this year-long learning journey.
- Learn about the Program’s inaugural cohort and current cohort to see if this is the right community for you.
- Begin preparing your video submission and let us know if you encounter any barriers with recording and submitting.
- Submit your application by March 6, 2023.
- Acceptances will be announced via email at the latest by April 19, 2023.
2023 Program Schedule:
Phase 1: Deepening Your Practice
- Program Orientation: May 5 from 12:30 – 2:00pm ET.
- 21/64 Multigenerational Approach Training: May 8 – 11 from 11:50am – 3:30pm ET each day (expect 45 min. of pre-work before each session).
Phase 2: Engaging Your Peers
- Ask Me Anything Ft. the 21/64 Advisory Committee: June 5 from 12:00 – 2:00pm ET.
- Peer Learning Sessions*: July 12, July 19, July 26 and August 2 from 1:00 – 2:30pm ET each date.
- Peer Learning Sessions*: July 27, August 3, August 10, August 17 from 1:00 – 2:30pm ET each date.
*Cohort participants will be pre-assigned to one or the other sets of dates for these peer learning sessions.
Phase 3: Honing Your Thought Leadership
- Telling Your Story Masterclass: October 10.
- Write to Change the World Workshop: November 14-15.
Phase 4: Amplifying Your Voice and Supporting Your Career Journey: Ongoing from December 2023 - March 2024.
- Bi-Weekly Community Office Hours (optional).
- Mentoring Sessions: Four 1-hour sessions to be agreed upon between cohort participant and assigned mentor.
- Thought Leadership Development and Placement.
Program Commencement and Celebration: March 29, 2024 from 12:00 – 2:00pm ET
Applications for the next cohort will open in December 2023. Email [email protected] if you are interested or have any questions about the Program.
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Questions?
If you have any questions about the application and Program general, please contact [email protected].
“I tell my students, 'When you get these jobs that you have been so brilliantly trained for, just remember that your real job is that if you are free, you need to free somebody else. If you have some power, then your job is to empower somebody else.'” – Toni Morrison