Centering Black Nonprofit Leaders: Building Capacity Through Community - Rooted2Thrive Ep. 59

Rooted2Thrive Podcast: Conversations That Elevate Our HumanityCentering Black Nonprofit Leaders: Building Capacity Through CommunitySeason 6, Episode 59 Host: Rochelle Peterson-AnsariOverview: In this episode, Rochelle Peterson-Ansari engages in a profound dialogue with Kelly Woodland, Executive Director of the Center for Leadership Equity, about the unique challenges and immense social capital of Black nonprofit executives. Woodland shares how the Black Nonprofit Chief Executives of Philadelphia (BNCEP) evolved from a virtual network during the 2020 racial reckoning into a thriving community of over 300 leaders dedicated to reimagining leadership through a lens of equity and asset-based sustainability. The conversation shifts the paradigm from transactional professional development to a model centered on trust and lived experience, emphasizing that when Black leaders are properly resourced and supported, they transition from mere resourcefulness to true innovation.Topics discussed:The Evolution of BNCEP: How the group formed in June 2020 to help Black leaders unpack personal and professional trauma while navigating their dual roles as executives and community members.Targeted Universalism: Focusing on the specific needs of historically negatively impacted groups to create customized supports that eventually benefit the entire sector.Lived Experience as a PhD: Recognizing the acute "on-the-ground" expertise of leaders who often come to the work through personal experiences with systemic gaps.Asset-Based Leadership: Moving beyond viewing vulnerable communities through a deficit lens to acknowledging Black leaders as the primary drivers of innovative social solutions."Thermostat" Leadership: The concept that leaders set the "temperature" or culture of the room, requiring spaces where they can be vulnerable about what they don't know without fear of judgment.The Power of Proximity: Why policy is most effective when crafted by individuals who have been the "end users" of the resources being distributed.Guest:Kelly Woodland Executive Director, Center for Leadership Equity at the United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey. With nearly 40 years of experience, he is a co-founder of BNCEP and a leading advocate for racial equity and nonprofit capacity building.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-s-woodland-0195a17/Websites: https://bncep.org/     https://unitedforimpact.org/our-focus/capacity-building/center-for-leadership-equity/ Check out more content and ways to connect with us:➡️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/perceptions/➡️ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/perceptionsunlimited➡️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/perceptionsunlimited/➡️ Email: [email protected] ➡️ Website: www.perceptionsunltd.comPlease feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below!Thank you for tuning into Rooted2Thrive: Conversations That Elevate Our Humanity!