The Maine Community Foundation (MaineCF) has awarded 12 nonprofit leaders of color and their organizations a total of $83,450. The foundation’s Investing in Leaders of Color (ILOC) program awarded 10 organizations a total of $69,500. Donors with advised funds at MaineCF made an additional two grants totaling $13,950.
ILOC supports nonprofit leaders of color and their organizations. The program provides the organization and leader $6,950 each for one-on-one leadership coaching, a stipend for professional development and operating costs, and networking opportunities.
This program is designed for people of color in leadership positions in nonprofit organizations that serve communities of color and promote racial equity in the state of Maine.
2023 grantees include:
- Samaa Abdurraqib, Maine Humanities Council
- Jean Bosco Bihinda, Community Conservation Initiative
- Jonathan Cross, Kennedy Park Football Club
- Omar Hassan, United Youth Empowerment Services
- Edmond Kabagambe, Maine Labor and Resource Center
- Jacques Kabamba, Good Helper Foundation
- Mohammed Khalid and Safiya Khalid, Community Organizing Alliance
- Ashley Medina, Maine Community Integration
- Deysi Garcia Ortiz, Mano en Mano
- Amran Osman, Generational Noor
- Bakhita Saabino, Multi Generations for Affordable Housing
- Ruben Torres, Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition
Amran Osman is the founder and executive director of Generational Noor, a nonprofit organization based in Lewiston that works to educate the immigrant community on mental health and substance use disorders. She said participating in the ILOC program will empower her and the organization and reinforce the importance of its work.
“Being a woman of color myself, ILOC's central focus is particularly poignant. It enables us to draw from the program’s resources and to steadily enhance our methods of offering indispensable aid to our community,” Osman said. “This service is rarely afforded to individuals who are knee-deep in the disparities that uniquely face immigrants and the BIPOC community.”
ILOC was piloted in 2019 with nine nonprofit leaders from across the state. The program is part of MaineCF’s racial equity work that focuses on supporting people and organizations that work to increase racial equity in Maine.
The Maine Community Foundation brings people and resources together to build a better Maine through strategic giving, community leadership, personalized service, local expertise and strong investments. To learn more about the foundation, visit www.mainecf.org.