The Greenlining Institute was founded as a response to institutional redlining of communities of color from economic opportunities. Twenty-two years later, the organization has grown in both scale and impact, including incorporating a strong commitment to the leadership development of emerging leaders of color. With its successes and challenges, Greenlining has learned many lessons on the road to positive social change. This webinar will focus on how the organization has evolved and created a renowned leadership development program for social justice leaders, while always maintaining its roots in racial equity and advocacy. In using the organization’s journey as a case study, participants will receive a perspective and best practices for incorporating a leadership development program from foundation to evaluation.

1. JUNE | 2015
@leadershipera #leadershipnet
Learning Through the Greenlining Experience:
A Foundational Toolkit for
Leadership Development Programs
Presented by: Claudia ParedesPresented by: Claudia Paredes

2. LLC anticipates the future and is a dynamic
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issues in leadership development to tomorrow’s
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3. LEADERSHIP FOR A NEW ERA
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(Watts, 2004)

4. Learning Through the Greenlining Experience:
A Foundational Toolkit for
Leadership Development Programs
Presented by:
•Claudia Paredes, Academy Director at The Greenlining Institute
TODAY’S PRESENTERS

5. 
Learning Through the Greenlining Experience
A Foundational Toolkit for Leadership Development Programs

6. Road Map
 Context: To know us is to know our mission
 Grounding Assumptions of Greenlining
 Getting to Know the Academy
 How We Do What We Do

7. Context
 Greenlining
 23 years old
 Multi Ethnic Organization
 Policy Advocacy with/on behalf of Communities of
Color
 Advocacy Model: Bullhorn AND Boardroom
 Leadership Academy founded 5 years later

8. Context
 Academy
 Young leaders and advocates of color
 Hands on experience, curriculum and mentorship
 5 programs engage 60 participants per year
 Alumni Network founded with 800+ alumni
 Changing the face of leadership from the classroom
to the boardroom

9. Greenlining’s Grounding Assumptions
 Race is a determinant of economic and social
prosperity
 Public Policy and law making has created disparities
and is the way to create equity
 Racial Equity and Social Justice are lenses necessary
to the analysis of policy and decision making
 Investment in emerging leaders of color is
necessary to continue the movement of justice and
equity

10. Academy Forms Out of Greenlining
 Essential component of the mission
 Value Informed Programs
 Organizational and Alumni support
 Institutionalized Programs

11. The Academy: Leadership
 Leadership is the practice of developing and exercising the ability
to create something, solve a problem or address an issue that is
of value across communities or groups of people as well as
inspiring and supporting that practice in others.

12. The Academy:
Mission and Vision
 The Greenlining Academy works to empower and develop the
next generation of multi-ethnic leaders to advance racial and
economic equity and create positive social change

13. Step 1: Recruitment
 Who?
 Emerging Leaders of Color
 Progressive with a Racial Equity Framework
 What?
 Paid work positions
 Real, Hands On Experiences
 When?
 1 year fellowships after BA graduation
 10 week associateships during Masters program
 Where?
 In house, supervised by staff

14. Recruitment: The Who
 Defining Success
 Diverse
 Technical Skillset (policy, research, writing, etc.)
 Emotional Intelligence
 Racial Equity and Social Justice base
 Community Partners
 Candidates will apply where they see themselves
mirriored
 Trusted, Diverse organizations

15. Step 2: Developing the Academy
Experience
 Phase 1:
 Meaningful Professional Experience
 Paid work
 Phase 2:
 Technical and Adaptive Skill Curriculum
 Community Building
 Evaluation
 Alumni Association

16. Step 3: Refining the Experience
 Entry Point Tools
 Advocacy Tool Kit
 “Be Real” on both ends
 Go with the times (social media)
 What does success look like?
 Evaluation tools: Assessments…360s

17. Developing a Common Language and
Shared Understanding

18. Step 3.5: Additional Refinements
 Holistic and Intersectional View on Leadership
 Grassroots and Grasstops
 Whole Self Leadership
 Story Telling
 Identity and Community Centered

19. Step 4: Evaluation
 Supervision
 Technical Skill Set Assessment
 “Professionalism”
 Mentorship
 Network and Relationship Building
 Self Assessment
 Individual Development Goals and Plan
 360 Assessment
 Feedback and Tough Love
 Timely, Reciprocal and honest

20. Alumni Engagement
 Culture of Engagement
 Introduce Alumni Expectations (mentorship, giving, etc.)
 Connect with Alumni
 Social and Professional Events
 Support Alumni Engagement and Connection
 Annual Events
 Funding
 Institutionalize
 By laws
 Explicit Organizational Expectations

21. Constant Re-Evaluation and Iteration
 Hold Values and Mission Constant
 Absorb Feedback from Participants
 Never 100%
 Short Term vs Long Term Wins in Growth
 What’s new in the work?
 Leveraging Social Media
 Preferred Gender Pronouns

22. Questions?

23. 
Thank you
For more information and to find this report please
go to greenlining.org
Claudia Paredes, ClaudiaP@greenlining.org

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