Good evening, kind folks,
The partnership between the Black Executive Director Alliance of Detroit and TEWday Strategies has been in the works since 2007. And below is a timeline of the thin thread of events that have led to this glorious partnership.
In this evolution of my ministry, I am excited to work with BEDAD membership to co-create a direction that builds power by, and for, Black-led organizations that lead to increased resources, supports, and ultimately, respect for the work they’ve dedicated their lives to doing… supporting the improvement of outcomes for kids across Detroit.
It’s time to start some good trouble 😊
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Below is the thin-thread timeline of events that led to the partnership between BEDAD and TEWday Strategies:
2007: I volunteered at Alternatives For Girls, supporting the Teen Advisory Panel (TAP), a youth leadership program for Middle and High School young ladies. This work was supported by the Skillman Foundation, with the grant written by Kimberly Johnson (Newberry at the time). This became my first job in youth development in 2008, thanks to Valorie Evans, LMSW.
2011: the Youth Development Alliance was formed, with myself (and Helena Lazo supporting Partnership for Youth (SW Detroit) and Kim Johnson supporting the other 3 Skillman neighborhoods... The goal of the YDA was to grow a stronger, connected network of youth development organizations/professionals across the Skillman Good Neighborhoods, and soon the entire city.
2018: In my role as Program Officer at The Skillman Foundation, I had a heart to heart with Kimberly Johnson about a recent call for funding the Foundation has just completed, one in which 4 of the 20 grant recipients were led by people of color.
My response to the conversation, ROGER (Received Orders Given, Expect Results) THAT!
This began a 6-year strategic shift to intentionally identify high quality, high impact BIPOC-led afterschool organizations for the Foundation to partner with, leading to the following outcomes:
• led a 10-fold increase of BIPOC-led, afterschool focused orgs receiving grant dollars from The Foundation (2 in 2017 to 20 in 2023)
• Supported BEDAD with a 2-year general operating grant;
• Partnered with Co.act Detroit to activate The WELL Fund, where 5-emerging BIPOC-led orgs received $75k in funding with additional resources;
• Partnered with the Detroit Youth Development Resource Center to support the Equity Accelerator for Youth Development, a cohort-style experience of BIPOC OST professionals improving their advocacy capacity;
• Partnered with Racheal Allen and O-School to provide BIPOC-led organizations critical operational support; and
• Supported the Skillman Foundation to provide transition resources to all 31-afterschool specific, partner organizations of The Foundation’s totaling $7.4 million over three years. 20 of the 31 are BIPOC-led.
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We are THRILLED to announce a significant milestone in our journey towards achieving our mission. After an extensive search and careful consideration, we have found the ideal candidate to lead us into the future as our Managing Director 🥳
Please join us in welcoming Terry Whitfield as our new Managing Director! Terry brings a wealth of experience in philanthropy and nonprofit management, along with a deep commitment to our cause.
Terry was born and raised in Detroit, MI. He earned a master’s in youth development from Michigan State University. He enjoys perfecting recipes with his mom, playing golf with his father, and spending quality time with his son, Beau, and wife, Shea.
As a Black-led nonprofit organization in Detroit, our success hinges on effective leadership, strategic vision, and unwavering dedication to our mission 💡 With Terry Whitfield at the helm, we have full confidence that our membership will continue to innovate, grow, and make a lasting impact in our community and beyond 🤝🏾
Welcome to the BEDAD Family, Terry! 💚💙
#newteammember #welcomeaboard #detroitnonprofits #managingdirector #levelup #buildingcommunity #philanthropyfriday #WeAreBEDAD
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