Both of our leadership programs, Neighborhood Leadership Development Program (NLDP) and Community Development Corporation Leadership Program (CDCLP), are nearing the end of recruitment season. NLDP is recruiting for its sixteenth cohort while CDCLP is recruiting for its third cohort.

NLDP seeks to uniquely develop the diverse leadership abilities of engaged Clevelanders who are committed to creating a city and region which works for everyone. The program has three core pillars: leadership development, program coaching and graduate support.

Recruitment for Cohort XVI ends Thursday, August 10th. Review NLDP's Cohort XVI schedule and apply here.

CDCLP engages high-level CDC directors, board officers and other CDC leaders to help improve their leadership skills and their professional capacity to make a greater impact on the neighborhoods they serve through education, coaching and experiential activities that involve critical issues facing CDCs and neighborhoods.

Recruitment for Cohort III ends Monday, August 7th. Review CDCLP's Cohort III schedule and apply here.

Both leadership programs, NLDP and CDCLP, offer all graduates the opportunity to receive coaching from one of our dedicated Program Coaches. Each program participant receives a Coach who guides them through the program, helping them take what they're learning and put it into action in their community projects. The Coach meets with their participants throughout the program, then stays with them as a source of support and further guidance after participants graduate.

A message from our Program Coaches: Graduate Coaching is about you, not your work. While coaching will ultimately benefit your work in your community, the purpose is to grow and invest in yourself through coaching. Coaching is a key component in your growth as a leader in Cleveland's neighborhoods, and we are very eager to support you in your leadership journey!

Bridget Kent-Marquez is a fourth generation Clevelander who has spent their adult life fiercely dedicated to supporting the communities they operate in through a variety of mediums. Formerly the Managing Director at Northwest Neighborhoods, Bridget oversaw the departments of Economic Development, Housing, Special Projects, Community Engagement, and Marketing and Events, serving as the neighborhood services liaison to the Executive Director. From living in an intentional community, to developing real estate; Bridget approaches life with a tenacious and adventurous spirit. A proud spouse and parent of two amazing children, they understand the perpetual growing and learning required to embody the best version of oneself. One would be hard pressed to find a plant that Bridget does not appreciate. Bridget seeks to cultivate community, build equity, and find joy in la vida sabrosa!

Bridget, a graduate of CDCLP Cohort II, recently accepted the offer to serve as Interim Executive Director for Northwest Neighborhoods CDC. Bridget is the first CDCLP graduate to achieve this next level of CDC leadership and we are very excited about this achievement. Armed with an arsenal of CDCLP knowledge and support, we have no doubt that Bridget will shine in this position.

“I did not realize the full breadth and extent that this program would help me in my role as a CDC professional! I am beginning now to more fully appreciate that I have essentially a 'treasure trove' of basic necessities alongside connections and relationships to support me in my leadership role. These are now equipping me to bring my best self to the work I do in serving the communities of Northwest Neighborhoods.” – Bridget Kent Marquez, Interim Executive Director, Northwest Neighborhoods CDC

Beyond the leadership programs like NLDP and CDCLP that are programs of the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation, funding neighborhood-focused initiatives are a top priority at the Mandel Foundation. Arriving on the heels of their most recent $5 million challenge grant to the Irishtown Bend Park project in Ohio City, the Mandel Foundation has made grant investments totaling approximately $24 million to multiple grantees leading different lakefront projects and, on top of that, a $4 million challenge grant to Karamu House.

The three lakefront project grants, totaling nearly $24 million, look to connect Clevelanders, specifically the St. Clair Superior and Collinwood neighborhoods, to the Lakefront. The grants will fund the Cleveland Metroparks' Downtown Connector Trail and Gordon Park projects, LAND studio's placemaking efforts in St. Clair Superior to better connect the neighborhood to the lake, and Western Reserve Land Conservancy's Euclid Beach Park project and tree canopy project in St. Clair Superior. “These grants will serve as a catalyst in furthering lakefront access and recreational opportunities for all our citizens, but especially the residents of neighborhoods that are adjacent to Lake Erie within The City of Cleveland,” stated Jehuda Reinharz, President & CEO of the Mandel Foundation. See the current state of the lakefront by watching this drone footage and review the press release here.

A $4 million challenge grant to Karamu will support the remaining infrastructure and capital improvements to the campus in the Fairfax neighborhood in Cleveland. The goal of Karamu’s capital improvement plan is to improve community mobility while supporting redevelopment in Fairfax. This grant will support Karamu’s Phase IV renovations in their Education and Administration Building, bringing renovation of the main building to a close. “With this challenge grant, Karamu House will be better positioned to boost their arts community and support Black artists and performers in Cleveland,” said Stephen H. Hoffman, Chairman of the Board of the Mandel Foundation. Review the press release here.

In addition to these grants, the Mandel Foundation has also continued its financial support of MidTown Cleveland, Inc. and Partnership Schools.

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To better market the videos on our YouTube page, we have been featuring one video in each Newsletter. This edition's video features NLDP Graduate Kenneth Perdue, Cohort IX, and his nonprofit RollinBuckeyez. Watch here!