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WKKF Community Leadership Network with the Center for Creative Leadership

Equipping leaders with the knowledge and skills to bridge the divides in our society and build a more equitable future for all.

Why This Work Matters

We are at a unique time in our history with both great upheaval and great opportunity. A deepening awareness of racial and economic injustice is fueling a growing desire for authentic change throughout our society.

Now more than ever, we must meet this moment with leadership and action that unites us to address structural inequities and supports healing from the effects of racism. What’s needed are compassionate, courageous and capable leaders in and from our communities.

At the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, we believe people have the inherent capacity to solve their own problems. Local leaders know the realities facing their neighbors. They possess the experience and wisdom to address gaps in education, health and economic opportunity. They also know best how to leverage public and private resources and define success.

That’s why the foundation invests in nurturing local leaders to engage communities in improving opportunities for children and families. Over its more than 90-year history, the foundation has supported 17 signature fellowship programs.

The foundation’s newest fellowship, the WKKF Community Leadership Network, launched in 2014 as a continuation of our commitment to support local leaders and foster collaborative action toward a more equitable society. In 2018, the program was redesigned and, with WKKF’s grant support, the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) – one of the most transformational leadership organizations in the world – was tapped to manage the program.

What We Support

The WKKF Community Leadership Network with the Center for Creative Leadership® is an innovative fellowship for local leaders to connect, grow and lead transformational change toward a more equitable society. The 18-month fellowship brings together 80 inspiring leaders from across the United States and sovereign Tribes, with four cohorts of fellows in WKKF’s priority places of Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico and New Orleans.

The program offers hands-on leadership development, personalized coaching, peer networking and practical experience. As a result, fellows gain critical knowledge and skills for navigating today’s challenges and advancing racial equity and racial healing, community engagement and collective leadership. In addition, fellows become part of a powerful community of leaders in their cities and states, as well as with more than 1,100 members of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation Global Fellows Network that supports continued connection, collaborative learning and collective action. Through the WKKF Community Leadership Network, fellows become fully equipped to meet the opportunity of this moment and foster equitable opportunities for children, families and communities.

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