It's hard to believe that February marked the last retreat of the fourth cohort of our Momentum Fellowship. The Momentum Fellowship is a Philanthropy Northwest program that supports professionals of color in philanthropy who bring their cultural backgrounds, identities and lived experiences into their workplace. Over the course of 18 months the fellows joined a cohort of peers and engaged in facilitated learning, networking and professional development opportunities together.

 

A unique aspect of this particular cohort is that it started during the COVID-19 pandemic. We launched into relationship building and making connections, all while learning how to navigate Zoom rooms and work from home. Despite the limitation of not being able to meet in person, the fellows bonded in small-group coaching sessions and retreats with powerful guest speakers, like Vu Le, Erika Totten and Milo Razza discussing topics like self-care, advocating for racial equity and what BIPOC folks in philanthropy can do to make the sector more equitable.

As luck would have it, the world opened up enough for us to have the final retreat together in person. The connections transcended the computer screens and fellows greeted each other with warmth and lots of hugs! They enjoyed their last official retreat over the course of three days, where they shared their learning journeys throughout our time together. This quote from one member captured the sentiments shared by many:

 

Philanthropy Northwest is humbled to create a platform for these leaders to share, grow and learn together and we are grateful to all of our Momentum Fellows for sharing their voice and vulnerability! These leaders’ unwavering commitment to community is what makes philanthropy better.