Applications are now open for Morten Group, LLC's Forging Innovation in Racial Equity (FIRE) Grant and will close at 12 midnight CST on March 15, 2021. Eligible 501(c)3 entities are based in the United States and have budgets between $400,000 and $1.1M. Application materials can be downloaded at www.mortengroup.com/FIRE .
Introduced in tandem with its 20th anniversary year, Morten Group is proud to announce that applications for its first Forging Innovation in Racial Equity (FIRE) Grant are now available. The grant is focused on advancing racial equity, access, diversity, and inclusion (READI) through internal organizational assessment, racial equity training, and action plan development. The grantee organization will receive one year of pro bono READI services, including an assessment, training, and READI planning.
"Morten Group is thrilled to extend support to an organization that is prepared to engage in this critical work and may not have access to the required resources," said Morten Group, LLC President Mary F. Morten, "We are seeking a group that is ready to commit the required time, energy, and dedication to start their READI journey."
Following Morten Group's inaugural READI Symposium in November 2020, the FIRE Grant aims to emphasize the importance of READI work and the priority it should be given at the current moment in our history. "READI is about paying close attention to your internal structure and how you are centering racial equity in all things before you apply the racial equity lens towards external programs/practices," said Michelle Morales, President of Woods Fund, "It also means being ready to answer the question: what are you/your organization doing today to correct an imbalance of power?"
Prospective FIRE grantees will need to subscribe to the Gathering Ground podcast and listen to Episode 21 (to be released on February 11) to complete their applications. Gathering Ground is available on all podcast platforms and a transcript of the episode will be available at www.gatheringgroundpodcast.com .
Morten Group, LLC is a multi-racial, cross-generational firm which has consciously and thoughtfully built a team of diverse perspectives and experiences - an intentional component of its business model. The company has worked with numerous community organizations, foundations, and universities in Chicago and across the country in the areas of organizational assessment, executive searches, research, and racial equity, access, diversity, and inclusion. For more information on Morten Group or the FIRE Grant, or to download the application, visit www.mortengroup.com/FIRE .
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