NURTURING
RESILIENT
COMMUNITIES

INTRODUCTION

At Wayfarer Foundation, our goal is to contribute toward the building of a united and peaceful world. We’re proud to co-create with our partners to realize a more just, peaceful, and prosperous society for all. We realize this is not easy work; it requires a special level of commitment from Wayfarer and our grantee partners that keeps us laser-focused on the goal and willing to build the structures needed to cultivate the resilience that equips us to do this work over the long term.  

Over the course of 2023, we invested in our Incubator for a Continuum of Growth to create spaces, practices, and training to strengthen personal and organizational resiliency muscles. Through the Stanford Social Innovation Review, we invited our grantee partners to engage with other like-minded organizations to share ideas on how to expand the impact of their nonprofit work. The Reimagining Racial Justice Together gathering united our grantee partners across racial identities and offered a glimpse of the real power of oneness and unity. Our Youth Cohort Program provided teenagers with paid opportunities to build leadership skills as youth grant makers in the philanthropy field. 

In this annual report, you’ll read stories about these and many other great programs that contributed so much to nurturing resiliency and expanding the impact of our grantee partners in 2023. Wayfarer is proud to showcase the work of our grantee partners as proof of the real progress we’re making toward a more unified and peaceful world.  

In 2023, 64% of grantmaking dollars supported organizations with an executive leader who identifies as BIPOC.

Our grantee partners identify with a variety of spiritual, cultural, and religious traditions, including 15% of our partners who identify as Bahá'í-inspired nonprofits.

In 2023, 80% of our grantee partners served communities that are majority low-income.

THE CURRENT PROJECT (TCP)

TCP is a nonprofit organization that aims to close the social and economic gap for Black single mothers. They do this by temporarily alleviating their cost of living while the women engage in one of three activities: finishing a post-secondary degree, earning a work-related certificate, or starting a small business. TCP provides holistic support to mothers through their programming initiatives by incorporating mental health and financial wellness coaching and supporting mothers' community building through a cohort model. Founded by the dynamic Rev. Alisha Gordon, TCP prioritizes "middler moms." A "middler mom" is a Black single mother who out-earns the social safety net (e.g., cash assistance, SNAP, etc.) but underearns to thrive economically. They have identified this niche group of Black mothers who are stuck in the middle, whose voices are often left out of the conversation regarding economic upward mobility, people-centered solutions, and policies that support their thriving within local communities. Rev. Gordon also won the Tom Locke Award this year, a prestigious honor for "spiritual entrepreneurs ... who have taken risks to bring about a better world where more people know God’s love. These courageous leaders have made incredible sacrifices to bring God’s dreams to fruition."

"[The Current Project] exceeded my expectations because it was more than a course about finances... it was a spiritual and emotional healing journey with other beautiful, talented, smart, funny-as-hell sistas, and I loved every minute of it!"

– Sylvia, Atlanta (Participant in a program offered by TCP)

ISRAEL TRIP

In June 2023, Wayfarer Foundation's leadership and staff members traveled to Israel to further the Foundation’s spiritually rooted approach to philanthropy. The trip set the course for WF for the next several years of growth by allowing the team to gather information from a variety of faith and business leaders. The team met with faculty and students at the Givat Haviva International School and the academic leadership team at the Haifa Laboratory for Religious Studies, as well as other faith and business leaders.

BRAZIL, SPRING 2023

Audrey Moy and Jasmine Taylor, at the invitation of Mona Foundation, had the honor of visiting the following schools in Brazil this past spring: Monte Carmelo, São Paulo; The School of Nations, Brasilia; and ADCAM, Manaus. These schools are all Bahá’í inspired and though they had distinct differences due to location and other demographics, the observations placed them on a similar level in several areas. Community engagement emerged as a cornerstone in the holistic approach used at each location. Deep bonds were formed with intention between staff, students, and community. Virtues and nobility were infused in the rich curricula found in even the poorest areas. All students learn about nine religions throughout their academic career, allowing them to accept all members of their communities. During the worst of times (COVID-19 pandemic), students and community received wrap-around services. Students succeed due to the intentional support and academic excellence that permeates this society. 

In 2023, 26% of grantee partners provided educational programming and/or fostered universal education.

REIMAGINING RACIAL JUSTICE TOGETHER

Wayfarer Foundation hosts inaugural Reimagining Racial Justice Together (RRJT) gathering

The RRJT gathering, held April 20-23, brought together more than 230 participants from across the country to network and envision possible opportunities for collaboration in the work of advancing racial justice. The list of attendees included our grantee partners,  youth cohort members, and other philanthropic community members engaged in racial justice.  The event highlighted the amazing work of our nonprofit partners and emphasized the need to work with funders to promote their sustainability in the ongoing work to achieve racial justice.

In 2023, 64% of grantee partners advanced racial justice and unity in diversity.

LILLY SCHOOL OF PHILANTHROPY “FUNDRAISING FOR SMALL NONPROFITS” COURSE

As the world’s first school of philanthropy, the Lilly School of Philanthropy, located at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), is committed to equipping nonprofit professionals with the tools to better understand philanthropy and contribute to a more just and equitable world. As part of its Continuum of Growth curricula, Wayfarer Foundation provided some of its grantee partners an opportunity to attend “Fundraising for Small Nonprofits,” a Zoom course offered by the Lilly School that taught effective fundraising practices for smaller nonprofits. The course, offered in February and March of 2023, showed our grantee partners how to use their time and existing resources — including board members and volunteers — to achieve fundraising goals. Wayfarer grantee partners found the class to be very helpful and registered a satisfaction score of nearly 95% in a post-course survey.

NATIVE COHORT CAMP

Minnesota Berry Camp Gathering:

The Minnesota Berry Camp was a powerful, partner-led gathering between members of the Lakota and Anishinaabe tribal nations. WF supported the gathering by providing for food, lodging, gas cards, sleeping bags, and other materials. It was hosted by Wayfarer grantee partner Manidoo Ogitigaan, and attended by Wayfarer Partner The 100 Horses Women's Society. The host partner brought in community members to hold ceremonies, share traditional teachings, crafts, songs, stories, and prepare meals for the camp. The 100 Horses Women's Society brought 10 teenage girls from the Cheyenne River reservation to participate at this gathering. Each of the girls shared powerful teachings and practices from how each tribe views and values women, and their role in the community. They also shared teachings about the differences in housing, such as between tipis and wigwams, and different uses for traditional herbs and plants. 100 Horses shared that they hope to host Manidoo Ogitigaan on their Reservation now that a relationship has been established.

STANFORD SOCIAL INNOVATION REVIEW

Wayfarer Foundation staff and several Wayfarer grantee partners attended this year's Nonprofit Management Institute as part of our Incubator for a Continuum of Growth program. Presented annually by Standford Social Innovation Review in Palo Alto, CA, this conference provides an opportunity to share the latest thinking, opportunities, and questions around philanthropic work. Attendees had the opportunity to explore themes about the future of nonprofit work, new learnings about the workday, the health and well-being of nonprofit workers, and the use of technology.

Wayfarer Foundation was honored to have attended this year’s conference with our grantee partners. The world has changed dramatically in recent years, posing new opportunities and challenges for the work we all do and the hopes we cherish as nonprofits.

The Wayfarer team had the opportunity to meet with grantee partners while at Stanford for a social meal and to exchange ideas. Those in attendance included: Juan Sänchez from Palenke Arts, Stan Howard from lcrwi, Lynette Rawlings from The Policy Academies, Andrew Stroth from Truth Hope Justice, Takisha Miller from Chocolate Milk Cafe, John Leo Chaplow (AKA Biff) from EEqual, JT Mason from Palenke Arts, Thomas Goodwin from Embarc Chicago, Kit Ford from Argrows House, and Eve Birge from White Pony Express.

78% of all 2023 grantee partners reported having an executive leader(s) who identifies as BIPOC.

PARLIAMENT OF THE WORLD’S RELIGIONS (POWR)

The Wayfarer Foundation took full advantage to be inspired by and share insights with like-minded religious and spiritually-inspired sponsors at the 2023 Parliament of the World’s Religions, held Aug. 14-18 in Chicago. POWR is the world’s largest, most diverse, and inclusive interfaith convening of people of faith, spirituality, and goodwill. This year’s conference, with its theme of “A Call to Conscience: Defending Freedom & Human Rights,” attracted more than 7,000 attendees representing more than 200 faith traditions from around the world. WF and many of our grantee partners led discussion groups and panels that offered suggestions on how spirituality can help advance our goals of unity and social justice in the world. WF Founder Steve Sarowitz addressed the general session as a panelist during a plenary discussion on community-building strategies. WF hosted several partners to attend the Parliament. In addition, WF ED Laura Herrick moderated a panel discussion entitled “Lessons From the New Religion on the Block: A Bahá’í Approach to Social Action,” with a panel comprised of WF grantee partners: Tahirih Justice Center, Mona Foundation, EEqual, Parent University, and a guest from the US Baha'i Office of Public Affairs. She also participated as a panelist in a discussion on “Women and Teens Transformative Power.”

POWR offered many spaces and opportunities where WF and its partners could gain insights from the efforts of our like-minded co-workers. We are truly thankful for having been part of this unique gathering.

In 2023, 28% of grantee partners promoted religious harmony.

UNITY PROJECT

The pursuit of unity and oneness stands at the core of Wayfarer Foundation’s Bahá’í-inspired principles to bring about a world of justice, peace, and prosperity. To explore this principle a little deeper with our grantee partners,  with the goal of utilizing its benefits for society-building work, WF has initiated the Unity Project, a comprehensive research study that will provide a baseline of data, insights, and understanding for WF’s Learning Lab for Peace and Unity.

The research will facilitate cross-learning for WF grantee partners on the subject of building unity, help stimulate learning among grantees, and increase interest among grantees to actively find ways to address conflict and build greater unity in their communities.  Data for the Unity Project will be collected through interviews with more than 50 grantee partners. Findings from the research will be released by WF in the Spring of 2024. 

GAMBIA TRIP

Visiting SolHealth boreholes in the Republic of The Gambia provided a firsthand understanding of the profound impact that access to clean water has on communities, especially for the girls and women in each of the six villages we visited. This experience highlighted the importance of community involvement, health, economic opportunities, and international collaboration in addressing water-related challenges in the Upper River Region (URR) and the Central River Region (CRR).

Starfish International School is a Bahá’í' inspired organization centered on developing the individual, their community, and the world. They empower marginalized communities, especially girls and women. They cultivate a growth mindset, showing that intelligence can be developed through dedication and effort, and promote a holistic approach to learning, i.e., they nurture their students to be thoughtful people who are self-aware and empathetic.

Starfish International School is committed to gender equality, student-centered learning, global citizenship, leadership development, community engagement, and an embrace of technology. They use a mixture of standard academic teaching and practical vocational and life skill teachings as well to develop individuals who care about humanity and contribute to a healthy, productive society. 

YOUTH COHORT: PINNACLE EVENT

In July 2023, the first cycle of the WF Youth Cohort program culminated with Jasmine Taylor and Alex Oishi bringing together the 2022-23 Youth Cohort in Chicago for an end-of-year pinnacle experience to celebrate the amazing work done by the inaugural cohort, including their work to successfully give $90,000 in grants. This experience included building community among cohort members, connecting with cohort grantee partner La Casa Norte, attending a partner event at Albany Park Theater Project, and exploring Chicago, with many in the group visiting Chicago for the first time. The second cohort convened in September for the 2023-24 school year. This cohort includes 10 high school students from the Chicagoland area, including 30% Baha’i students and 100% BIPOC students. This new cohort will be able to give $150,000 in grants, a $60,000 increase from last year's cohort.

In 2023, 60% of grantee partners served youth.

GLOBAL ANTI-RACISM CHAMPIONS AWARDS EVENT

Staff from Wayfarer Foundation attended the inaugural US Secretary of State’s Global Anti-Racism Champions Awards event in Washington, D.C. This award recognizes activists from around the world who were nominated by US Embassies and Consulates for their work in anti-racism. WF Program Officer, Husayn Allmart, who works closely with Indigenous organizations across the US, attended on behalf of Wayfarer. Joining diplomatic officials, as well as staff from the Departments of State and Interior, he met the award recipients at a small reception afterward. Most poignant was hearing of the persecution these individuals and their colleagues faced as a result of their work to challenge systems of colonization and oppression, from the Amazon to Moldova to Bangladesh.

2023 NATIONAL RACE AMITY CONFERENCE

In November 2023, the National Center For Race Amity (NCRA) hosted its annual Race Amity Conference, underscoring its dedication to enhancing race relations and advancing racial healing across the United States. The event featured the National Center for Race Amity Medal of Honor Award ceremony, recognizing individuals for their contributions to racial unity. Among the honorees was Steve Sarowitz, Founder and Board Chair of the Wayfarer Foundation, who received the Medal of Honor for his efforts in promoting racial harmony. We salute Steve for his commitment to philanthropic work and interracial partnerships that promote unity and universal education and help eliminate racism, sexism, and religious prejudice.

Wayfarer Foundation Executive Director Laura Herrick, along with team members Audrey Moy, Carmen Patlan, and Jasmine Taylor, attended the event.  Laura accepted the National Center for Race Amity Medal of Honor Award on behalf of Steve Sarowitz.

As a Bahá’i ́-inspired organization working to do our part in advancing the vision of a unified world — of which racial unity is among the centerpieces — we are proud to partner with NCRA and help co-create a unified world for peace, justice, and prosperity.