Donate To Nehemiah Leaders Programs

Why Donate?

The issue of leadership is typically at the center of most conversations related to tackling the challenges of advancing the most diverse society in the country; California. Who leads, what they lead, how they lead, and where they lead are among the most important, yet least acted upon issues facing the changing ethnic and generational demographics of 21st-century California.

Scott Syphax as the president and CEO of the Nehemiah Social Enterprise created a program aimed at dealing with the all too common comment: “I would love to hire or appoint more young diverse professionals into leadership, but I don’t know any or can’t find any that are qualified.”

A phenomenon that happens in far too many metropolitan areas is that once a power structure within a sector, geography, socioeconomic group identifies an effective leader from a heretofore unrepresented constituency that individual tends to be placed on the short list for every opening for employment or appointment within that given sphere of influence. While extremely beneficial to the identified individual, this phenomenon does nothing to bring effective scale in diversifying the leadership class.

Help Support Our Work

The basic premise of the Nehemiah Emerging Leaders Program (NELP) is that Sacramento needs a resource that provides a diverse ‘bench’ of young professionals prepared to take over as the current cohort of leaders ages into retirement. While this community has been identified by the 2000 U.S. Census as one of, if not the, most diverse cities in the nation, there is a disparity between positions occupied by people of color at the tables of leadership and their numbers in the population.

In his book, Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell references the precursors of success: timing, opportunity and practice. His explorations of the history of successful people shows that, rather than simply being the recipients of “good luck,” his subjects had been born at the right time with unusually available resources and the will and opportunity to spend time in practice. NELP gives its participants the resources, education and practice time that are needed for success.

NELP Class XIII (2022-2023)
Class XIV edited

Our Significance

Since 2009, the Nehemiah Emerging Leaders Program has resulted in the placement of Fellows and Alumni on139 governmental and non-profit boards, ranging from chairing the State Department of Insurance’s California Organized Insurance Network (COIN) investment board, a directorship on the Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce’s Executive Committee, the Board of Sutter Health Sacramento Sierra Region, to My Sister’s House, an agency that addresses the needs of domestic violence victims from the Asian-Pacific Islander community.

The Sacramento Business Journal’s 40 under 40 award selection, identifying emerging leaders for the region from over hundreds of nominees each year, has awarded approximately 40% of all Nehemiah Emerging Leader participants through 2015. The Sacramento Observer also singled out 15 Fellows for recognition for their annual “30 Under 30” list of young professionals to watch. Two NELP Fellows have also received the prestigious Sacramento Black Chamber Business of The Year Award. Most recently, one Fellow’s business was selected as “Small Business of the Year” by the California State Senate.

Our Relationships

NELP is a collaboration between the Nehemiah Social Enterprise which provides overall sponsorship and curriculum design, the Coro Foundation- Northern California Center, the American Leadership Forum-Mountain Valley Chapter, Drexel University and University of the Pacific’s McGeorge School of Law. The integration of the partners respective theories of change and methodologies is a first for these organizations.

Because of the intense interaction that regional leaders from for-profit business, government, politics, and the non-profit sector have with the fellows (nominating new participants, serving as judges during the selection process, serving as field faculty during the program year, and as active mentors for each class), the region’s leaders are as transformed by the experience as the fellows.

Proximity to young leaders making their own journey through participation in the NELP process gives the region’s leadership a safe place to get to know the views of the successor generation while often challenging some of their unconscious assumptions, thereby breaking down barriers between age, genders, orientations, ethnicities, political affiliations, and religious beliefs. New relationships forged through the NELP experience are perceived as an asset to the existing regional leadership.

Effectiveness

In 2009, with the support of Nehemiah’s board, Scott Syphax created NELP to address the lack of a thoughtful succession mechanism for the region’s boards and commission that would integrate younger and more diverse leaders into the decision-making conversations and senior management roles within the region. As previously stated, The NELP program has distinguished itself within the Sacramento region as the “West Point” of career and civic development for emerging leaders and as an effective identifier and developer of talent in populating the business, medical, governmental, and nonprofit sectors.

NELP is distinguished from other regional leadership programs in several ways. First, its results are clearly identifiable and acknowledged within the region. Over 100 boards and commissions have been able to diversify their membership as a result of NELP. Secondly, it is unique in its focus on career stage and diversity in in its targeting. Third, it is certainly the most rigorous leadership training program in our region, requiring 100% attendance at 14 all-day seminars and 9 evening forums as well as reading one book per month.

Finally, the requirement for board service upon graduation is unique. No other program in the Sacramento region has had such an impact on nonprofit boards and government commissions. Most Fellows report that when they join their boards, there a few or no other members who look like them in terms of age, ethnicity, or who bring their point of view. They also come prepared and trained to serve.

Post-graduation, the cohort and its predecessors work together through an alumni association, (the Nehemiah Emerging Leaders Alumni Association) which meets on a monthly basis and, in addition, stages enrichment seminars for themselves and the other leadership groups in the region. The Alumni Association also holds regular “Day of Service” events in support of civic service and individual philanthropy.

Innovation

NELP addresses the problem that many of our society’s institutions struggle with; diversifying their leadership positions and decision-making processes with voices and viewpoints reflective of the changing demographics of our communities. A common complaint among our leading institutions, whether in the private or public sectors, is the absence of qualified, well-trained young adults prepared for advancement into senior level positions who also have a strong commitment to civic engagement.

The program starts in October with the methodology in understanding the logic and functioning of institutions, graduates into critical thinking and analysis tools, includes modules on negotiation and impacting organizations, teaches effective board service and leadership, and culminates in a community service project that allows the practical practice and implementation of skills in a real-world setting.

The program requires a rigorous schedule of at least two monthly sessions. Seminars cover group process, team leadership, and individual presentation and communication skills. Forums bring in regional and national experts to address board training, diversity, civic engagement, negotiation, and collaborative leadership models. Fellows are provided mentors from leadership in business, non-profit and government sectors. Mentors coach the Fellows and help them refine and advance their professional and civic objectives. By graduation each Fellow must obtain a board or commission appointment. This requirement is mandated to ensure that the skills training the Fellows receive is immediately put to use for the benefit of the community.

As an example, a number of young leaders coming from low wealth backgrounds have no personal or historical reference points in financial management issues. An absence of guidance or role models can leads to poor financial decisions which may result in bad credit, anxiety, and a lack of financial stability. Any of these factors can come into play in future evaluations for fitness of assuming a higher level of leadership within their respective organizations and represent an unnecessary barrier to achievement. In delivering this program component, Nehemiah partners with the California Association of Certified Financial Planners in delivering a basic financial management and retirement course as well as a free consultation for an assessment and development of a personal financial plan. While this component is personal in nature, some of the basic issues addressed also provide valuable insights used later in either this professional or civic activities.

Finally, the mentorship component of NELP is extremely innovative when combined with the board service requirement for graduation. NELP strives to provide each fellow with three mentors that can address the dimensions of life skills, professional development, and civic engagement. Each NELP class is taught at the beginning of the program year to start to view themselves as a corporation known as “Me, Incorporated.” Every successful corporation needs a strong board of directors and the three founding mentors can and sometimes do makeup the initial membership of a fellow’s personal board. These mentorships prove invaluable as the fellows go about implementing the leadership development training they are receiving through seminar in their lives.

The civic engagement component of the program not only starts to experientially model becoming an active contributor for the betterment of the community but also provides a new space to practice and master the leadership lessons and tools they are gaining in their journey through the program. Additionally, board service advances the interaction between fellow and the leadership community as peers in working together for the betterment of the region.

Inclusiveness

While the program started in the African-American community based on Nehemiah’s origins, demonstrated excellence has made it a magnet for people and employers across the region to want to participate in its growth. The program has served African-American, Latino, Asian-Pacific Islander, Caucasian and other culturally diverse participants. Additionally, the program serves all ranges of political perspective as evidenced by seminar engagements from Congresswoman Maxine Waters and Senator Dianne Feinstein on the left to Speaker John Boehner and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on the right. Fellows are trained to respect differences but to see past superficial divisions to universal interests as a platform for professional and community engagement.

As an example, Class III Fellows took over the staging of the MLK365 Annual Capitol March for the Dream in Sacramento as their class project. Leaning into the diversity of the class from a personal and professional perspective, Class III was able to raise participation in this annual event from 20,000 to 29,000 participants and raise over $60,000 for the organization.