Chairman’s Message
Branding our Foundation through Effective Leadership
It is an honor and a privilege to be elected and to serve as the new Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. I look forward to working closely with the CBCF Board of Directors, the Corporate Advisory Council, the CBC Spouses and CBCF staff, and other stakeholders to build upon and expand the incredible work being done through the Foundation.
As we begin a new decade, CBCF continues to lead the fight for causes that benefit African Americans and underserved communities. As Chairman, my top priority is to ensure that CBCF is effectively branded as the premiere organization for advancing the global black community by developing leaders, informing policy, and educating the public. It is important that we tell our story so that the global community understands who we are and what we stand for. In that spirit, we will continue to host substantive policy seminars, forums, media events, and other activities throughout the year. We will accomplish this by building and strengthening the partnership of all CBCF stakeholders, to advance our community efforts in an efficient and effective manner. I believe that with strong leadership, a committed Board and Corporate Advisory Council, and a dedicated staff, CBCF is well positioned for continued impact on African Americans and the global black community.
Over the past three decades, CBCF has provided African Americans and minorities with the opportunity to become fully engaged in the workings of our democracy. The tremendous contributions of CBCF in changing the political, economic, and educational landscape is worthy of continuing and preserving for future generations to come. As Chairman, I will ensure that the organization’s short-term plans and long-term goals continue to build upon those contributions. Thus, the advancement of the Foundation’s leadership development, educational scholarships, fellowship, internship, and emerging leadership programs will continue to be a priority in our organizational outreach efforts.
We are getting ready to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Foundation’s Annual Legislative Conference (ALC) – one of the largest gatherings of leaders, policymakers, students and everyday Americans who gather to discuss and brainstorm on issues that significantly impact the future of the global black community. One of our continuing goals will be establishing and aggressively building our endowment through fundraising events like ALC. Additionally, we must stay on target with our strategic development goals by building our technology infrastructure to enhance our visibility and promote the Foundation’s work through the use of Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and other blogs or websites. Achieving these goals will ensure that the Foundation remains on solid financial ground and that the great legacy of the CBCF will be maintained well beyond the 40th celebration.
It has been the work of the research and policy analysis team of CBCF over the years that have brought significant intellectual capital to the American political debate. However, we want to ensure that all CBCF initiatives are in compliance with the ethical standards of Congress. Thus, the CBCF will usher in the creation of an Ethics Advisory Committee.
We must continue to expand our vision internationally. As we have become more global in our everyday lives, CBCF has aligned itself with international concerns and opportunities for African Americans and minorities globally. We will partner with African nations in an effort to look at the intersection of African Americans and Africans as we journey through the challenges and opportunities in health, education, and economic empowerment.
As we look to our organization’s future, we embrace our incredibly high hopes and as the newly elected chairman, I face some incredible goals. So as we move into 2010, I invite you to continue this journey with us. However, with big goals comes big responsibility. Therefore, we need your support, we need your dollars, and we need your time and talent to build a stronger tomorrow for Congressional Black Caucus Foundation and the communities that we serve.
Sincerely,
Rep. Donald M. Payne
Chairman
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