Community
Our Commitment to Equity
We will not stand by while our neighbors of color live in pain, anguish, fear, and isolation.
LAST UPDATED • July 27th, 2020
LAST UPDATED • July 27th, 2020
For more than 20 years, Excellerate Foundation (*formerly Endeavor Foundation) has worked tirelessly to make our region a better place to live and to support all those who call it their home. We are driven by our mission: To invest in Northwest Arkansas so as to collectively empower social change that allows all lives to thrive.
So, in this time when our community is hurting and many among us are clearly not thriving, we recognize that we must do more. We will not stand by while our neighbors of color live in pain, anguish, fear, and isolation.
As a foundation focused on action, Excellerate has already begun to increase diversity among our leadership and to build diverse social networks as a key strategy in creating systemic change towards a more equitable community. We will now take the following steps to further that commitment.
Continued Investment
Continue our existing investments in financial and human capital to develop more diverse social networks across socioeconomic lines in Northwest Arkansas so as to expand worldviews leading to actions that drive systemic change.
Individual Support
Provide funding for counseling services to those dealing with racial inequities.
Community Dialog
Provide opportunities for communities of color to lead relevant conversations—including the sponsorship of a large community event on racial equity in NWA—with a goal of listening and learning about the key issues and how we can best tackle them together.
Leadership Education
Partner with the NWA Council to bring increased training and education for community and systems leaders of NWA on understanding and recognizing racial inequity.
Advocacy
Work with our philanthropic peers and other community leaders to explore how we can advocate at the local and state level to drive real change in the systems that create and perpetuate racism and injustice.
Through these actions, Excellerate will address short-term needs while fostering the long-term strategies required to be successful in this work. We will continue to act and to call others to join us in ensuring that human rights and the dignity of every individual is strengthened so that truly all people in NWA can thrive.
