Big Sister Little Sister Receives Racial Equity Grant From Chronus To Support Programs
Mentoring software company Chronus recently awarded an $87,500 Mentoring for Racial Equity grant to Big Sister Little Sister (BSLS), a nonprofit that provides mentoring programs for young women of color across nationwide communities, campuses and workplaces.
The grant includes an $80,000 three-year pro bono contract for Chronus mentoring software and services to support the organization, and a one-time $7,500 cash grant to help facilitate mentorship. The grant will be used to fund a series of programs for BSLS participants including BSLS: Hear Our Voice, a self-awareness and esteem initiative that addresses depression, anxiety, self-worth, and confidence.
“The catalyst for change begins at the intersection of intent and meaningful impact,” said Louis Desforges, assistant vice president of diversity and inclusion at L’Oréal and a member of the selection committee, in a statement. “Big Sister Little Sister Mentoring Program’s commitment to making a positive and lasting impact on school campuses, in communities and in the lives of women and youth will create the future leaders that will one day influence our society in a powerful and sustainable way.”
BSLS was founded in July 2008 at Florida A&M University by alumna Aneisha Hughes and is considered the university’s largest organization. The organization has five main goals: to reduce college attrition rates for women and girls; to build skills to excel in their fields of choice; to develop lifetime leaders; to cultivate and nurture sisterhood across diverse identities; and to work to “improve society to create a healthy environment in every aspect.”
“We aim to consistently impact young women and girls of color by ensuring their individual potential is reached as lifetime leaders with access to quality resources, mentors and programs that prepare our members for success. Chronus is the missing piece to taking BSLS’ professional mentorship infrastructure to new heights,” added Hughes in the statement.
One of the issues BSLS aims to resolve is the gender wage gap and the decreasing representation of women in professional settings. “After completing a series of programs, participants will be instilled with the necessary skills to dominate the field of their choice, college attrition rates will be reduced for women and girls of color nationally, and lifetime leaders will be grown,” the organization noted.
Along with BSLS: Hear Our Voice, the grant will help fund BSLS: Self-Care Series, BSLS: Professional Development Series, BSLS: WOMENForce Lock + Key, BSLS: Financial Literacy Program and more.
