Forum/Discussions

ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON FOUNDATION INVESTS $1.2M IN BCT PARTNERS AND FRONTLINE SOLUTIONS TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH & SUCCESS OF YOUNG MEN OF COLOR

 
Dr. Randal D. Pinkett, BCT Partners Chairman and CEO

Newark, NJ (BlackNews.com) -- BCT Partners and Frontline Solutions announced today that they have been awarded $1.2 million to provide advisory services and national technical assistance on behalf of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's $9.5 million Forward Promise initiative. Forward Promise aims to vastly expand the potential for boys and young men of color to grow up healthy, obtain a good education, and find meaningful employment.

Frontline Solutions Senior Partner Marcus Littles believes growing national efforts to invest in and support men of color largely result from groundwork laid by BCT Partners and Frontline Solutions. "Since 2005, BCT and Frontline have coordinated with our philanthropic and public-sector partners to increase opportunities for males of color," says Littles. "Managing these initiatives is a tremendous responsibility for us, and we're excited to build on this momentum by supporting Forward Promise."

BCT's Chairman and CEO Dr. Randal D. Pinkett agrees. "As minority-owned companies, we take pride in the fact that we can lend our expertise and services to empower males of color. We look forward to continuing to build our growing practice for children, families, and communities throughout the country."

As partners in the Forward Promise initiative, Frontline and BCT will support 15 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) grantees over 30 months to help bring their projects to scale, and possibly replicate them in other cities. Frontline is helping RWJF to manage the initiative and serve as a thought partner, while BCT Partners is responsible for assessing the grantees' needs, coordinating the provision of technical assistance, and creating a community of practice that will allow the grantees to share ideas and models of success with one another.

BCT, which is currently supporting several national demonstration programs, and Frontline previously received a $500,000 investment to serve as the national implementation partner for the Black Male Engagement ("BMe") initiative, which represents a growing network of inspired and engaged black men from all walks of life and their friends who do their part to strengthen communities. As implementation partners of the BMe initiative, Frontline and BCT have led the expansion of the vibrant network from two to four cities (Philadelphia, Detroit, Baltimore, and Pittsburgh). BMe is supported by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Open Society Foundations, and the Heinz Endowments.

In response to the overwhelming statistics on boys and men of color struggling around employment, education, and health, this past April, more than two dozen foundation and nonprofit leaders including RWJF pledged to take collective action on these issues. Convened and facilitated by Frontline and supported by BCT Partners, the alliance agreed to evaluate promising approaches, advocate for effective public policy and systems change, and invest in these young men as assets for America's future. RWJF's Forward Promise investments complement commitments from this growing network of funders working to secure healthy and successful lives for the nation's boys and young men of color.

About BCT Partners
BCT Partners is a national consulting firm that delivers a full-range of program management, research and evaluation, technical assistance, and information technology services in the areas of housing and community development, economic development, workforce development, children and families, health, and education. They deliver these services by leveraging deep subject-matter expertise, a rigorous project and knowledge management methodology, and information technology as an enabler to help build capacity, drive efficiencies, enhance decision-making, and improve outcomes for our clients.

Their team of professionals, subject matter experts and academics work closely with government agencies, nonprofit and faith-based organizations, educational institutions, foundations, and philanthropic organizations to design and implement programs that strengthen communities across the country. Learn more about our passion and work at www.bctpartners.com.

About Frontline Solutions
Frontline Solutions (www.helpingchangehappen.com) is a social change organization that invests in the pipeline of social change leaders; provides consulting services to institutions in the nonprofit, government, and philanthropic sectors; and develops knowledge, informs policy, and improves practice in the areas of Education, Social Innovation, and Males of Color.

Offering recognized thought leadership and knowledge of best practices, Frontline has a solid network of relevant local and national relationships and is currently working with several major foundations and nonprofit organizations.