Jennifer Leonard
Since 1993, Rochester Area Community Foundation President & CEO Jennifer Leonard has worked with generous donors and community partners to strengthen our region through philanthropy. Under her leadership the Community Foundation has become the largest grantmaking foundation in greater Rochester and Central New York, awarding grants and scholarships totaling $34 million last year.
The Community Foundation works to create a more equitable and vital community for all by addressing poverty, racial and ethnic disparities, and the educational achievement and opportunity gap. Other grants address arts and culture, historical preservation, successful aging, and environmental justice and sustainability. Jennifer serves on the steering committee for the Rochester-Monroe Anti-Poverty Initiative and as a convener for the ROC the Future education initiative, which she chaired from 2014-17.
In 2021, Rochester Business Journal named Jennifer to its inaugural “Power 100.” City & State magazine named Jennifer to its first statewide “Philanthropy Power 50” in 2020 and its first “Western New York Power 100” in 2021. She was the 2010 Athena Award recipient. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Wellesley College, Jennifer was a Coro Fellow in Public Affairs and earned an urban studies master’s degree from Occidental College. She lives in Brighton with her husband, journalist and author David Cay Johnston.
Testimonials
A professional mentor of mine had just finished the previous year’s ERG and called me to suggest I join the next cohort. He explained the monthly commitment for a full year which at first seemed like a lot, but he assured me it would be well worth my time to invest in this program. The biggest feature that allows for real open dialogue to flourish, is a common trust that nothing would get shared outside of our core group. Doing deep and thoughtful work in this setting is very empowering and after the first month, our group became very comfortable sharing ideas and beliefs - that they may not have done in any other part of their life. The structure of each month’s class is well thought out and gently moves you along a path of understanding through supplied articles, book excerpts, videos, and other race-related media which bring real-life references to the topics at hand. Trust me, the year goes quickly, and when you are done, you realize how much more you need to learn.
When a friend described ERG to me and encouraged me to join, I was happy to find a way to spend more time on a topic that had intrigued and bothered me for a while but also hesitant to bare my soul to strangers and also concerned to be able to commit the time to be a consistent participant. Looking back now after spending the last twelve months meeting with our group, I couldn’t be more pleased with what I’ve learned, what I’ve discovered about myself and what others in the group have shared. Racism in America is systemic, its centuries old and all of us need to invest time and energy to understand its origins and the structures within our society that support it’s existence if we have any hope of making change. I am certain that the readings, reflections and dialogue among my ERG group have expanded my understanding of this complex topic and prepared me to foster constructive conversations about racism, and to take positive steps to ward a better environment for all.
"As the only African American in my group, I did not know what to expect. I, however, really appreciated the environment, which was inviting, candid and sincere. I am glad that I learned things about American history that helped me resolve some meaningful questions I had. I also appreciated the opportunity to build relationships with people who want to participate in positive change."
"Learning to be uncomfortable.... this was the incredibly valuable lesson I learned as I went through this program with a group of individuals that provided a safe place to share one's experiences and admit to one's biases without judgement. In the process you learn a whole lot about yourself and how important it is to challenge your own beliefs. This is an experience that leaders cannot afford to forgo if they are committed to understanding themselves and others."
This course looks at the education and understanding of racism in a much different and very beneficial way. I learned so much and also realize how much more there is to learn -- and also to unlearn. This experience is a must for all leaders in our area and also for anyone that is interested in alleviating racism. Many thanks to Tom Mitchell and Frank Staropoli and their team.
“Engaging with leaders to reflect, challenge and process events around us was invaluable to me. The Exploring Racism Group setting provided a safe space to talk deeply about issues of race that are often left unsaid. ERG materials and subsequent discussions dug deep and the more you put into it, the more you get out of the experience. Wrestling with such personal, historic, systemic and institutional issues of race is long overdue and a critical path to move from wanting to do better to actually being part of the change for the better.”
ERG helped me discover how I play a role in contributing to and perpetuating racism in my community. I have looked in the mirror and seen hypocrisy. A proud American, I believe in the ideals of liberty, justice, and equality; yet, as a white man, I have unconsciously extracted unfair advantages from a system that was designed to exploit and disadvantage a group of people based on skin tone.
Henceforth, I am committed to do the work to heal the wounds and support positive change. I adopted an action plan and shared it with my ERG cohort. I report to them monthly, asking them to hold me accountable. I seek to make my small "ding" in the universe
I joined the Exploring Racism Group in January 2020. What a year to join! Between the pandemic and the social unrest, it was an eye-opening year. The Group helped open my eyes to the biases that I have and how to address those biases in constructive ways. It helped me be less hesitant to talk about race-related issues and realize that being "blind" to race is actually supporting racism. The Group has also helped me see that there aren't easy answers, but that a group of people who openly connect and share can do a lot to improve all of our lives for the better. I highly recommend the program to anyone interested in learning more about themselves and their biases.
ERG has been a unique opportunity to experience transformative change.
My participation has made me more aware of the prevalence and impacts of racism. It’s expanded my awareness of how racism manifests itself in our community – in professional and personal settings alike. It’s opened my eyes to the structural and institutional barriers to equity. And it’s sharpened my toolbox to be an agent of change.
The format challenges in a way that promotes deeper understanding, and it does so in a safe, intimate space that promotes honest, authentic and impactful dialogue. As individual participants, the format deftly invites us on our own journey. As members of a discussion group,
it encourages us to share that journey and learn from the respective journeys our fellow participants are taking – an invaluable opportunity to do such personal work in the context of a trusted “community.”
Every participant will take something different from their ERG experience – but in each case it will be profound.
ERG deepens the capacity of leaders in our community to drive change we so desperately need.
The Exploring Racism Group helped me find a new level of understanding, not just of what it means to be Black in America, but also what it means to be white. I am much better equipped now to make a difference going forward.
