Join The Cultivate Leadership Program’s 2025-2026 cohort!
We are excited to announce the 2025-2026 application is now open!
ABOUT CULTIVATE
Cultivate: Women of Color Leadership (Cultivate) is a joint effort of Crossroads Fund, Chicago Foundation for Women (CFW), Woods Fund Chicago, the Chicago Community Trust, and Walder Foundation and is for grantees of these Foundations. Cultivate seeks to build a cadre of emerging women, women identifying, non-binary, and two-spirited persons of color leaders engaged in social, economic, and racial justice movements and whose collective voice and power can be leveraged to realize a shared vision of the Chicago region’s future. By bringing together women who lead intersecting but separate justice efforts – that may include gender and racial equity, labor rights, civil rights, LGBTQ rights and immigrant rights, among others. Cultivate supports the personal and professional development needs of each participant. Every year we bring together a group of inspired women of color leaders who leave Cultivate with a renewed sense of purpose, community, and opportunities to strengthen their leadership, their respective organizations, and the larger movements in which they work.
WHY JOIN CULTIVATE?
By joining Cultivate, you will have the opportunity to:
Enhance your personal and professional development.
Strengthen your leadership skills and the impact of your organization.
Build a supportive community with fellow leaders.
Collaborate across justice movements to drive meaningful change.
LEARN MORE AND APPLY
To read more about the criteria and application process, please visit: cultivatewomenofcolor.org/criteria-application
Applications open on August 25, 2025. Apply here: bit.ly/applycultivate
For any questions or inquiries, feel free to reach out to Program Manager, Nouha Boundaoui at nouha@crossroadsfund.org.