The National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce® (NGLCC) recently announced that it has significantly expanded its Scholarship Program for 2011, more than doubling the number of scholarships it will award, as well as building a more flexible funding pool for businesses to access.
As many organizations are cutting programs and membership offerings due to economic conditions, the generosity of several NGLCC corporate partners made it possible for at least five LGBT certified business owners to take advantage of the national scholarship program in 2011. These scholarships are designed to strengthen the management skills of a certified LGBT Business Enterprise (LGBTBE) owner, with the hope of building the overall capacity of the business.
"Forging opportunities, like this, for LGBT owned businesses shows the commitment that these corporations have made to support diverse businesses and communities." said Joanna Dees, Senior Manager of Corporate Relations and Supplier Diversity at the NGLCC.
This scholarships give recipients the opportunity to attend Building A High-Performing Minority Business course that is part of the Tuck School of Business Executive Education Program at Dartmouth University, or entrepreneurs may apply for scholarship funds up to $5,000 to attend any business development course offered by an accredited college or university.
"I learned a lot about potential avenues my company can take to gain a stronger presence in corporate and federal government contacts." said Tamara Fleming, Principal of FEMWORKS, LLC and the first NGLCC scholarship recipient. "As a minority business owner, it's opportunities like these that make me proud to be certified by the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce."
The scholarship program was created in 2009 as part of the NGLCC Procurement Council Scholarship Subcommittee, which reviews all submitted applications. The council is comprised of corporate representatives involved in the NGLCC Supplier Diversity Initiative, who are actively seeking to work with certified LGBT businesses.
Applications are available on the NGLCC website at www.nglcc.org/scholarship and or by emailing supplierdiversity@nglcc.org. To be considered for a 2011 scholarship, completed applications must be submitted to supplierdiversity@nglcc.org by March 15, 2011. Award recipients we will be announced in April 2011.
