Nareit Foundation Selects Management Leadership for Tomorrow and Eight Other NonProfits to Receive Inaugural Dividends Through Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Grants
Management Leadership for Tomorrow will support the REIT industry’s collective commitment to advancing social responsibility.
Washington, D.C. (Nov. 14, 2023) – The Nareit Foundation announced nine nonprofit organizations that will receive inaugural grants from its Dividends Through Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DDEI) Giving Campaign, including Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT). The announcement was made during Nareit’s REITworld: 2023 Annual Conference.
“We are honored to receive this grant from the Nareit Foundation’s Dividends Through Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Giving Campaign,” said Cristal Baron, Head of Advancement at MLT. “This generous support empowers us to deepen our mission of nurturing underrepresented talent and forging a more diverse and inclusive workforce. We are grateful to the Nareit Foundation for recognizing the importance of our work and for their commitment to advancing progress in this space.”
MLT will use this grant funding for its Career Prep program to professionally develop and support Black, Hispanic/Latine, and Native American students pursuing career interests in real estate. Career Prep provides students with a winning professional playbook and 20 months of programming, which includes personalized coaching, and an accelerating network of 10,000 MLT Rising Leaders. This grant will help MLT advance its mission to close the racial wealth gap and ensure equal access to the American Dream.
“The work that MLT is doing and will do is critical, and I am grateful for its efforts to help us improve diversity, equity, and inclusion across our workplaces, businesses, and communities,” said Nareit SVP of Social Responsibility & Global Affairs Ayris T. Scales.
“While REITs and the publicly traded real estate industry have made significant progress in prioritizing diversity and inclusion throughout their organizations—there’s still more to do. Together, DDEI campaign donors, MLT, and the other grant recipients are paving the way for the next generation of diverse REIT executives, employees, tenants, investors, and suppliers,” Scales added.
The Nareit Foundation DDEI Giving Campaign was launched in 2022 under the leadership of Nareit’s DDEI CEO Council Philanthropy Committee. The campaign was supported by Nareit and more than 40 Nareit member REITs or their philanthropic organizations. The Nareit Foundation, in collaboration with Just Fund, held a competitive grant application process, and after extensive review, the Nareit Foundation board approved the nine nonprofit organizations each with a national reach to receive the grants. To see the full donor list and learn more about Nareit’s DDEI campaign, visit nareitfoundation.org/ddei.
About Nareit
Nareit serves as the worldwide representative voice for REITs and publicly traded real estate companies with an interest in U.S. real estate. Nareit’s members are REITs and other real estate companies throughout the world that own, operate, and finance income-producing real estate, as well as those firms and individuals who advise, study, and service those businesses. Nareit’s focus is to broaden and deepen REIT ownership to help a growing set of everyday American investors enjoy the benefits of holding real estate in a well-diversified portfolio, while increasing capital sources that invest in America’s future.
Nareit is the exclusive registered trademark of the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts, Inc.®, 1875 I St., NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20006-5413. Copyright© 2023 by Nareit® All rights reserved.
About Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT)
MLT is a national nonprofit organization that is advancing racial equity by elevating the career opportunities for high-achieving individuals from underrepresented communities- Black, Hispanic/Latine, and Native American. The organization also provides a comprehensive solution for employers that combines best-in-class recruitment and retention tactics as well as DEI strategy and rigor. These practices can help decrease institutional racism, close racial wealth gaps, and change the narrative on race. Visit us at mlt.org.
Contacts:
Chloë Abu-Jaber
Associate Director, Communications (MLT)
cabu-jaber@mlt.org
Katie Feldman
Senior Vice President, Communications (Nareit)
KFeldman@nareit.com