Bowe Stewart Foundation Makes Historic Gift to Invest In Women As Civic Leaders

The Policy Circle will deploy the gift to expand its reach and build civic leaders amongst the U.S. Military & Veterans Communities

ANNAPOLIS, Md., Dec. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The Peter Bowe and Barbara Stewart Foundation announced one of the largest gifts in the foundation's history to fund a multi-year initiative to diversify and expand the reach of The Policy Circle, a nonpartisan organization that informs and equips women to be impactful civic leaders. Specifically, this initiative will support scaling and prioritized outreach to targeted demographics through The Policy Circle's Civic Leadership Engagement Roadmap (CLER) program.

CLER is a proprietary, three-month leadership program designed to strengthen knowledge of American founding principles and the importance of civic engagement. This unique leadership program features one-on-one coaching, peer groups, networking opportunities, and action-oriented activities designed to build solid connections with local policy leaders and decision-makers. After just two years, CLER has already demonstrated a significant impact in launching hundreds of participants into leadership roles as elected officials, serving on task forces/commissions, and mobilizing initiatives that improve the lives of all community members.

With this significant investment from The Bowe Stewart Foundation, The Policy Circle will grow CLER cohorts and target engagement from distinct groups over three years, starting with a strategic focus on the military and veterans communities in 2023. The funding allows for the hiring of a Leadership Outreach Fellow that will spearhead this collaborative effort through targeted outreach to identify and secure CLER candidates who are either active military, veterans, or military spouses. The goal is to channel the service-oriented mindset of these unique communities and enhance their skills to build a pipeline of equipped and informed civic leaders who value innovation, freedom, and personal agency. Applications for this role are currently being accepted, with details on this position here. In addition, The Bowe Stewart Foundation's gift will fund program scholarships to alleviate the financial burden for participants.

"The Policy Circle mission aligns with our Foundation's goal to strengthen the civic fiber of our nation," said Barbara Stewart, co-founder of the Bowe Stewart Foundation. "The CLER program is an ideal platform to identify and build strong female leaders from diverse communities. We are eager to see this collaboration's impact."

This generous funding also paves the way for the newly announced Bowe Stewart Lecture Series that will commence in February 2023, with quarterly events to strengthen CLER graduates' leadership, communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills.

"This partnership with Bowe Stewart Foundation will enable The Policy Circle to reach a broader audience with balanced information on a wide range of issues, and further develop a nationwide community of solutions-oriented leaders," said The Policy Circle Executive Director Stacy Blakeley.

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About Bowe Stewart Foundation

The Peter Bowe and Barbara Stewart Foundation, founded by Peter Bowe and Barbara Stewart, funds organizations that share their goals of strengthening civic education and closing the opportunity gap. The Foundation's primary focus is increasing understanding and appreciation of our American civic heritage. The Foundation's secondary focus is closing the opportunity gap by supporting organizations that emphasize education, training and work experience. Learn more at http://www.bowestewartfoundation.com.

About The Policy Circle

The Policy Circle is a 501(c)3, nonpartisan, grassroots organization that informs and equips women to be more impactful civic leaders. With more than 11,000 community members in 45 states, The Policy Circle is a trusted source of information for a thriving network of civic-minded women. We equip this growing community with reliable content, authentic relationships, robust programming, and effective training for women in every stage and phase of their civic leadership journey. To learn more or join this group of outstanding women, visit http://www.thepolicycircle.org.

Media Contact

Savannah Lane, The Policy Circle, 1 8043011525, slane@thepolicycircle.org

SOURCE The Policy Circle