The HBCU Executive Leadership Institute Announces New Investment from Chan Zuckerberg Initiative

By Chan Marley

Continuing its commitment to building the next generation of HBCU legacy leaders, the HBCU Executive Leadership Institute  (ELI) at Clark Atlanta University, today announced its receipt of a grant for $1.2 million from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. The grant includes funding to expand ELI’s curriculum, which offers micro-credentials and prepares executives to assume leadership positions in higher education.

HBCU ELI stands as a pioneering initiative, committed to nurturing and empowering the next generation of leaders at over 100 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative was a founding sponsor of the ELI program when it first launched in 2021. The program identifies and develops the most qualified candidates to fill vital HBCU presidencies and other executive leadership positions. To date, ELI has convened a community of 85 Fellows, comprised of professionals representing both public and private sectors. Each participated in ELI’s unique professional development program, which includes 13 core competencies.

Since its inception, the groundbreaking HBCU ELI program has expanded to include the “New President’s Program.” Its focus is to provide professional development to new presidents and chancellors within their first three years of service. The first program of its kind, ELI’s extended curriculum is preserving and strengthening HBCUs as a hub for education, opportunity and uplift in the Black community.

“When we started this idea of training, supporting, and advocating for HBCU leaders, we knew we had an uphill battle, but we also knew it was critical work,” said Dr. Phyllis Worthy Dawkins, Executive Director, HBCU ELI at CAU and 18th President of Bennett College. “It is because of the continued support of sponsors, like The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, that we can welcome new Fellows and invest in the future of our institutions as well as the students who rely on HBCUs to thrive.”

“In today’s rapidly evolving world of higher education, effective leadership is paramount to ensuring that all HBCUs achieve – and sustain— success,” said Dr. George T. French, Jr., President, Clark Atlanta University. “We are grateful to the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative for their partnership as ELI continues to cultivate Fellows and help our HBCUs prosper.”

ELI’s robust curriculum equips fellows with the tools and insights needed to effectively lead an HBCU. This includes operations, budgeting, alumni relations, fundraising and development, as well as board governance and human resource management, to name a few.