The National Coalition of 100 Black Women Inc., San Francisco Chapter Doris Ward Workforce Development Employment &  Training Program

Named after a “Strong Black Woman,” the late Doris Ward, who served as San Francisco Board of Supervisors President and the San Francisco Tax Assessor,  The Doris Ward Workforce Development Employment &  Training Program began in San Francisco in 2011 and has added a parenting and civic engagement component to the job readiness curriculum of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women Inc., San Francisco Chapter (NCBWSF).

The program which has served over 270 citizens in San Francisco (with a 60% employment rate), engages unemployed/underemployed women and provides a $25.00/hour stipend for program participation.

Created by award-winning journalist and filmmaker, public relations expert, Jackie Wright former chapter member and chairperson of the NCBWSF signature fundraising event, Golden Girls ‘Bridging the Generations’ Hats and Gloves Tea that was instituted by NCBWSF President Emeritus I. Lee Murphy Reed, the program received the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc.’s  National Economic Development Program of the Year Award in its inaugural year of 2012. Wright’s vision for the program came from her experience as the Executive Director of the American Red Cross Bay Area Chapter San Francisco County Office, where it was instilled that “each one, teach one.”  The training and uplifting values of the Red Cross model served as an example for paid training opportunities centered around the San Francisco Chapter’s programs and services.

In 2018, the program was named to honor Doris Ward, a long-time member of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women Black Women Inc. San Francisco Chapter, who died peacefully on Sunday, April 15, 2018. Ms. Ward was a lifelong advocate for jobs, education, and housing.

The Doris Ward Workforce Development Employment &  Training Program objectives are to bring to fruition:

(1)  Black female trainees who obtain workforce skills by enrolling in hospitality/restaurant industry/retail skills trainings

(2)  At least 70-80% completed vocational training (completion of 12+ instruction hours per trainee);

(3)   At least 70% obtainment of employment by completing their job shadowing training for a 90-day period

(4)  70%  placement in unsubsidized employment.

*Although San Francisco visitor spending is expected to net a 42% decrease from 2019 to 2021 due to COVID-19 [SF Travel], San Francisco Black women have an opportunity to obtain individual skills during the City’s imminent rebuilding.

NCBWSF Program participants will: (1) Obtain skills relevant to one of the City’s most primary industries, tourism (through its connection to the food/hospitality industries); (2) Improve the City’s overall economic condition; and (3) Work towards individual self-sufficiency.

In the year 2021 as the City of San Francisco and NCBWSF respond to the onslaught of changes brought on by the 2020 Pandemic, The National Coalition of 100 Black Women is honored that its previous years of work has resulted in receiving a Dream Keeper Initiative Grant as a result of the leadership of NCBWSF 2nd Vice President, Ridwana Bentley, from the San Francisco Human Rights Commission and the San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development. The grant will allow the program  to continue to evolve. 

President and former National Board Member, Dr. Maxine Hickman and the entire San Francisco Chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women Inc., salute San Francisco Mayor London Breed, Human Rights Commission Executive Director Sheryl Evans Davis, Kate Sofis, Executive Director of the Office of Economic and Workforce Development and all the team at OEWD for its assistance to NCBWSF as it advances equitable and shared prosperity for San Franciscans by growing sustainable jobs for underserved women.

The Doris Ward Workforce Development Employment &  Training Program speaks directly to NCBWSF’s mission where gender equity and sociopolitical advancement drives meaningful change to benefit women of color.

For more than 30 years, NCBWSF has supported San Francisco’s Black women through programs that elevate their quality of life, drive solutions to their issues of concern, and build their own personal and professional development, all leading to overall empowerment. Meeting each of these core values, The Doris Ward Workforce Development/Job Training Program is an exemplary model for driving equitable pathways to good paying jobs and to addressing challenges to diversity and inclusion in the lives of San Francisco’s Black women.

Thank you for your interest.  You can be a part of the solution by spreading the word and investing in hope for the future with a financial donation: https://ncbwsanfran.org/donate/.

Please visit again and check on our growing development.

Sisternomic$

NCBWSF provides financial literacy workshops open to the community. At the currently time, we are developing a mentorship program that will implement the 4-part series for female students in middle school and for adult women. The format encompasses several important topics:

1. Money Management – Participants will learn to create household budgets and develop short-term and long-term savings plans and they are required to open savings accounts at a local bank or credit union. 
2. Credit – Participants learn about credit scores and how to dispute negative items on their credit reports in order to improve credit score.  Additionally, information is provided on how to track individual credit scores in a timely manner. 
3. Real Estate Today and Investing for the Future – Participants learn about homeownership and the various loans that may are available for assistance with purchasing property.
4. Preservation of Wealth – Participants acquire knowledge on how to manage assets in such a way as to ensure that the value does not decrease or diminish.  In addition, information on inflation, life insurance, retirement planning, long-term care, proper asset allocation, and estate planning strategies that help minimize the effects of taxes, exit and succession strategies from businesses, and tax-advantaged investments that are intended to maximize income while minimizing tax burdens will be provided.