|
The Search for 2026 Luminaries Is On! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Today marks the start of the 2026 cycle with the opening of The 1954 Project Pre-Application form. |
|
|
|
Each 2026 Luminary Award winner will receive $1 million in unrestricted funding, leadership development support, and access to a one-of-a-kind peer network. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Across the country, we see leaders building new paths for learning, belonging, and economic mobility. The CAFE Group’s 1954 Project exists to walk alongside them, fueling their vision with funding, along with community and deep investment in their leadership and their organizations.
If you or someone you know leads an education nonprofit rooted in Black communities and you’re ready to scale your impact, this is the moment to step forward! |
|
|
|
|
LEAD: Love, New Legacies, and Big Impact |
|
|
|
This summer, 65 college students stepped into The CAFE Group’s LEAD Internship Program with a shared purpose: to build early career access and social capital rooted in love-centered leadership. Over 10 weeks, interns worked at 36 mission-driven organizations across Chicagoland and gathered weekly to learn and grow together.
From personal storytelling to delving into the origins of philanthropy, every LEAD session returned to one truth: leadership thrives through connection. Learn more about how we’re supporting the next generation of leaders at thecafe.org/programs/LEAD. |
|
|
|
|
In case you missed it:
In September, The CAFE Group had the honor of publicly announcing the 2025 1954 Project Luminary Award winners. Catch up on these five leaders, learn their stories, and see how their organizations are transforming education and communities nationwide.
Meet the 2025 Luminaries → |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Leading with Love
The CAFE Group is a nonprofit reimagining how philanthropy operates. We invest in visionary leaders, early-career talent, and the infrastructure of social change, aligning capital, growing networks, and cultivating love as a strategy for lasting impact. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
