Hi, friend, 

New Leaders Council uplifts and develops our Fellows' leadership through hands-on experience, including Capstone projects. Fellows follow their passions and use skills learned in their local six-month Institute to identify a problem they’d like to solve in their community. Then, they collaborate with their cohort to expand their ideas, refine their project, and execute their plan. 

Capstone projects exemplify how NLC's focus on proximate leadership sparks local change. Take Josie Pinto (NLC New Hampshire ‘19) for example. She used her Capstone project to start one of the only abortions funds in her state. And since the fund’s inception, she’s helped raise $110,000 to support people in need of abortions. While Josie entered her NLC fellowship with passion, drive, and a knowledge of the reproductive justice landscape, it was her cohort that gave her that extra push to move forward with her big idea.

Read Josie's story below and on the NLC Newsroom!

Capstone Project Spotlight: Funding Abortions in New Hampshire

Josie Pinto (NLC New Hampshire '19)

When Josie Pinto (NLC New Hampshire ‘19) moved to New Hampshire from Massachusets, she brought her passion for reproductive justice with her. In a new community, she wanted to dig in, meet fellow changemakers, and make a difference. 

Josie began her work in reproductive justice at Planned Parenthood. There, she talked to people every day who needed care. She heard their stories and identified a need in New Hampshire: direct funding for abortions. 

For her Capstone project, Josie started the Reproductive Freedom Fund of New Hampshire. Josie's NLC chapter was integral to getting RFFNH off the ground. Through NLC New Hampshire, she connected with someone from the 2018 cohort  to help write the fund’s bylaws and consulted with others who had non-profit experience. At 22 years old, Josie also relied on her chapter and 2019 cohort for advice and confidence.

Three years after its ideation and one year after the non-profit’s official launch, the abortion fund is strong. “We haven’t had to turn anyone away. We’ve been able to meet the need with community support and have been active in education work and advocacy,” says Josie. 

With a supportive community of shared values, including trust, anti-oppression, and equity, Capstone projects mobilize Fellows to face their communities’ challenges and take progress into their own hands. 

Right now, NLC chapters across the country are looking for Fellows who are collaborative and community-driven. We are looking for those who connect with others to make a collective impact. And with the skills and network gained from NLC, chapter Fellows emerge as unstoppable leaders.

Do you know a leader who could benefit from NLC’s hands-on, skill-based training? Share this email with them and encourage them to apply today!

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