The People of Color and LGBTQ+ Community of Practice (POC and LGBTQ+ CoP) at the Minnesota Council on Foundations (MCF) is proud to announce the six inaugural recipients of the 2025 Ubuntu Leadership Award. It is an honor celebrating leaders and organizations who embody the African philosophy of ubuntu: I am only because you are and who advance equity, belonging, diversity, and inclusion — within and across — our philanthropic community. This year’s honorees are:
Individual Honorees:
- Eleanor Savage, President & CEO, Jerome Foundation
- Russell Betts, Philanthropic Advisor, Minneapolis Foundation
- Mai-Anh Tran, Associate Vice President of Philanthropic Services, Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation
Organizational Honorees:
- Northwest Area Foundation
- PFund Foundation
- Mortenson Family Foundation
Meet the 2025 Honorees
“These six honorees reminded us that belonging is not a sentimental ideal — it is a shared responsibility. Bridging is not passive — it is active work, especially in moments when some are being pushed outside the circle of human concern. Their dedication, compassion, and courage inspire us all.”
— Awale (Wally) Osman, Director of Organizational Learning and Leadership Development for Equity and Belonging, Minnesota Council on Foundations
Award Ceremony
The 2025 Ubuntu Leadership Award winners will be honored at Session 7: Different Voices, Stronger Together on Thursday, January 29, 2026, at the McKnight Foundation. This event marks the culminating session of the POC and LGBTQ+ Community of Practice’s first full programming year.
RSVP for “Different Voices, Stronger Together”
About Ubuntu
Ubuntu is an ancient Southern African philosophy about how to live life well, together. The concept is found in almost all African Bantu languages, rooted in the word “bantu”—meaning “people.”
It is best captured by the proverb “Umuntu, ngumuntu, ngabantu”—a person is a person through other persons. The fundamental meaning: everything we learn and experience in the world comes through our relationships with other people. We are called to examine our actions not just for what they achieve for us, but for how they impact others.
In the Xhosa and Zulu traditions, when people want to give high praise to someone, they say “Yhu, u nobuntu”—“Hey, so-and-so has ubuntu.” It means you are generous, hospitable, friendly, caring, and compassionate. To be known as a person with ubuntu is one of the highest accolades one could ever receive.
The word appears across Africa, each variation adding texture to the philosophy:
In Rwanda and Burundi, it means “human generosity”
In parts of Kenya, utu means every action should be for the benefit of the community
In Malawi, uMunthu carries the idea that on your own you are no better than a wild animal, but two or more people make a community
What unites all these meanings is a profound truth: individuals are nothing without other human beings. Ubuntu tells us we are bound together by our shared humanity. It encompasses everyone, regardless of race, creed, or color. It embraces our differences and celebrates them. Ubuntu is not simply a way of behaving—it is a way of being.
About the Ubuntu Leadership Award
The Ubuntu Leadership Award honors those who have made meaningful contributions to the POC and LGBTQ+ Community of Practice and organizations with a track record of advancing equity, belonging, diversity, and inclusion.
Honorees are selected based on four core criteria:
Ubuntu in Practice — A leadership style rooted in community, connection, and shared humanity
Community Contribution — Meaningful and active engagement with the POC and LGBTQ+ Community of Practice
Track Record of Impact — A history of cultivating leadership among BIPOC and LGBTQ+ professionals
Advancement of EBDI — Demonstrable impact on equity, belonging, diversity, and inclusion
As this is the inaugural award, the 2025 honorees were identified by Awale (Wally) Osman in consultation with select community members. Beginning in 2027, nominations will open to both self-nominations and peer nominations, with winners announced at the annual July Ubuntu Leadership Summit.
About the People of Color and LGBTQ+ Community of Practice
The People of Color and LGBTQ+ Community of Practice is a curious and courageous collective cultivating the leadership of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color and/or LGBTQ+ professionals in philanthropy. We are guided by the African philosophy of Ubuntu—meaning "I am because we are". This principle honors our multiple ways of knowing and reminds us that our growth as leaders is fundamentally connected to our relationships and community. Through quarterly leadership development sessions, virtual Ubuntu Circles, and an annual Ubuntu Leadership Summit, we co-create the conditions to be connected, inspired, and supported.
About the Minnesota Council on Foundations
The Minnesota Council on Foundations (MCF) is a vibrant philanthropic community connecting, strengthening, and mobilizing the power of philanthropy to advance prosperity and equity. MCF connects collaborative groups through peer learning and networks, leadership development, and parternships; mobilizes the sector through government relations, public policy, intermediary work, and pooled funds; and strengthens individuals through events and training, research and publications, tools, and resources.
Questions? Connect With Wally
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