Congo Leadership Initiative

I held a bake sale benefit that partially fund raised for Congo Leadership Initiative. The hard working staff there were friendly, quick to respond and very helpful. They definitely take an interest in your efforts and make you feel like your work is a priority.

CLI is the most professional nonprofit I've worked with thus far. Their board members are well educated in their fields, and are extremely organized.

The leaders of the Congo Leadership Initiative have continually demonstrated in the public forum their understanding of the material challenges faced by the Congolese youth. CLI has wasted no time mobilizing resources, and using these resources with frugality to enact a purposeful mission. I am eager to witness the positive effects of CLI's actions, and how CLI will act as a catalyst for further change.

CLI is doing incredible work to build a network of support for its training efforts among youth leaders in the Congo. They have found ways to build on the passionate and inspirational leadership of their founder and further their impact and deepen their investment there. Their US-based team is great at sharing information about what is going on and keeping donors and other supporters informed about developments on the ground in the Congo and their own growth and expansion.

I first donated to the Congo Leadership Initiative after a conversation with its founder left me struck by its important mission: change the status quo in the Congo by working with those most likely to make a sustainable change for the country. Developing young leaders is a cause I am deeply aligned with and the transparency of CLI's organization made me confident my support would be used effectively. As a donor, I continue to be engaged by the organization and am consistently impressed with its regular communication of work and successes.

CLI has developed an innovative, cost-effective approach to addressing some of the most pressing issues in Central Africa. This approach ensured that my donation went directly to enhancing the capacity of CLI and its ability to support young leaders in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The organization provides transparent communications to donors, detailing their budget and expenses. I intend to continue donating to CLI due to their effectiveness and transparency.

CLI is an extraordinary organization led by a dynamic young man tackling some of the biggest problems in the worst places on earth.

After years of serving on non-profit boards it is refreshing and life-giving to work with a group of young adults dedicated to re-defining Ghandi's famous quote, "Be the change you want to see"! The Congo Leadership Initiative seeks to empower the next generation of Congolese leaders to be catalysts for peace and prosperity. First World visionaries banded together as they see the promise of a nation across the globe and working with tireless dedication to empower young scholars to dream big! What CLI lacks in major league funding sources, it more than makes up for in talented leadership, passion and promise!

The Congo Leadership Initiative has been shaped by a combination of passionate and talented volunteers. This grassroots organization has already seen impressive results and yet continues to learn and improve consistently. I have been honored to serve on the organization's board and I believe my work has already made a lasting impact.

CLI is a nonprofit like none other out there. Where so many nonprofits help communities, they can also make them dependent on outside help. CLI is a self-sustaining program that uses it's Leadership Accelerator to empower young Congolese leaders to be change agents for their country. It is an incredible organization with a fantastic board and staff and volunteering there has been one of the best experiences I have had. The program is one needed greatly, and one that could be implemented anywhere in the world.

CLI really is about empowering the next generation of Congolese leaders to be catalysts for peace and prosperity. In just a few years, CLI is making a measurable impact on the ground in Kinshasa, equipping students with skills and knowledge so they can affect real community change. Having been involved with CLI since its founding, I've seen tremendous organizational growth led by a team of passionate individuals. CLI lives and breaths its mission, with a committee team of Congolese facilitators and an intergenerational team back in the U.S. that serves as an incubator for leadership development. While my time on the board has ended, I am happy serve in an advisory role and increase support and fundraising for CLI.

I have had many profound experiences with a number of different international development organizations and of course their programming methods throughout my career. Without a doubt, the CLI Leadership Accelerator introduced me to revolutionary grass-roots techniques that work. CLI has the potential for inspiring other leadership programs to do the same in particular because all participants, including myself, demonstrated an increased awareness and adaptation to a curriculum completely foreign to the environment that surrounds it. The initiative is moving towards a fine-tuning phase, and considering the organization is still only a start-up, that is pretty amazing. We still have some work to do surrounding cultural issues that continue to affect programming in different ways, but the foundation of the program is there and moving like a freight train.

I feel that CLI has done an amazing job of identifying a true problem in the Congo, and tackling it. Because of what they do, they are starting at the bottom of a chain that will ultimately help for further development of the whole nation. Education is extremely important, and from the quick success they've already seen, it's obvious that it is one that can be fixed with the right focus and effort. On top of being a great organization for the popele they help, CLI makes it very easy for everyone to get involved in the cause and feel like they are making a difference.