The Raymond John Wean Foundation

The Wean Foundation is dedicated to community building that promotes a racially equitable future where one’s race identity has no influence on how one fairs in society.

Established in 1949, we leverage a dynamic combination of grantmaking, capacity building, and convening and partnerships in the underresourced communities of Warren and Youngstown, Ohio. We place race equity and inclusion at the heart of our work to focus attention and resources on the region’s most entrenched challenges. Together with residents, organizations and civic leaders we seek to create authentic change and address long-held assumptions, redistribute decision-making power, and challenge the systemic lack of equitable access to resources, knowledge and opportunity.

Mission

To advance community building in the underresourced communities of Warren and Youngstown, in Ohio’s Mahoning Valley, through a powerful combination of grantmaking, capacity building, convening and partnerships.

Vision

Empowered residents creating a healthy, vibrant, equitable and economically stable Mahoning Valley.

Race Equity & Inclusion Focus

We are committed to creating a racially equitable future where a person’s race identity has no influence on how they fair in society. We seek to create an inclusive environment where each person can show up as their full self, feel welcomed, respected and valued to participate fully.

Our work has shown us it is not possible to solve entrenched challenges with entrenched beliefs. Fresh thinking, honest conversations and resident-led approaches are required to dismantle systems of advantage that concentrate decision-making and resources in the hands of the advantaged and place access to knowledge, opportunity and power out of reach for the others.

We believe that racial inequality is the conversation and that it is no longer acceptable as “the norm” in the Mahoning Valley. As we partner with those most affected by systemic racism, we leverage our role and resources to identify and remove barriers to progress for all who call the Mahoning Valley home. As a community, we must face the fact that losses in human capital, innovation, opportunity and dignity due to systemic racism are not only morally indefensible, but they are additionally costing all of us a better future.