Exceptional
Community Leaders
Program
Forging a network of youth who lead community ventures created in partnership with uniquely selected nonprofit, business, and cultural organizations.
Our model
Our Program
The Exceptional Community Leaders program is a network of social entrepreneurs in Puerto Rico who are focused on creating heritage tourism and community service experiences. We support these leaders in strengthening their organizations' commercial and community impact.
What Makes It Unique
Our model supports the establishment of a social enterprise and provides access to specialized facilitators who support each organization in a structured way through initial planning, execution, and evaluation.
Goal
To create economic development opportunities, a source of income for young people in communities across Puerto Rico and contribute to the financial sustainability of our participants' community service programs.
#AcceleratingCommunities in Puerto Rico
Benefits
How the Program Creates Impact
Program Development
We engage in a collaborative process with each organization's leader to understand and improve their highest-impact initiatives and programs.
Youth and Community-First Perspective
We empower every participating leader to create experiences that help their local community members develop lifelong skills related to communications, entrepreneurship, and community service. We prioritize partnerships with leaders whose programs benefit youth.
Operational and Financial Capacity Building
We provide access to experts who provide leaders the technical, operational, financial, and legal know-how they need to improve their organizations' effectiveness.
Unique Expertise
Our staff offers a wealth of knowledge and tailored support specific to social enterprises that center on community service and cultural heritage.
Projects in action
Heritage Tourism and Community Service Program
Social entrepreneurship
The program enables the leaders to gain new knowledge, deepen their sense of community identity, diversify and expand their community work experience. The program also serves as a self-sustaining funding alternative to support participating organizations' signature service programs, enhances their visibility, and attracts potential partners for additional support.
These community-based entrepreneurial initiatives offer, among others, authentic tourism experiences led by young residents of local areas. Visitors interested in experiencing each community's unique natural and cultural heritage also learn about the organization's community trajectory over time and current service programs.
Another of the organizations develops emblematic products of Puerto Rican heritage and traditional gastronomy.
Active participants in the program:
Punto Educativo, Recreativo y Social de Las Mareas in Salinas, PR
Centro Esperanza in Loíza, PR
Casa Juan Pablo II in San Germán, PR
Comuna Cajey in Cayey, PR
By Invitation Only
This program is by invitation only. The Bravo Family Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals.