KCRA 3 News
By Brandi Cummings
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — For 16 years, the Nehemiah Emerging Leaders Program (NELP) has been a cornerstone of Sacramento’s leadership development — empowering women, people of color, veterans, LGBTQIA+ professionals and individuals with disabilities to drive meaningful change in their organizations and communities.
The program’s alumni represent a network of diverse changemakers who embody leadership through equity and inclusion.
But now, as federal policy decisions threaten the financial stability of many community-based programs, NELP is facing a new challenge.
To ensure the organization’s independence and sustainability, NELP has launched “Fortify the Bridge: For the Next Generation of Leaders,” a new community campaign inviting 1,000 supporters to contribute $50 per month.
The goal: to strengthen Sacramento’s leadership pipeline and secure the next 16 years of transformational impact.
The initiative coincides with the release of NELP’s 2025 Impact Report, which highlights the organization’s continued success in developing leaders who champion equity across industries and civic spaces.
Deneva Shelton, NLP’s Chief Executive Officer and Scott Syphax, Board Chair of Nehemiah Leaders Programs (NLP) joined KCRA 3 this morning.
Click the video above to watch the full interview.