Since 2010, the Woodlawn Foundation has served as a catalyst and facilitator for the transformation and revitalization of the Woodlawn community.

Our goal: to work alongside Woodlawn’s residents and business owners to create the vibrant and sustainable community they envision.

Today, our vision and mission remain the same, but we are excited to announce a meaningful change. The Woodlawn Foundation is now Woodlawn United.

Since April 2021, our team has been working with Telegraph Creative to ensure that our brand aligns with our mission and core values.

During this time, we surveyed 40 partner organizations, spoke with residents, and formed a small committee to have an honest discussion about who we are as an organization and how our work will not only transform Woodlawn but will serve as a blueprint for many communities in our city and beyond.

After hours of dialogue around our brand identity and strategic planning process, we believe the images and words you see today represent who we are to our core – community-focused, aligned, and most importantly, UNITED.

The Woodlawn community’s resilience and commitment to working together to create opportunities for community members to thrive is what makes us who we are. It’s the only reason we are here and it’s one of the many reasons that we are proud to be a part of this community. To be Woodlawn Strong is to persevere through all adversity towards the greater good of all. To be Woodlawn United is to do it together.

We are Woodlawn United.

Change doesn’t happen overnight, but (WE) Lead is where the rubber meets the road for program fellows, an intergenerational group ranging from early 20s through retirement. (WE) Lead’s priority is to give fellows real-life skills they can use as members of the Woodlawn community in personal, professional, and civic capacities. The program was funded by the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham with the goal of creating sustainable leadership where fellows use their skills to identify, assess, and solve community problems. The first half of the program focuses on building skills while the second half will focus on subject matter, including health care and economic development. Fellows have already completed 4 sessions in the 14-part program: – Servant Leadership, where they each took a leadership assessment to set the tone for the rest of the program. – Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) session, where they were challenged to think broadly about what equity means including classism, ableism, and ageism. – A two-part Communication workshop and panel led by local communications professionals, Rick Journey and Ronda Robinson. For fellows, it’s all about effort and connectivity. (WE) Lead creates a safe space where everyone feels comfortable asking questions and learning, without fear of failure or judgement. Fellows also share an excitement to be in the same room, spending time together and learning from each other. (WE) Lead leader and Woodlawn resident, Myeisha Hutchinson, describes this as a full circle moment for herself as she works with participants building leadership from the ground up. Hutchinson says the group is finding its stride and experiencing many “aha” moments, but for the inaugural class of (WE) Lead fellows this is just the beginning. (WE) Lead serves as a catalyst for fellows to become community leaders as they seek out new areas of service and set out to impact Woodlawn.