Men's institute of leadership excellence and service (MILES)

A seminal research study known as the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) Movement Advancement Project has documented the gap between the LGBT's sense of the importance of leadership and the dearth of resources to support and train leaders of this community. Moreover, organizations and funders acknowledge that “the time is right for increased investment in leadership,” particularly in the area of LGBT programs. The National Minority AIDS Council (NMAC) remains committed to building leaders in the fight against HIV/AIDS, often building leaders in organizations that serve LGBT persons. NMAC's Men's Institute of Leadership Excellence and Service (MILES) seeks to address the high rate of HIV among MSM through building the capacity of the leadership of organizations serving this population. Healthy, strong leadership, builds healthy organizations and provides quality service. MILES provides a blended learning experience that leverages traditional face-to-face training, e-technology, and executive coaching to enhance the capacity of leadership staff through a two day (13 hour) curriculum. Specifically the curriculum focuses on important aspects of organizational development, program sustainability, leadership development, workforce development, program collaboration and service integration. After training more than 75 persons in leadership at organizations serving African American MSM, there still exists a feeling of stigma, and non acceptance and a need for brotherhood and ongoing support through mechanisms of coaching, and continuous trainings. The next steps are to continue trainings for African American identified MSM leaders serving MSM communities of color so that by 2011, there are over 80 persons trained in leadership of MSM organizations.