The Creative Ladder, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing opportunities in advertising and marketing to underrepresented communities, announced it will cease programming come the end of June and close on August 31.The group did not immediately reveal why the nonprofit is shutting its doors. Campaign obtained an internal email that CEO Dionna Dorsey sent to members on Tuesday. In the email, Dorsey said this was not the ending that those within the organization had in mind.“We fought hard for another way forward,” she said.The email mentioned there are plans over the next few weeks to highlight The Creative Ladder’s milestones and celebrate the fruits of its labor; though no other details were revealed.“The ladder we build together does not disappear,” she continued. “It lives in every career launched, every connection made [and] every person who learned to take up space with confidence and joy. That legacy is yours as much as it is ours.”The Creative Ladder, also cofounded by David Griner and actor and entrepreneur Ryan Reynolds in early 2022, hosted various bootcamps, conferences, summits and events to encourage community and networking. After initially being heavily involved during the organization’s early years, Reynolds has not been as visibly involved, and his headshot and role within the organization are no longer listed on the Creative Ladder website. Dorsey declined to comment, pointing Campaign to her public statement on LinkedIn. Reynolds could not be reached for comment.In 2024, Griner stepped back from his chief content officer role onto the board of directors for the 2024-2025 fiscal year. He told Campaign that the spirit of The Creative Ladder will carry on through mentoring, uplifting and speaking out for others.“This is heartbreaking news, for those of us who supported Creative Ladder, the talent it could have helped and the industries it was formed to benefit,” he added. “These are incredibly difficult times for inclusion advocacy at the institutional level, but I hope the people who believed in Creative Ladder’s mission will continue to stand up for rising professionals from marginalized communities.”According to Dorsey’s email, the nonprofit served over 7,200 individuals in underrepresented communities throughout the U.S., including those in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City and Washington D.C.Working with partners such as Capital One, Hilton and Deloitte, it also offered Rising Leaders Academy, a six-month virtual program in leadership and management development. According to the nonprofit’s tax filings, The Creative Ladder generated over $2.3 million in revenue for the 2022-2023 fiscal year, which runs July to July. Over 95% of the nonprofit’s revenue is sourced through financial contributions and donations; the rest through investments. In the 2024-2025 fiscal year, its revenue totaled just over $1.06 million ($1.04 from contributions, $16,000 from investment income); and around $930,000 in the 2023-2024 fiscal year (over $900,000 from contributions, just under $30,000 from investments). The Creative Ladder primarily spent on fundraising fees and salaries and wages. For example, in the 2024-2025 fiscal year, 37% of expenses were for compensation, salaries and wages, while under 8% was spent on fundraising. In the 2023-2024 fiscal year, these numbers are 37.6% and 3.2%, respectively. While its revenue remained around $900,000 to $1.1 million over the following two fiscal years, the organization’s net income had improved; losing over $450,000 in the 2023-2024 fiscal year and around $90,000 in 2024-2025.