Racial Equity Fund

Common Good is Common Ground

Racial Equity Fund

We believe that this community has the resources to address our most pressing problems. The Community Foundation commits to do what we do best: mobilize generosity to address community needs. That’s why we, through the generosity of our Founding Donors, launched the Racial Equity Fund. This fund provides discretionary grant funding for those nonprofit organizations who are on the front lines addressing the issue of racism and inequity in our community.

We believe all residents in our community should have the opportunity to fulfill their highest potential. When we tackle the existing gaps in racial equity, we will expand opportunities to many people across our community. Then, our community will experience the necessary change to be a place where all our residents can learn, work, and further contribute to a healthy, thriving and prosperous place to call home.

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Community Capital to Address Equity Issues

The Racial Equity Fund will support both current year grantmaking, as well as serve as a permanent source of funding to address the ongoing needs for racial equity. Fifty percent of all donations will be deployed for current year grants, and fifty percent of all donations will be added to the Racial Equity Endowment to provide a lasting legacy of support for this issue.

View Press Release

Grantmaking

The Racial Equity Fund will provide grant funding to address equity gaps in the following areas that affect quality of life:

  • Education
  • Economic Opportunity
  • Health and Wellness
  • Neighborhoods and Communities
2022 Grant Recipients:

These twelve nonprofit organizations were awarded a total of $90,000 in grant funding by the Racial Equity Fund Grants Committee for programs and projects that span the focus areas of the Racial Equity Fund.

  • Bartley Bridge: Black Entrepreneurship Academy for Teens (BEAT) - $10,000.00 Provides youth in Northwood and other underserved communities with the knowledge, abilities, and resources necessary to become successful entrepreneurs.

  • Family Services Center: Financial Literacy & Housing Counseling Services - $10,000.00 Offers wrap-around financial literacy and housing counseling services on an array of financial concepts and practices to under-served and low-to-moderate income individuals and families in the community.

  • The CornerStone Initiative: Faith and Finances - $10,000.00 Provides a comprehensive, 12-week financial literacy course designed to transfer basic, financial management skills to vulnerable people in low-to-moderate income families and creates plans for success to address specific financial challenges common to those living in poverty.

  • Village of Promise: Family Connections - $10,000.00 Equips families with the knowledge and skills needed to help advance them out of poverty through a two-generation literacy program that includes four key areas of education, social & emotional growth, physical health & wellness, and professional development.

  • National Child Advocacy Center: Direct Therapy Services for Sexually Abused Children from Minority and Underserved Populations - $8,540.00 Provides free therapy for minority and underserved children in Huntsville, Madison, and Madison County who have been sexually abused.

  • Big Brothers Big Sisters of The TN Valley: Part of the Village - $7,820.00 Recruits, trains, and matches men to act as role models/Big Brothers for local youth men by providing activities to promote social, emotional, and educational well-being.

  • Boys & Girls Clubs of North Alabama: Driving Academy - $7,820.00 Prepares our underserved youth, who face daily transportation challenges for employment and school, for the permit and driver’s license exams and to drive safely.

  • Huntsville Housing Authority: Workforce Development Initiative - $7,820.00 Bolsters training/employment outcomes for HHA residents, creates/enhances partnerships that identify opportunities to place HHA residents into jobs created by HHAs’ Business Capital Projects, and helps HHA meet the statutory and regulatory requirements of Section 3 of the HUD Development Act of 1968.

  • Clinica Medica Moscati, Inc.: Medical Testing Equipment - $5,000.00 Provides low-cost primary care for uninsured patients and under-served members of our community at the nonprofit primary medical clinic.

  • Huntsville Inner City Learning Center: Junior High Summer Growth Camp - $5,000.00 Provides structured junior high summer program addressing physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual needs of at-risk students.

  • Decatur Youth Symphony, Inc.: World Percussion and Breakfast with the Classics - $4,000.00 Operates two free before and after school music programs focused on providing high quality music instruction with an emphasis on racial equity and at-risk youth.

  • Huntsville Community Drumline: All Area Youth and Retirees Free Percussion Instruction Program - $4,000.00 Offers tuition free professional music education for 1st-9th grade children, youth, and retirees with a focus on percussion instrument while also providing tutoring and mentoring support for the children and youth with performance opportunities for all.

View Press Release

Founding Donors

The Community Foundation recognizes with gratitude those Founding Donors whose gifts helped launch the Racial Equity Fund. Listed here are the donors who gave gifts of $5,000 or more to set up this fund.  All gifts to the Racial Equity Fund are appreciated. 

  • Ability Plus

  • ADTRAN

  • Pam and Joe Alexander

  • Aruna and Amit Arora

  • Tommy and Eula Battle

  • BB&T, now Truist

  • The Boeing Company

  • Cynthia Gay Brooks

  • Bobby Bradley and Charley Burruss

  • Bridgeworth Community Fund

  • J.R. and Kakki Brooks

  • Ana and Jim Byrne

  • CADENCE Bank Community Reinvestment Fund

  • CenterState and South State Bank

  • City of Madison

  • BG (R) Philip and Mrs. Sharlene Coker

  • Karren and Roger Crowson

  • Mike and Theresa Durboraw

  • ERC Helping Hands Fund

  • Facebook

  • Dr. James and Violet Gilbert

  • Google Fiber

  • Dr. Gregory Gum

  • H204Christ Foundation Fund

  • Jane and Brian Hinson

  • Jim and Lynn Hudson

  • Huntsville Hospital Health System

  • KBR

  • Little Drummer Girl Fund

  • Larry and Amanda Lowe

  • Mike and Patty Lowe

  • Todd and Zara Lowry

  • LSINC Corporation

  • Bob and Cindi Ludwig

  • Doug and Lauren Martinson

  • Jim and Holly McCarty

  • Jean McCrady

  • The Omega Select Investment Group and other Omega Men

  • Redstone Federal Credit Union

  • Andree Reeves

  • Thomas and Anne Marie Reidy

  • Dianne and Jim Reynolds

  • Chris Russell and Sharon Doviet

  • Ryan Family Foundation

  • Woody, Myra, and Sam Sanderson

  • Sangeeta and Ashok Singhal

  • Tommy and Susan Siniard

  • Synovus

  • Richard and Wanda Tucker

  • Torch Technologies

  • Toyota Alabama

  • Joe and Lynne Berry Vallely

  • Hunter and Nancy Washington Vaughn

  • Vector Wealth Strategies

  • Wells Fargo Foundation

  • The Widener Family Fund

  • Frank Williams and family

  • Mariceli Ming Li Wu, Miguel Si Chiang Wu, Magali Rivera, and Ernie Wu

  • Wendy Yang, Dr. Richard Myers, and Susannah Myers

  • Yulista

  • Other anonymous donors

Sustaining Donors

Generosity is an investment in the future you wish to see. It is with appreciation we recognize the individuals, families, and companies that make cumulative donatations of $1,000 or more.  All gifts to the Racial Equity Fund are appreciated. 

$100,000 - $1,000,000

  • THE BOEING COMPANY
  • DR. ANA AND DR. JAMES BYRNE JR.
  • CENTERSTATE BANK
  • FACEBOOK
  • GOOGLE FIBER
  • H2O4CHRIST
  • IMPACT ASSETS
  • MIKE AND PATTY LOWE
  • BOB AND CINDI LUDWIG
  • REDSTONE FEDERAL CREDIT UNION
  • TORCH TECHNOLOGIES
  • VECTOR WEALTH STRATEGIES
  • SI CHIANG WU, MING LI WU, MAGALI RIVERA, AND ERNIE WU

$50,000 - $99,999

  • THE BOEING COMPANY
  • DR. ANA AND DR. JAMES BYRNE JR.
  • CENTERSTATE BANK
  • FACEBOOK
  • GOOGLE FIBER
  • H2O4CHRIST
  • IMPACT ASSETS
  • MIKE AND PATTY LOWE
  • BOB AND CINDI LUDWIG
  • REDSTONE FEDERAL CREDIT UNION
  • TORCH TECHNOLOGIES
  • VECTOR WEALTH STRATEGIES
  • SI CHIANG WU, MING LI WU, MAGALI RIVERA, AND ERNIE WU

$25,000 - $49,999

  • THE BOEING COMPANY
  • DR. ANA AND DR. JAMES BYRNE JR.
  • CENTERSTATE BANK
  • FACEBOOK
  • GOOGLE FIBER
  • H2O4CHRIST
  • IMPACT ASSETS
  • MIKE AND PATTY LOWE
  • BOB AND CINDI LUDWIG
  • REDSTONE FEDERAL CREDIT UNION
  • TORCH TECHNOLOGIES
  • VECTOR WEALTH STRATEGIES
  • SI CHIANG WU, MING LI WU, MAGALI RIVERA, AND ERNIE WU

$10,000 - $24,999

  • THE BOEING COMPANY
  • DR. ANA AND DR. JAMES BYRNE JR.
  • CENTERSTATE BANK
  • FACEBOOK
  • GOOGLE FIBER
  • H2O4CHRIST
  • IMPACT ASSETS
  • MIKE AND PATTY LOWE
  • BOB AND CINDI LUDWIG
  • REDSTONE FEDERAL CREDIT UNION
  • TORCH TECHNOLOGIES
  • VECTOR WEALTH STRATEGIES
  • SI CHIANG WU, MING LI WU, MAGALI RIVERA, AND ERNIE WU

$5,000 - $9,999

  • THE BOEING COMPANY
  • DR. ANA AND DR. JAMES BYRNE JR.
  • CENTERSTATE BANK
  • FACEBOOK
  • GOOGLE FIBER
  • H2O4CHRIST
  • IMPACT ASSETS
  • MIKE AND PATTY LOWE
  • BOB AND CINDI LUDWIG
  • REDSTONE FEDERAL CREDIT UNION
  • TORCH TECHNOLOGIES
  • VECTOR WEALTH STRATEGIES
  • SI CHIANG WU, MING LI WU, MAGALI RIVERA, AND ERNIE WU

$1,000 - $4,999

  • THE BOEING COMPANY
  • DR. ANA AND DR. JAMES BYRNE JR.
  • CENTERSTATE BANK
  • FACEBOOK
  • GOOGLE FIBER
  • H2O4CHRIST
  • IMPACT ASSETS
  • MIKE AND PATTY LOWE
  • BOB AND CINDI LUDWIG
  • REDSTONE FEDERAL CREDIT UNION
  • TORCH TECHNOLOGIES
  • VECTOR WEALTH STRATEGIES
  • SI CHIANG WU, MING LI WU, MAGALI RIVERA, AND ERNIE WU

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can donate?

Any member of our community can contribute to the Racial Equity Fund!  We believe that we are #StrongerTogether.  When our community comes together to solve our most pressing problems, we are stronger and more impactful than any individual, company, or organization can be on its own.

Who decides where the money goes?

The Racial Equity Fund Grants Committee will review all grant applications and make grant awards from the fund.  This Grants Committee is comprised of a diverse group of community members with more than half of the members representing racial and ethnic minorities.  It is critical that the groups being supported have a strong voice in the process and in the grants that are made.

What types of projects?

The Racial Equity Fund will be used to address equity gaps in the following areas:

  • Criminal justice system
  • Education and job readiness
  • Health and wellness
  • Income and wealth creation
  • Neighborhoods and communities

All grants from this Fund must be made for charitable, religious, scientific, literary, or educational purposes to any organization that is described Code Section 170(c)(2), 501(c)(3), 2055(a)(2) or 2522(a)(2) (except for private foundations as defined by Code Section 509(a)) ("qualified organization"). Qualified organizations include schools, religious institutions, or government agencies located in the United States.

How is the Racial Equity Endowment different from other local fundraising efforts to help issues surrounding racial equality?

The Greater Huntsville community is very generous, and so it is no surprise that there are a number of worthwhile organizations, projects, and programs that support equity in our community.  

The Racial Equity Fund is different than other fundraising efforts in that it will support both current year grantmaking, as well as serve as a permanent source of funding to address the ongoing needs for racial equity.  Fifty percent (50%) of all donations will be deployed for current year grants, and fifty percent (50%) of all donations will be added to the Racial Equity Endowment to provide a lasting legacy of support for this issue.

What portion of donations to the Racial Equity Endowment will be available for grants each year?

Half of all donations to the Racial Equity Fund will be used for current grantmaking, and the balance will be used to grow the Racial Equity Endowment to address equity issues in our community for years to come.

If there are community needs, why create an endowment instead of spending all donations now?

An endowment provides a stable source of income to address the concerns of racial equity  forever, and contributions to the Racial Equity Fund provide a lasting legacy of the donors who support it. The impact of these investments will continue to benefit the community long after the donations have been made. Additionally, our community is growing and changing each year, and the needs of tomorrow may be different from our needs today. The Racial Equity Fund will be here to meet the needs of the community both now and forever.

How does the Community Foundation publicize the grant opportunity?

The Community Foundation of Greater Huntsville promotes grant opportunities from the Racial Equity Fund through its website, through social media channels, and through targeted e-mail correspondence.

Can I make an honorary or memorial gift to the Racial Equity Endowment?

Yes! Because equity is an issue that should be important to all of us who call the Greater Huntsville area "home," an honorary or memorial donation to the Racial Equity Fund  is a perfect way to honor those who are committed to creating a better community for all of us.

Can I donate assets other than cash to the Racial Equity Endowment?

Yes! The Community Foundation can accept not only cash and credit cards, but also non-cash gifts such as stocks and bonds. Assets such as real estate and other personal property may also be accepted, but are subject to Board approval.

To make a credit card donation to the Racial Equity Fund, please click the Donate button above. If you would like more information about making a non-cash gift to the Racial Equity Fund, please contact Melissa Thompson at melissa@communityfoundationhsv.org for simple transaction instructions.

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