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.

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.

Grantmaking

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

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

2020 Grant Recipients:

• AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY | Targets medical providers and African-Americans individuals to increase the delivery of clinical preventive services, including awareness and education about early detection of lung cancer and tobacco cessation resources.
• AUM FOUNDATION | Empowers participants, through an interactive class format, to consider their own identity and experiences and address stereotypes, biases, sexism, racism, homophobia, and classism to create a more inclusive society.
  
• BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF NORTH ALABAMA | Prepares low-income teens to safely drive and ensures that they are equipped with a valid driver's license in order to face daily transportation challenges for employment and school.
• FAMILY SERVICES CENTER | Provides credit, budgeting, housing, homelessness, rental, mortgage, and job skills counseling services for marginalized families seeking financial empowerment through home-ownership.
  
• GIRLS INC. OF HUNTSVILLE | Offers opportunities for girls to receive academic support and enrichment activities that promote educational achievement and high school graduation as the catalysts for economic empowerment and positive life outcomes.
• HABITAT OF HUMANITY OF MADISON COUNTY | Develops a new community of affordable housing in Northeast Huntsville, built by local volunteers, to create a safe haven for families and assists in resolving the issue of substandard and poverty housing in our community. 
  
• HUNTSVILLE COMMUNITY DRUMLINE | Offers youth free year-round professional percussion instruction, instrument usage, tutoring, mentoring, performance
  opportunities, and the tools to compete for college scholarships while keeping them active and off the streets.
  
• NOT ONE MORE ALABAMA | Creates a six episode series of podcasts to investigate issues related to substance use prevention, criminal justice, treatment, and recovery support which disproportionately affect minority members in our community.
  
• ROCKET CITY CIVIL RIGHTS | Brings awareness to Huntsville 1960s civil rights history through access to primary documents, education about this history, assistance in diversity training, as well as archives and resources to engage the general public.
  
• SAFE HARBOR YOUTH | Serves mostly youth of color who were homeless, abused, neglected, trafficked, or runaways, provides transitional housing, healthcare, mentorship, and life-long support to finish school, obtain jobs, and become self-sufficient.
  
• THE BARTLEY BRIDGE | Launches and operates the BEAT program, an entrepreneurship training program for youth, which will address the gaps in available resources, funding, and activities for youth in the Northwood and neighboring communities.
  
• THE CORNERSTONE INITIATIVE | Prepares the unemployed and under-employed for the workplace through the use of trained facilitators and mentors that provide each student with ongoing employment support through an 8-week soft skills job training course.
  
• WEDC FOUNDATION | Supports local woman to achieve their goal of higher education through one-on-one mentoring, development workshops, and financial assistance to help break the cycle of poverty and diminish racial and gender wealth gaps.

These thirteen nonprofit organizations were awarded a total of $115,000 in grant funding by the Racial Equity Fund Grants Committee for programs and projects that span the five focus areas of the Racial Equity Fund.