A Note From BPI Chair, Melvin Scales
Dear BPI Allies,

We are ending 2020 as we began it...on a note of optimism. What has occurred during the time in-between challenged all of us in a way that no one could have imagined. Both the virus of racial injustice and COVID-19 raged resulting in the loss of life which tore at the heart of who we are and what we aspire to be. We also experienced the best in us to defeat both viruses with gifts of kindness and grace which elevated us all. 

On behalf of the BPI Advisory Board members and staff, I thank you for your continued support of our efforts to make our community a model of equity and inclusion. I wish you happy holidays and look forward to joining you in 2021 with a spirit of renewal, love and hope for our futures.

Be well, be safe and be strong,

Melvin J. Scales
BPI, Advisory Committee Chair
2020 
BPI Announces Equity in Education Grants Recipients
The Black Philanthropy Initiative (BPI) announces $60,000 in grants awarded through its Advancing Equity in Education grant program.
 
The Fall 2020 grant cycle focused on addressing systemic barriers that make it more difficult for students of color to reach their full academic potential. BPI prioritized Black-led organizations as well as organizations that were actively engaging students, parents, and educators of color in the design and implementation of their programs.
 
Grants were awarded to: 
 
-      LEAD Girls of NC Inc: $10,000 to help middle school girls boost literacy and develop critical social and emotional skills
 
-      My Brother's Second Chance: $10,000 to provide direct services and support to students of color and their families
 
-      Neighborhood's Hands: $10,000 to provide tutoring support for elementary students in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools
 
-      Sherman Academy Inc: $10,000 for a parent mentor program and culturally-responsive math and reading materials
 
-      St. Paul United Methodist Church: $5,000 to support a remote learning site providing services to Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools students
 
-      The Dream Team Foundation, Inc: $10,000 to support a remote learning site providing services to Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools students
 
-      Triad Cultural Arts, Inc: $5,000 to support a mentoring program focused on literacy for 3rd grade African-American boys
 
BPI is a 100% Black-led initiative of The Winston-Salem Foundation that explicitly, not exclusively, focuses its grantmaking and programming on needs identified in the local Black community. Overall, BPI has provided over $100,000 in grants in 2020. Funding BPI's grantmaking programs comes from the Black Philanthropy Fund, which is supported through community donations.

Congratulations to our fall 2020 grant recipients and a special thank you to all the local programs and organizations doing important work to positively impact the local Black community.
BPI wishes you a healthy and peaceful holiday season!
Want to have your giving leveraged and be a part of an initiative led entirely by Black people focused on making an impact on the local Black community? Donate to BPI today!