BPI is Accepting Video Applications for Impact Grants Program
The Black Philanthropy Initiative (BPI) recognizes that there are smaller organizations in our community that consistently go above and beyond in their efforts to impact positive change in the local Black community.

This is why BPI is pleased to begin accepting video proposals for its Impact Grants Program. Impact Grants are investments in local programs, projects, and initiatives that build better futures and strengthen Black communities in Forsyth County. This program is specifically designed to invest in Black-led groups with annual budgets of less than $150,000 because smaller organizations are often overburdened with strenuous grant applications and left out of traditional grantmaking opportunities.

For this July 2021 Impact Grants cycle, BPI will support work focused on the four key areas in our Rethinking Philanthropy report (education, jobs and wages, poverty, and civic engagement) as well as criminal justice reform or racial justice efforts.

  • Organizations may apply for grants of up to $1,000. 
  • Applicants must be groups/organizations with annual budgets of less than $150,000. 
  • Priority is given to Black-led organizations and programs.  
  • Priority is given to organizations and programs that work within predominately Black neighborhoods (including 27101, 27105 and 27107). 

For more information or to apply online, visit www.bpiws.org and scroll down to the "Grants" section. Staff is also available to talk through any proposal ideas and to answer any questions about the application process. For assistance, contact Shamika Starke, strategic initiatives officer at sstarke@wsfoundation.org.

The application deadline is midnight, Thursday, August 5. 

We hope you will share with your networks!
BPI Announces Equity In Education Grant Recipients
The Black Philanthropy Initiative (BPI) announces $68,000 in grants awarded through its Equity in Education grants program. 

The spring 2021 grant cycle focused on BPI’s goal of advancing equity in education so that Black students and graduates can gain access, advance, and have the support needed to thrive. BPI prioritized Black-led organizations, public schools with a high population of Black students, and organizations and programs that invest directly in predominately Black schools and/or neighborhoods.

Grants were awarded to: 

  • Action4Equity – $10,000 to support a wellness initiative for adolescent boys of color
  • Authoring Action – $10,000 to support an intensive arts and education-based program for teens 
  • Carter G. Woodson School – $10,000 to support a male mentoring program for students in grades 6-12
  • Crosby Scholars Community Partnership – $10,000 to introduce Black male students to various medical career pathways
  • Hoops4L.Y.F.E. – $10,000 for a summer enrichment program focused on students of color
  • Neighborhood's Hands – $10,000 to support additional staff and learning materials for two learning centers 
  • Quality Education Academy – $8,000 to support a STEM-focused mentor program focused on students of color

BPI’s grants are possible thanks to the collective pooling of resources from Forsyth County community members. So far in 2021, BPI has provided $75,000 in grants to local programs and initiatives, investing nearly 90% of those funds into Black-led organizations supporting our local Black communities. 

To learn more about these grant programs and to find ways to contribute to this work, visit bpiws.org.
Welcome NEW Staff Member, Katie!
Our Strategic Initiatives team has grown! Katie Sonnen-Lee joined The Winston-Salem Foundation in June as the new strategic initiatives manager. Katie will provide database management and administrative support for the Foundation's three strategic initiatives: BPI, The Women's Fund of Winston-Salem, and Youth Grantmakers in Action (YGA). She will also be responsible for the day-to-day operations of YGA.

Katie has a background in a broad range of nonprofit, philanthropic, and educational environments, primarily related to education and supporting low-wealth families. She is also a co-founder and current vice-president of the board, for Action4Equity, which works to advance equity in education in Forsyth County and across the state. Please join us in welcoming Katie to the strategic initiatives team!
Introducing Our New President, LaTida Smith
In case you missed it, we are pleased to announce the appointment of LaTida Smith as the fifth president of The Winston-Salem Foundation beginning September 1st.

After an extensive national search, she will make history as the first woman and person of color to hold this leadership role. LaTida states, “I am eager to champion the Foundation’s commitment to racial equity and honored to lead a well-respected team dedicated to learning and authentic community engagement.”

We look forward to welcoming LaTida and her family to Winston-Salem in the coming months and introducing her to our wonderful supporters and partners!


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!