Ryan Zerwer’s Post

Did you know? In Wisconsin, only 25% of Black Americans own homes, compared to 72% of White Americans (Source: Wisconsin Policy Forum). FCI provides financing to diverse developers, which may not be obtainable through traditional lenders, for nonprofits, cooperatives, and, in rare cases, for-profit businesses. This funding supports community-based, mission-focused projects that address the root causes of such racial disparities and socioeconomic inequities within homeownership. Partnering with diverse developers and real estate investors is the initial step in offering affordable housing across Wisconsin. Learn more about FCI and how you can help close the homeownership racial gap in Wisconsin: https://bit.ly/3SlAx5G

Juneteenth derives its name from June 19, 1865, when U.S. General Gordon Granger informed the enslaved individuals of Galveston, Texas, that they were officially free. Two-and-a-half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, Granger’s decree marked the end of slavery in Confederate states. Established in 2020, on the Juneteenth holiday, Black Resilience in Colorado Fund is more than a fund. It is a movement for change to address systematic racism and inequities that negatively impact Black communities throughout Colorado and beyond. Help us pave the path forward. With your support, BRIC can continue to provide resources to Colorado's Black-led and serving nonprofits and build Black communities now and in the future. Become a BRIC Builder TODAY→ https://lnkd.in/g3_vTPmJ **Dollar-for-dollar will be matched up to $50,000 til June 30th** #BRICFundCO #BRICbyBRIC #GivingBlack #BlackPhilanthropy #Juneteenth #BlackHistory #BRICAnniversary #BlackExcellence #BlackPower #Freedom #BlackisBeautiful #LIberation

The highest regional representation is from the South which aligns with the fact that the majority of Black people in the U.S. live in the Southern states. The organizations represent all 4 regions of the United States (as divided by the Census Bureau). The Midwest is home to the second largest concentration of Black Americans, yet in the survey, nonprofit representation in the Midwest representation was lower. California, on the other hand, was the state with the highest representation. #NonprofitReport #Gratitude #closethegivinggap #Giving #StateofBlackNonprofitsReport

At Equal Justice USA we kept seeing the same problem 😣: grassroots community leaders struggling to secure funding 💰💵💲. We couldn't find a good resource, so we built🏗️ one. From scratch. It took so many months and required so much work, but the team persisted because only 7% of philanthropic dollars are targeted toward Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and POC communities. Introducing: Getting Grant Ready, a *FREE* resource customized for emerging grassroots organizations, aspiring grant writers in community-led, violence prevention movements, and midsize organizations seeking diverse funding opportunities. Please share widely! 🎉🎉🎉 https://lnkd.in/e-PwngUg

"America continues to deny the legacy of racism and its current day realities, still racial disparities continue to exist on every indicator of well-being. In the case of the Fearless Fund, the data is clear, Black women entrepreneurs receive less than 1% of venture capital funding in this country irrespective of their creditworthiness or financial potential. The Fearless Fund is a courageous effort by Black women designed to address this funding gap; yet even when Black people raise funds to help our own community, we are attacked." Read more from ABFE. A Philanthropic Partnership for Black Communities https://lnkd.in/eSEiAPjc

“In order for Black people to have a shot at the American dream, we need to have ownership.” Poignant words from our own Aisha T. Weeks, MPA, Managing Director of the Dearfield Fund For Black Wealth, which she delivered during a Black History Month convening on addressing the racial wealth gap. We couldn't agree with Aisha more, which is why our team was proud to help incubate and launch the Dearfield Fund, which provides $40,000 in down-payment assistance to first-time Black American homebuyers in Metro Denver to help build generational wealth. We believe creating new ownership pathways is the single strongest tool when it comes to addressing our widening racial wealth gap. It's why we're continuing to leverage our business, policy and philanthropic tools in support of ownership strategies and continuing to partner with nationwide entrepreneurs who share our dream of building an ownership movement. Learn more about this movement, and how you can join it here: https://lnkd.in/guzb9ufP #blackhistorymonth #homeownership #ownership #wealthbuilding #racialwealthgap #housingsolutions

The Maine Community Foundation’s Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Fund supports organizations that serve people of Native American, Latino, African, Arab, and Asian descent. The goal of the grant program is to help Black, Indigenous, and people of color in Maine achieve greater equity by investing in existing, new, and emerging leadership and nonprofit organizations; changing policies and practices that negatively impact Black, Indigenous, and people of color because of their race; and supporting efforts to alleviate the impact of race-based discrimination and disparities. Areas of interest include racial equity, health, leadership development, and economic opportunity. Eligible applicant organizations must have offered programming in the last year focused on serving mostly Black, Indigenous, and people of color; include BIPOC individuals in leadership positions; and involve BIPOC individuals in the design, delivery, and evaluation of the programs and services. Flexible funding is available and may be used for programmatic and operating needs. Call 516.410.4895, or email getfunded@christine-taylor.com for a free fee quote to have us write your entire proposal, or edit your draft, for a reasonable flat fee. https://lnkd.in/eZRuBq67 Bev Browning Holly Rustick

Today, we recognize Juneteenth, which commemorates the day in 1865 when the final enslaved people in Galveston, Texas learned that they were free — more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation took effect. At C-Strategies, we’re proud to work with clients who work every day to advance racial equity in their communities and throughout our state through nonprofit work, policy and advocacy, mutual aid and more. Learn more about this historic day: https://lnkd.in/ggh6Udn4

Are you at the Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (GEO) Conference in Los Angeles, CA this week? Join us tomorrow! Frontline Founder, Marcus Littles, will be in conversation with Phillip Agnew and Angie Junck on "Reframing Evidence: Base-building as a Road to Black Liberation" Tues. May 21, 3:15-4:30PM in the San Fernando Room on the Lobby Level. There’s often a conversation around the lack of metrics and evidence that base building has led to Black liberation and supports Black people to reclaim their power. Organizing is an effective tool and we can be thinking about how to leverage metrics and evidence to serve the community instead of being extractive. In this space, we’ll be interrogating this assumption and discussing why base building should be a philanthropic priority, given the evidence of its success.

The Village (noun): An intentionally curated space supporting Black leaders and resourcing nonprofits primarily impacting Black community members. Check out this snippet from my interview with the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee discussing the geneses of the work (which would not exist without the dedication and persistence of Dawn Stone & Ron Johnson), why this space is long overdue, & the creating a legacy of belonging & representation in the impact sector. Stay tuned for more! Learn more at nashvillevillage.org #BlackLeadersMatter #InvestInBlackLeaders #ImpactSector