In a move that underscores a commitment to racial justice, the Black Collective Foundation in Minnesota is fostering the next wave of leaders with a notable financial infusion. During the 34th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Breakfast in Minneapolis, an event marked by the vibrant presence of youth and leaders alike, the community foundation announced an impressive $1 million investment. "We've awarded more than $2 million in community grants across the state, in true partnership with members of our community," Lulete Mola one of the foundation’s founders, revealed to an approving crowd, as reported by KARE 11.
The latest round of grants will bolster organizations and individuals who are nurturing Black leadership and enacting change in their communities. Most noteworthy among the recipients is Project DIVA International, a group dedicated to the development of Black girls in middle and high school. Neda Kellogg, the group's founder, spoke to the significance of the support, "Our goal is to ensure that girls have an adult transition plan as they walk into adulthood. We tell our girls in Project DIVA that they are not our future leaders, they are our right now leaders." Kellogg's initiative was one of several to benefit from the Black Collective Foundation’s generosity, receiving a $60,000 grant, as detailed on the foundation's official press release.
The Minnesota-based foundation isn’t just about one-time funding – it aims for a sustainable investment in individual leaders and organizations. Each selected Black-led organization received $50,000 to cover various fundamental needs with an additional $10,000 grant awarded directly to key leaders to support their long-term vision and leadership capacity. According to the organization's website, the decision process involved 15 Black community builders who designed the grant program and selected the grantees focused on reparations, economic prosperity, culture, and more.
Co-founders Lulete Mola, Repa Mekha, and Chanda Smith Baker were spurred to action following George Floyd's murder in 2020, aiming to shift power within the philanthropic sector. "Amid the uprising for racial justice, we said, 'What is the closest proximity to power that we hold to truly influence a change in the community?'" Mola reflected in an interview with KARE 11. Not only does the foundation aim to provide immediate assistance, but it's also invested in nurturing relationships between grantees to forge a stronger network of Black-led change within the state.
Minnesota's Black Collective Foundation continues to prove that support for leadership and change can extend well beyond monetary grants. It's this forward-thinking strategy that promises to create a legacy of empowerment and equality in the communities it serves.
