The Winston-Salem Foundation: Black Philanthropy Initiative

The mission of the Black Philanthropy Initiative (BPI) of The Winston-Salem Foundation is to acknowledge and celebrate the traditions of sharing in the Black community and to expand the models of charitable giving through education and engagement.

BPI is led by a committee of African-American volunteers who understand the impact that giving has made in the development of our community. Goals of the initiative are the following:

To increase the involvement of the Black community in the distribution of charitable funds.
To build bonds across lines of race and class among donors and the groups working to better the community.
To increase The Winston-Salem Foundation's capacity to build effective philanthropic relationships with the Black community.
To build relationships with Black professional advisors such as accountants, attorneys, financial planners, and investment advisors.

In 2007, the BPI Advisory Committee launched the Black Philanthropy Fund, a fund dedicated to supporting issues that impact the African-American community, with a special focus on education, financial literacy, and parenting and life skills training.

BPI to Announce 2009 Grants

In 2009, nonprofit organizations serving the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County area were again eligible to apply for grant funding from The Winston-Salem Foundation’s Black Philanthropy Fund.

The priority area for grant proposals was programming that supported African-Americans in the area of Financial Literacy. Organizations seeking to enhance their current programs or those planning to implement new programs serving African-Americans in this area were encouraged to apply.

The Black Philanthropy Initiative will be making grants in amounts up to $5,000 each. Grantees will be announced at a celebration in February 2010.

For additional information contact Sandra Fishel-Booth at the Foundation or call (336)725-2382.

The first grant awards from the Black Philanthropy Fund were made in late 2008. The priority focus area for these grants were programs that support African-Americans in the area of Education. Grants in the amount of $5,000 were awarded to each of the following five organizations:

Family Services, Inc.: to support the establishment of a permanent extended day program with a focus in math and science.
Forsyth Technical Community College: to enhance the Transitions: Next Steps program to improve the retention and graduation rate of minority males at the community college.
North Forsyth High School: to purchase 41 Texas Instrument (TI-41 Silver Edition) graphing calculators to be awarded to student athletes who improve their math grades through required tutoring.
Quality Education Academy: for Project STAY, an after school program that focuses on Forsyth County and surrounding area students (ages 13 – 17) who exhibit signs of being at high risk for dropping out of school.
YWCA of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County: to purchase an academic skills software program for the Best Choice Center.

For more information on the Black Philanthropy Fund or to learn how you can get connected to BPI contact Michael Clements at the Foundation or call (336)725-2382.