BPI Announces $125,000 in Equity in Education Grants and Opens Impact Grant Application

The Black Philanthropy Initiative of Winston-Salem (BPI) recently awarded $125,000 in Advancing Equity in Education Grants to 12 local organizations, 75% of which are Black-led.

BPI’s Advancing Equity in Education Grants help to ensure that Black students and graduates can gain access to resources, advance their education, and have the support needed to thrive academically and beyond. BPI prioritizes Black-led organizations, schools with a high population of Black students, and organizations and programs that invest directly in predominately Black schools or neighborhoods. 

Grant recipients include:

Big 4 Legacy Group, Inc.: $10,000 for the RAP (Respect, Affirmation, Problem Solving) Project, a leadership and wellness program at Paisely IB Middle School
Children's Law Center of Central North Carolina: $10,000 for the Education Advocacy Program offering educational workshops and legal support for WS/FCS students and families
Dream Team Foundation, Inc.: $15,000 for a six-week Summer Leadership Academy for rising 6th graders with a focus on achievement outcomes, leadership, learning, and life skills
Eagles of Grace: $15,000 for a comprehensive career, college readiness, and character development program
Greater Winston-Salem, Inc. (Chamber of Commerce): $4,000 for the Senior Academy Dropout Prevention Initiative program for 12th grade WS/FCS students
Heart Math Tutoring: $6,000 to provide one-on-one math tutoring and mentorship to students at Bolton and Easton elementary schools
Jim Shaw ACE Academy: $10,000 for the Jim Shaw Ace Summer Aviation program supporting middle and high school students

LEAD Girls of NC: $10,000 to implement a third leadership academy cohort of 15-18 girls at Paisley IB Magnet School
Liberty East Redevelopment, Inc.: $5,000 for a reading lab that will support the after-school literacy program
UR Agri-Core: $10,000 to provide a customized literacy tutoring program to improve literacy and reading levels for 2nd-4th grade students
Winston-Salem Freedom Schools: $15,000 to host 60 culturally affirming family engagement events focused at each Freedom School site
Winston-Salem State University Foundation: $15,000 for outreach and pre-college programming exposing middle and high school students in East Winston-Salem to STEM learning and career opportunities

ADVANCING BOLD, BLACK-LED COMMUNITY CHANGE

In the fall of 2022, BPI announced its fundraising campaign entitled Advancing Bold, Black-led Community Change, with a goal of raising at least $2 million over three years. The vast majority of dollars raised will support BPI’s annual grantmaking programs and the remaining will bolster BPI’s endowment to ensure grantmaking dollars are available for years to come. To-date, BPI has raised just over $1.6 million from donors and community members and recently secured a $200,000 matching donation from an anonymous donor. Now all new gifts and pledges are being matched dollar for dollar up to $200,000, helping BPI raise the last $400,000 needed to reach its goal. Learn more and make a gift at bpiws.org/campaign.

UPCOMING FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES FROM BPI

BPI currently offers three grant programs: Impact Grants, Advancing Equity in Education Grants, and Building an Inclusive Economy Grants. BPI will be accepting video applications for its Impact Grants program from Monday, June 17, until midnight, Monday, July 15. To learn more about these grant programs and to find ways to contribute to this work, visit bpiws.org.

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The Black Philanthropy Initiative (BPI) is a 100% Black-led initiative of The Winston-Salem Foundation launched in 2003 that explicitly, not exclusively, focuses its grantmaking and programming on needs identified in local Black communities. Since 2008, BPI has provided more than $1 million in grant funding to local organizations.    