RI Foundation Awards $125K in Grants & Scholarships to Help RI’s African American Community
GoLocalProv News Team
RI Foundation Awards $125K in Grants & Scholarships to Help RI’s African American Community
“Providing the Black community with the resources to thrive goes to the core of commitment to equity and our vision for ensuring that the future is bright for a changing Rhode Island,” said Adrian Bonéy, the grant programs officer who oversees the fund at the Foundation.
The funding will support work rank gins from providing services to youth in state custody to workforce development.
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The grant program supports nonprofits that offer youth development and mentoring, promote the history and achievements of Blacks in Rhode Island.
In addition to the grants, the Black Philanthropy Bannister Fund awarded more than $47,000 in scholarships to Black students who are pursuing or advancing a career in health care at an accredited institution and are Rhode Island residents who demonstrate financial need.
Thirteen nonprofits are sharing nearly $80,000 in grants.
AS220 in Providence was awarded $4,000 to support AS220 Youth, which strives to reach young people at high risk of disconnection and those in the custody or care of the state, through partnerships with the R.I. Training School, UCAP Middle School, Nowell Leadership Academy and the state Department of Children, Youth and Families.
The Boys & Girls Club of Providence was awarded $10,000 to support its “College, Career and Community” program, which will serve an estimated 350 young people with education, college readiness, leadership development, community-building, financial literacy and mentoring services.
The Capital Good Fund (Good Fund) received $5,000 to support its Financial Empowerment for Families program, which will include one-on-one financial and health coaching on topics including how to open and use a bank account, evaluating ways to increase income and decrease expenses, and access to health care.
The Everett: Company, Stage & School in Providence was awarded $8,000 to mentor and teach over 400 at-risk young people in the performing arts.
New Urban Arts in Providence received $5,000 to support its Youth Mentorship in the Arts program, which partners artist mentors with small groups of public high school students in a free, year-long after-school program.
The Newport Middle Passage Port Marker Project received $5,000 to support the creation and placement of a monument in Newport’s Liberty Square to commemorate the lives of Africans who were brought there as part of the Atlantic slave trade and to shine a light on the role the city played.
Providence Promise received $5,000 to provide $100 college savings incentives to encourage up to 50 Black/African American students from Providence and their families to open and contribute to a CollegeBound Saver account, Rhode Island’s 529 plan.
The Refuge Dream Center received $7,000 for ESL and workforce development classes for recent refuges who have settled in Rhode Island. The countries of origin of the participants include Burundi, Rwanda, Congo, Eritrea, Somalia, The Gambi and Liberia.
Rhode Island Black Storytellers in Providence was awarded $6,500 to support its annual Funda Fest and Funda Story Camp at the Southside Cultural Center in Providence this summer.
The Rhode Island Guardians Association received $6,500 to support a mentoring program that will prepare Black youth and young adults for careers in criminal justice.
Mentor Rhode Island received $5,000 to support its work training mentors in partnership with the Providence Police Department Sports Academy. The organization expects to serve about 175 at-risk youth through the program.
The Rhode Island Urban Debate League received $5,000 to support the growth of its in-school debate program. The organization expects to serve more than 1,500 students from Central Falls, Pawtucket, Providence and Woonsocket.
Youth In Action in Providence was awarded $5,000 to support the organization’s CORE and Immersion programs for youth leaders from front-line communities.
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