The application for this grant cycle is now closed.
Introduction
The Black Fund at the Austin Community Foundation exists to harness the power of Black-led organizations and uplift solutions to benefit the Black community in Central Texas. Driven by data and community voices, we strive for an equitable, just society that nurtures the growth, economic security, and wellness of Black people.
The Black Fund will invest in organizations and initiatives that support the following:
- Education Access & Outcomes – support successful educational outcomes for Black people.
- Health & Wellness – advance the mental, physical, and spiritual health and wellness of Black Central Texans.
- Power Building, Organizing, & Advocacy – support urgent, emergent, and ongoing efforts that harness the collective power of Black people as a means of challenging, redesigning, or uprooting systems to continually move us towards an equitable society.
- Wealth Building – close the racial wealth gap for Black Central Texans by providing an ecosystem of support resulting in increased individual and shared growth and prosperity.
In each strategy area, grants will be distributed as follows:
- Winning Finalist: $40,000 total; a multi-year grant over 2 years, $20,000 per year in 2023 and 2024
- Two Semifinalists: $20,000, one-time grant in 2023
- One Runner Up: $5,000, one-time grant in 2023
We highly encourage you to review the scoring rubric to get a better understanding of the criteria that will be applied to your proposal and to guide you in submitting a successful application.
In total, $340,000 in unrestricted, general operating support will be awarded to 16 different nonprofit organizations aligning with The Black Fund strategies.
Application Process
The application is due Friday, November 18.
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Grant Application Resources
Additional Eligibility Considerations
- Black-identified executive director, CEO, or project lead and,
- At least 50% of board is Black-identified or
- At least 50% of staff is Black-identified
Nonprofit organizations must be working in the 6 county Central Texas region, which includes: Travis, Burnet, Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays, and Williamson counties.
Organizations must be tax-exempt under Sections 501(c)3 or 170(b)(1)(a)(vi) of the Internal Revenue Code, operate with a fiscal sponsorship, and/or be a unit of government.
A fiscal sponsor is a nonprofit organization that provides fiduciary oversight, financial management, and other administrative services to help build the capacity of charitable projects. For the purposes of this grant application, the following organization has been identified as a recommended fiscal sponsor:
- Six Square: Austin’s Black Cultural District (Applicants interested in applying through a fiscal sponsor should reach out directly to Six Square at info@sixsquare.org.)
Proposals will be considered from organizations that engage in non-lobbying advocacy work. Organizations doing systems change level work such as educating the public about issues, community organizing, policy research, and other non-lobbying advocacy activities may apply.
Proposals will be considered from religious organizations that engage in non-religious programming. Religious organizations must demonstrate that their work aligning with The Black Fund strategies is secular in nature and does not discriminate against any employees or clients based on religion.
The Black Fund does not grant funds for:
- Endowment funds
- Scholarships
- Religious organizations for religious purposes
- Fundraising activities or events
- Individuals
- Organizations with discriminatory hiring and service practices based on race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, etc.
Key dates
- Application opens: Monday, October 17
- RFP Informational webinar: Tuesday, October 25
- Office hours for 1-1 consultations: November 7 – 11 (By appointment only.)
- Applications due: Friday, November 18
- Learning sessions with semifinalists: January 9 – 20, 2023
- Award decisions announced and celebrated: February 2023
The Black Fund Webinar
Watch the webinar recording to learn more details about The Black Fund grants opportunity.
Selection Process
Organizations that have applied or received an award through any other Austin Community Foundation programs are eligible to apply.
Applicants may only select one funding strategy when submitting their application. While applicants can be considered in multiple strategies, they may only proceed to the semi-finalist stage in one category. If recommended as a semi-finalist in more than one category, the category in which the applicant scored/ranked highest will be the category in which they are considered for funding.
Preference will be shown to applicants whose board, staff, and leadership reflect racial and gender diversity.
Following vetting by grant committee reviewers, semifinalists will be invited to meet with The Black Fund leaders through an online video call. These learning sessions will be conducted from January 9 through January 20 via Zoom.
All semifinalists and finalists will be awarded grants through the selection process.