Moore Impact Invests $1.3 Million to Fortify the Sustainability and Innovation of BIPOC-led Enterprises

NEW YORK, June 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Moore Impact announced $1.3 million in grants to 18 "Power Champions," a cohort of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) led enterprises working at the intersection of racial equity and COVID-19 response. The investments aim to fortify the long-term sustainability and innovation of organizations serving people from under-resourced communities across the United States and reverse philanthropy's disinterest in BIPOC-led social change.

Investments by Moore Impact, a collaborative partner and 501(c)(3) exempt entity under Moore Philanthropy, will provide flexible general operating support over two years and focus on groups whose work directly impacts people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and compounding health, economic, education, and racial justice crises. Additionally, funding will fortify organizations whose leadership and staff are reflective of the communities they serve – 100% of grantees serving Black communities are Black-led; 100% of Native-serving enterprises have Native leadership; 78% of grantees are woman-led; and the majority of grants will be directed to regions often neglected by philanthropy in the South, Midwest, and Inland Western United States.

"The global pandemic disproportionately impacted BIPOC communities while exacerbating already existing racial justice, health, and education crises. Nonprofits serving and led by BIPOC pivoted to meet the survival needs of under-resourced communities while mobilizing to transform the very systems that perpetuate anti-Blackness, racism, and injustice," said Yvonne L. Moore, President of Moore Impact. "Philanthropy needs to direct critical investments to Power Champion organizations to ensure they can weather future crises and continue to deliver vital services and advocacy to BIPOC communities," she said.

As we surpass our second year of the global COVID-19 pandemic and reflect on the anniversary of the brutal killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and countless others, organizations serving and led by BIPOC are struggling to sustain their fight on the frontlines of helping people survive and recover from the ensuing global crises. Meanwhile, BIPOC enterprises were at the end of line in federal pandemic relief funding, and corporate philanthropy's pledge to invest nearly $50 billion toward racial justice has fallen short. Additionally, nonprofits led by BIPOC secure less funding and are trusted less to make autonomous decisions on how to spend funds than groups with white leaders.

"Investments by Moore Impact help us focus on elevating the political consciousness and amplifying the economic power of black communities," said co-founders Francesca Menes and Valencia Gunder of The Black Collective, a grant recipient and Power Champion. "From movement building to voter engagement, unrestricted funding enables us to mobilize and activate our community to mitigate the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and organize to confront racial injustice in Miami-Dade County," they said.

Grant recipients:

BlackSpace 
Chicago Freedom School
Colorado Black Health Collaborative
Community Movement Builders
Ivy Leaf Farms
Koʻihonua
Lakota Youth Development
Muslim Anti-Racism Collaborative
Native American Food Sovereignty Alliance
Native Renewables
One River Native Advocacy Center
Sogorea Te' Land Trust
The Black Collective
The Lighthouse Project
Tiwahe Glu Kinipi
Tribal Minds
Youth Generation Movement
Zora's Cradle

Moore Impact, a collaborative partner and 501(c)(3) exempt entity under Moore Philanthropy, provides fiscal sponsorship to community leaders and donors, helping them bring to life their vision for a more just world. Moore Impact also serves as a sponsoring organization for Donor Advised Funds (DAFs), which enables individuals, families, and institutions to create a structured and flexible giving fund from which they can manage all of their grantmaking, both in the U.S. and abroad. Learn more.

Moore Impact Press Contacts
Emerson Soto, [email protected]

SOURCE Moore Philanthropy