HAMPTON ROADS, Va. - The Hampton Roads Community Foundation has received a $1 million award from Facebook to support Black-led and Black-serving nonprofit organizations in the region.
The Hampton Roads Community Foundation is one of only 20 community foundations in the country to receive this funding, according to a press release.
The foundation says the money will be used to create the Black Community Partnership Fund, which will award at least 20 grants to Black-led and Black-serving local organizations starting in 2021.
“We’re excited to work with the Hampton Roads Community Foundation to help bring much needed funding to nonprofits that are serving and supporting the Black community in Hampton Roads,” said Marcy Scott Lynn, Facebook director of global impact partnerships. “We’re providing funding directly to the community foundation to build on its track record of supporting Black-led nonprofits and ensure that people locally are making the decisions about where these dollars are most needed and can have the most impact.”
In 2019, the community foundation hosted community-based forums, created an annual Black philanthropy month celebration, conducted an internal equity assessment of the foundation’s practices, and participated in numerous training sessions on racial equity.
Vivian Oden, the Vice President for Special Projects who manages the community foundation’s racial equity work, said the funding will address systemic racism by providing support directly to organizations led by Black people and that serve people in the Black community.
Specific details on the process – including the application timeline – will be available in early 2021 here.
