Black Community Fund Updates
June 2021
We are pleased to announce that BCF has awarded college scholarships to a record 47 Kansas City area students. The scholarships awarded amount to over $175,000, due to a generous anonymous donation to the fund in December as well as matching partnerships with Lincoln Prep High School and Kansas City Kansas Community College.
Since 2010, BCF has awarded individual college scholarships to area students seeking careers in high-demand fields including the life sciences, education, performing arts and youth development. Thanks to individual charitable giving and support from area foundation and corporate partners, BCF’s scholarship program has increased from five scholarship awards in 2010 to 47 in 2021. To date, BCF has awarded more than half a million dollars to Kansas City area students so they may pursue their academic and career aspirations. BCF has also granted more than $4.2 million to approximately 200 local organizations that work to enhance socio-economic aspects of the Black community in the Greater Kansas City area.
BCF scholars can be found in 38 U.S. institutions, including five historically Black colleges and universities. This year’s students will be attending: Grand Canyon University, Benedictine College, Avila University, Xavier University of Louisiana, University of Central Missouri, University of Missouri — Columbia, University of Kansas, Spelman College, University of Missouri — Kansas City, Rochester Institute of Technology, Morehouse College, Missouri University of Science, Ottawa University, Howard University, University of Illinois at Chicago, Langston University, and Rockhurst University.
Among the 47 awarded this year were scholarships honoring founding Black Community Fund Board Members G. Lawrence Blankinship Jr. and Reverend Jimmie Banks, as well as a scholarship funded by Arvest Bank.
April 2021
We are pleased to launch our 2021 grant opportunity.
BCF grants provide support to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations focusing on enhancing the socio-economic aspects of the African American community in the Greater Kansas City area. Preference will be given to Black-led, Black-serving organizations addressing the impact of COVID-19 on the Black community. Churches and faith-based organizations are eligible to apply.
Application Available: April 16, 2021
Application Deadline: June 4, 2021 at 5 p.m. Central
Technical questions regarding the online application may be sent to grants@growyourgiving.org. Questions regarding BCF and the Fund’s focus areas may be sent to blackcommunityfund@growyourgiving.org.
February 2021
The Black Community Fund is excited for 2021!
In 2020, BCF granted $169,000 to local nonprofits serving the Black community and $70,000 to Black students through scholarships. And in December 2020, we received an extraordinary anonymous gift of $70,000 to the Black Community Scholarship Fund.
This means, in 2021, we are able to grant 29 scholarships (more than double the amount from last year) to Black students in the amount of $5,000 each. We are extremely grateful for this anonymous donor.
June 2020: A Statement from the Black Community Fund
The deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Rayshard Brooks and too many others have reopened an ever-present wound that has left the Black community feeling vulnerable and unsafe.
In addition, COVID-19 has disproportionately affected the Black community given our already more comprised health, our greater reliance on jobs deemed “essential,” and our students’ limited access to technology in virtual learning environments.
The Black Community Fund acknowledges that systemic changes are also needed here in Kansas City, and we are encouraged by what the city’s grassroots activism is accomplishing.
In response, we are increasing our funding support for the Black community in the Kansas City area. In addition to our regular philanthropic work in healthcare, education and convening, we feel called to support our community by addressing the most crucial need right now: to feel safe and to be heard. The Black Community Fund will provide $100,000 directly to organizations that address housing security, food security and voter registration.
The Black Community Fund is committed to the ongoing fight against racial disparities and will continue to provide support to enhance the socio-economic position of the Black community.
Quick Links:
- About the Black Community Fund
- Black Community Fund Grant History
- Give to the Black Community Scholarship Fund
- Give to the Black Community Fund
- Apply for a Black Community Fund Scholarship
- Apply for a Black Community Fund Grant
Questions? Contact NaTika Rowles, Executive Director at blackcommunityfund@growyourgiving.org or 816.268.3296
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