Bridge Kids International launched the The Kizazi Fund in 2020, a generational wealth-building program for Black children and their families who are low- to middle-income. Families make monthly investments over the course of their child’s life that will accumulate to support homeownership, business ownership, or education. All family members participate in education sessions, ultimately building the financial literacy of the entire family. The fund is child focused, culturally based, and community centered.
Family & Children’s Place, Center for Women and Families, Dreams with Wings, and Zoom Group were united and inspired to innovate due to a common need—the need for coordinated accounting and billing through a back office. In order to avoid duplicating this service in each organization, ImpactV was created to centralize back office needs through a shared-services model. Because of this, these organizations are able to focus on their work and missions, rather than having to focus on hiring and maintaining staff in those positions.
The Green Heart Project is an urban conservation study that brings nature-based solutions to many of the challenges facing urban environments. This project is the first ever large-scale scientific study that will test whether there is a link between nature and human health. The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is housing this project to see if greening projects could not only make Kentucky’s cities more attractive and pleasant, but also whether there are demonstrable impacts on health and if these changes can mitigate crises facing urban centers across the globe. The University of Louisville is working in tandem with TNC to study the greening projects in Wyandotte and Beechmont, two underserved neighborhoods in Louisville.
The Kentucky Derby Museum opened a permanent Black Heritage in Racing exhibit in 2021. This exhibit features artifacts, stories, and artwork that demonstrate the tremendous impact of Black horsemen on the racing industry. With the help of JGBF, the exhibit was able to increase to twenty times its original size and ranges from early days of the Derby to today. This exhibit has increased attendance to the museum, educating visitors on the history of the Derby and the importance of Black jockeys in that history. Rachel Collier, spokesperson of the museum says, “Many of us love the Kentucky Derby, many of us celebrate it every year, but some people may not know where it started, and it started with Black horsemen.”
The Center for Nonprofit Excellence launched the CNPE School for Fundraising and Engagement in March 2021 in cooperation with the nonprofit consulting firm of Ashley|Rountree and the Association of Professional Fundraisers, and with major support from the James Graham Brown Foundation. The school is designed to boost the ability of our community’s nonprofit sector to access needed funding through a full range of methods and skills – all through an equity lens. Participants will be able to improve both their fundraising skills and Louisville’s philanthropic sector generally. In its first semester, the School offered 13 courses and had 264 participants. 27% of the participants were BIPOC, exceeding a goal of 25%.