(YORK, PA, January 19, 2022) – York County Community Foundation (YCCF) is pleased to announce the first grants awarded from the Racial Equity Fund Grant Program focusing on “shifting the paradigm of equitable opportunities.”
Grantees applied to the Racial Equity Fund for grants up to $10,000 each for projects that seek to address equity gaps for communities of color in the following areas:
- Education and job readiness
- Criminal justice system
- Community leadership and development
- Income and wealth creation within communities of color
- Racial and cultural education
- Health and wellness within communities of color
The Racial Equity Fund Committee awarded $60,000 to six programs to address these gaps.
- $10,000 to York County Literacy Council for ESL High Intermediate/Low Advanced and ESL High Advanced Classes focused on improving basic conversation skills and speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills.
- $10,000 to York County Libraries to support the purchase of Collection HQ Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion module that will analyze and evaluate YCL collections to ensure they are diverse, relevant, useful, and relevant to the York County Community.
- $10,000 to Shiloh Baptist Church for The Impact Project – an education/job readiness project that addresses and/or seeks to address equity gaps (and racial disparities) for communities of color through job training, career preparedness, and income equity and wealth for youth from these communities.
- $10,000 to School District of the City of York (SDCY) for Project Breakthrough to enable the SDCY to increase the number of teacher candidates of color being exposed to the district through a grow your own training program.
- $10,000 to School District of the City of York for Project CAP (College Acceleration Program) to embed preparatory activities enabling students to gain familiarity with college behaviors while charting an educational road map.
- $10,000 to the Partnership for Economic Development of York County, an Entity of YCEA to provide funding for initiatives and programs of YCEA’s Bloom Empowerment Center and Small Business Classes to support BIPOC and Women-owned small businesses.
“The committee is excited to announce the very first grants from the Racial Equity Fund,” said Racial Equity Fund Committee Chair Lisa Kennedy. “Each grant awarded is an opportunity to help close gaps for communities of color in York County. These programs will address inequities for school children who want to see a teacher who looks like them, for young people preparing for jobs or to further their education, and for our community when they visit our county libraries to seek out information.”
“YCCF wants to thank our volunteer Racial Equity Fund Committee for their dedication to ensuring that the grants from the Racial Equity Fund will make a difference in racial equity in our community,” said Adrian N. Buckner, MBA, MPP, Vice President of Grants & Community Engagement and Chief DEI Officer at YCCF. “We are excited for the opportunities these grants present for us to continue to learn about the gaps in racial equity in our county, and the organizations committed to making changes for the better.”
The Racial Equity Fund Committee is comprised of community leaders of color. The grant program they designed supports projects that address issues of racism and inequity, providing everyone opportunities to thrive.
Committee Members:
Lisa Kennedy – Family Peer Support Specialist, York County Department of Human Services and York City School Board Director
Timothy Warfield – Chairman, PA Community Development & Finance Corp.; member of the YCCF Board of Directors; and retired from the National Association for State Community Services Programs.
Natalee C. Gunderson – Vice President of Human Resources, York Water Company
Jamiel Alexander – CEO of E5 Enterprises and Aspen Institute: Forum For Community Solutions Youth Led Change Program Manager
José Santiago – Director, YMCA New American Welcome Center
Kim Brister – Vice President, Chief Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Officer
Delores Penn – Educational Consultant; retired from the School District of the City of York
YCCF created the Racial Equity Fund in 2020 to establish a dedicated grant program to support meaningful, positive action towards addressing racial inequities in our community. Additional contributions are being sought to sustain an endowment so that meaningful grants are distributed every year.
| Tuesday, March 1, 2022 | Grant cycle opens |
| Friday, April 1, 2022 | Grant cycle closes |
For more information on the Racial Equity Fund and the grant program please visit: https://yccf.org/racial-equity-fund/
York County Community Foundation creates a vibrant York County by engaging donors, providing community leadership, and investing in high-impact initiatives while building endowment for future generations. York County Community Foundation holds more than 600 endowed funds and assists donors and nonprofits in reaching their charitable goals. The Community Foundation granted $6.4 million in 2021 throughout York County and beyond, and stewards approximately $178 million in assets.
