Black Girl Freedom Fund, an initiative of Grantmakers for Girls of Color, announced its second round of grants totaling over $4 million to 68 organizations throughout the U.S. and territories whose work promotes and expands the leadership and organizing power of Black girls, femmes, and gender-expansive youth.
“An investment in Black girls and their leadership is an investment in our collective freedom,” said Dr. Monique W. Morris, president and CEO of Grantmakers for Girls of Color, and co-founder of the #1Billion4BlackGirls campaign, which aims to invest $1 billion in Black girls by 2030.
“We know that every issue is a Black girl issue, and that Black girls are the voice and the heart of many social justice efforts, and we must invest the time and resources to cultivate their capacity to lead.”
Black Girl Freedom Fund is investing over $4
million in this round of grantmaking to organizations that offer a myriad of programs and opportunities that center the leadership and organizing capacity of Black girls, femmes and gender-expansive youth. Some of their areas of expertise include: STEAM education, career opportunities, environmental justice and activism, financial and economic literacy, storytelling, sports and healing from historical and interpersonal trauma.These 68 organizations were selected by the second cohort of the Black
Girl Freedom Fund Grantmaking Council, comprising six Black girls and gender-expansive youth ages 14-22, who selected the grantee partners from more than 200 applications. They came together to define what leadership means to them and co-create the vetting process for funding.“Black girls, femmes and gender expansive youth are innovators, change agents and culture creators deserving of recognition, investment and joy now,” said Cidra M. Sebastien, manager of the Black Girl Freedom Fund.
“Our grantee partners are amazing organizations that believe in the leadership and power of Black girls, femmes and gender-expansive youth, not solely for their potential futures but for who they are right now.”
The #1Billion4BlackGirls campaign and G4GC’s Black Girl Freedom Fund were launched in September 2020 to resource abundantly the braintrust, innovation, health, safety, education, artistic visions, research and joy of Black girls, gender-expansive youth and their families.