HUNTSVILLE, Alabama – The Community Foundation of Greater Huntsville shared today that funds raised by individual, family, and corporate donors across the greater Huntsville community for the newly launched Racial Equity Fund total $373,135 in gifts and pledges. The fund launched on June 15, 2020 as a legacy fund that will support both current year grantmaking, as well as serve as a permanent source of funding to address the ongoing needs for racial equity.
The Racial Equity Fund was made possible through seed funding from sixty-nine Founding Donors who made gifts or pledges of $5,000 or more. These Founding Donors have been invited to be honorary signatories to the fund agreement to represent their ongoing commitment to equity in our community. The Community Foundation recognizes with gratitude the following Founding Donors:
- Ability Plus
- ADTRAN
- Pam and Joe Alexander
- Aruna and Amit Arora
- Tommy and Eula Battle
- BB&T, now Truist
- The Boeing Company
- Bobby Bradley and Charley Burruss
- Bridgeworth Community Fund
- R. and Kakki Brooks
- Ana and Jim Byrne
- Cadence Bank Community Reinvestment Fund
- CenterState and South State Bank
- City of Madison
- BG (R) Philip and Mrs. Sharlene Coker
- Karren and Roger Crowson
- Mike and Theresa Durboraw
- ERC Helping Hands Fund
- James and Violet Gilbert
- Google Fiber
- Gregory Gum
- h204Christ Foundation Fund
- Jane and Brian Hinson
- Jim and Lynn Hudson
- Huntsville Hospital Health System
- Little Drummer Girl Fund
- KBR
- Mike and Patty Lowe
- Todd and Zara Lowry
- LSINC Corporation
- Bob and Cindi Ludwig
- Doug and Lauren Martinson
- Jim and Holly McCarty
- Jean McCrady
- The Omega Select Investment Group and other Omega Men
- Redstone Federal Credit Union
- Thomas and Anne Marie Reidy
- Andree Reeves
- Dianne and Jim Reynolds
- Chris Russell and Sharon Doviet
- Ryan Family Foundation
- Woody, Myra, and Sam Sanderson
- Sangeeta and Ashok Singhal
- Tommy and Susan Siniard
- Synovus
- Richard and Wanda Tucker
- Torch Technologies
- Toyota Alabama
- Joe and Lynne Berry Vallely
- Hunter and Nancy Washington Vaughn
- Vector Wealth Strategies
- The Widener Family Fund
- Frank Williams and Family
- Si Chiang Wu, Ming Li Wu, Magali Rivera, and Ernie Wu
- Wendy Yang, Dr. Richard Myers, and Susannah Myers
- Yulista
- Other Anonymous Donors
The Community Foundation believes we live in a great community and also believes that all residents in our community should have the opportunity to fulfill their highest potential. “When we tackle existing equity gaps, we expand opportunities to many people across our community,” says Melissa Thompson, CEO and President of the Community Foundation. “Only then can we experience the changes necessary to be a place where all residents can learn, work, and further contribute to a healthy, thriving, and prosperous place to call home.”
Because this issue is not one that will be resolved in one year or one grant cycle, fifty percent of all donations to the Racial Equity Fund will be used for current year grantmaking, and the balance will be endowed to provide a permanent source of funding to address the ongoing needs for racial equity. The Racial Equity Fund will enter its first grant cycle with $147,317.50 to deploy in 2020 to provide discretionary grants for nonprofit organizations who are on the front lines addressing the issue of racism and inequity in our community in the following areas:
- Criminal justice system
- Education and job readiness
- Health and wellness
- Income and wealth creation
- Neighborhoods and communities
The inaugural grant cycle for this fund opened on Monday, July 6, 2020 and local nonprofits serving within this focus area are encouraged to apply by the deadline of Friday, July 31, 2020 at 5:00 pm. Grants will be administered by a Grants Committee comprised of a diverse group of community members with more than half of the members representing racial and ethnic minorities.
Together we take purposeful action to combat the harmful and deeply rooted challenges surrounding racism and inequity that have affected our community for generations. For more information about this fund, the grant process, or to donate, please visit CommunityFoundationHSV.org/Equity.
