The Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts (CFNCM) has awarded $58,134 in grants through the Racial Equity Grant Program, which is focused on advancing racial justice and equity in the region by providing grants to nonprofit organizations that serve and empower communities of color and address systemic and institutional racism.
“These grants will help nonprofit organizations working to advance racial equity through youth empowerment, social justice, awareness, education, training and other innovative approaches that empower communities of color,” said Stephen Adams, president of the Community Foundation. “We hope these grants will encourage others to support racial equity through the North Central Racial Equity Fund,” Adams said.
The Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts Racial Equity Advisory Committee includes:
- Ted Lapres (Community Foundation fund holder)
- Lucy Crocker Abisalih (Community Foundation Board Member)
- Sheila King-Goodman (Fidelity Bank)
- Donata Martin
- Leona Whetzel (Minority Coalition)
- Charisse Murphy (SHINE)
- Steve Adams (Community Foundation Board/Staff)
- Miggie Velez (Community Foundation Board Member, Spanish-American Center Board member)
- Sue Lotz (Community Foundation fund holder)
- Ed Denmark (Harvard, Massachusetts)
The breakdown of grants is as follows:
$10,000 to Making Opportunity Count in Fitchburg
Funding will support the continued implementation of racial equity and social justice programs into the Youth Innovation Center’s core programming portfolio.
$10,000 to Three Pyramids in Fitchburg
Funding will support six weeks of training to empower and share ideas, information and resources with multiracial community residents and youth.
$10,000 to the YWCA, Central Massachusetts in Worcester
Funding will support Racial Equity Workshops for nonprofit leaders, which aims to help leaders begin the work of dismantling racism in their organizations and communities.
$7,500 to Leominster High School
Funding will support a new speaker series: Celebrating the Success of Women of Color. Diverse leaders will speak to Leominster High School students about struggles, successes and advice as women of color serving their communities.
$5,634 to the Virginia Thurston Healing Garden in Harvard
Funding will support increasing outreach and engagement strategies centered around diversity.
$5,000 to the Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust in Athol
Funding will support a collaboration with Nipmuc Cultural Preservation, Inc. to create cultural respect and use agreements, resource inventories, forest management and rematriation plans.
$5,000 to the Spanish American Center in Leominster
Funding will support hiring a consultant to conduct anti-racist work for the organization.
$5,000 to The Farm School in Athol
Funding will support The Farm School to build relationships with the Nipmuc people, deepening their analysis and historical understanding of systematic oppression linked to land disposition. They will also provide access and eventually offer to transfer approximately 180 acres of land currently owned by The Farm School to the Nipmuc people.
“These grants were made possible by the leadership of the Board of Directors of the Community Foundation, and our partners at Rollstone Bank, Enterprise Bank and Fidelity Bank,” said Adams. “With the help of others, we can make a permanent fund to support organizations like these working to promote diversity in our region.”
