Black Fund grants open

A new fundraising initiative aimed at helping Black-led organizations in Austin has opened the request-for-proposals process to select recipients of the first round of grants totaling $340,000. The Black Fund will award 16 grants in four areas: education access and outcomes, health and wellness, wealth building and power building, and organization and advocacy. Information about the RFP process and the grant structure is available online, with a submission deadline of Nov. 18. Recipients will be announced in February. The Black Fund is a first-of-its-kind initiative intended to promote equity and social justice for communities that have been historically marginalized and cut off from opportunity in Austin. So far the fund has raised $1 million, with contributions from Notley, Google, Indeed and the Austin Community Foundation, which has helped with organization and administration duties along with leaders of existing Black-led nonprofits.