WS Chronicle

Four local organizations each received a $5,000 grant from the Black Philanthropy Initiative late last year.

Black Philanthropy Initiative (BPI), created the Black Philanthropy Fund, which is administered through the Winston-Salem Foundation, to support programs and initiatives that benefit the community, particularly African Americans. Grants are given each cycle to support a particular cause. The focus area of the latest grants was programming that supports African Americans in the area of financial literacy.

Thompson

“BPI is proud to announce its 2012 financial literacy grant recipients,” said Shannon Thompson, 2013 chair of the Black Philanthropy Initiative. “An African American community that is financially fit retains resources, attracts key people and spawns innovation. BPI has gladly committed over $100,000 to community programs over the past five years.”

Experiment in Self-Reliance, Family Services, United Metropolitan Ministries and the Work Family Resource Center received grants.

ESR will use the funds to support its Individual Development Account (IDA) program, which has long assisted working low-income individuals in becoming financially stable. The money will allow Family Services to offer financial literacy workshops to families of preschoolers attending Head Start. United Metropolitan Ministries will also provide financial literacy training, but to children in its after school program. The Work Family Resource Center will use its grants to provide scholarships for individuals to participate in the Developing Your Family Child Care Business (DYFCCB) training series.