WS Chronicle

The Black Philanthropy Initiative (BPI), an organization that awards grants to community groups to expand education and engagement in the black community, plans to start the new year listening to people in the community. This is a refreshing start for the young nonprofit, which was launched in 2007.

The way it works, as BPI says on its webpage, is that it awards grants to nonprofit organizations serving the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County area, with a special focus on programs related to education, financial literacy, and parenting and life skills training in the black community. Funds are not distributed to individual people. The initiative supports issues that impact the African-American community, so its leaders want to know which organizations work to improve issues in the black community and encourage them to apply for grants to help them in their work.

It’s 2017, and members of the black community should know that now is not the time to be coy. With a President Donald Trump coming in on Jan. 20, with an antagonistic mostly GOP U.S. Congress as well as a mean-spirited N.C. General Assembly, no telling what will happen in the black community this year. When the black community has organizations that want to help, its members should take full advantage of them.

Members of the black community should let BPI know what is needed in the community. Now is a good time to start looking at the needs and the organizations that help with those needs, with it being a new year. Advisory board Chairman Roger Hyman says BPI will be holding listening sessions and other events to ensure the organization is addressing the real issues and BPI will look to partner with the local colleges and universities in the New Year. So, that means that people young and old should get involved.

BPI is a subgroup of the Winston-Salem Foundation. Sabrina Slade, Winston-Salem Foundation director of strategic initiatives, mentioned that some nonprofits in the Winston-Salem area have come and gone for various reasons. Hyman said BPI doesn’t plan to be one of them.

Let’s help BPI succeed, which in turn means the black community will find success in confronting the issues it faces in 2017 and beyond.

For more information on the Black Philanthropy Initiative or to learn how you can get involved, con-tact Sabrina Slade or Lisa Avinger, or call 336-725-2382.

For more information on how to submit an application or on the BPI listening sessions, visit the Winston-Salem Foundation website at wsfoun-dation.org. The initiative is listed under the community leadership tab.