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Our History
2000
Community members begin an exploratory phase to build relationships and assess community interest in a Black-led collective giving fund, with the support of The Winston-Salem Foundation. A grant from The ECHO Fund and Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation supported this initial work.
2003
BPI’s first advisory committee is formed and begins organizing public speaking engagements and information seminars to build momentum around Black giving through The Winston-Salem Foundation. This work was supported by a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
2007
Launch of the Black Philanthropy Fund to support issues that impact the Black community. Our first grantmaking round focuses on strengthening financial literacy, education, and parenting.
2009
Our first fundraising event kicks off In the fall. This annual celebration held in October brings together BPI’s supporters, community members, and local leaders to hear directly from our grantees, learn more about issues impacting the Black community, and raise funds to support our grantmaking.
2014
The Black Philanthropy Initiative Endowment is established with an initial $25,000, providing perpetual support for our grantmaking and programmatic work in the community. By the end of 2020, our endowment had grown to almost $254,000.
2018
BPI releases Rethinking Philanthropy: An Exploration of Black Communities in Forsyth County, drawing attention to the history of Black people living in Forsyth County since its founding. The report reveals how systemic inequities continue to disproportionately affect Black residents and community members.
2019
BPI Advisory Committee uses the data from Rethinking Philanthropy report to inform our new grantmaking focus: Advancing Equity in Education.
2020
We unveil a new logo, host our annual event virtually, and announce a new grantmaking program: Impact Grants. A record $110,000 is awarded in grants, more than a third of all the money granted to local nonprofit organizations since BPI’s founding.
