The Black Equity Collective Launches

CATALYZE Organizational Resiliency Development Program

This summer, the staff of the Black Equity Collective embarked upon a discovery process with our Senior Leadership, Executive Committee, and various community leaders to identify additional ways to expand our support for Black nonprofit leaders and organizations. From that discovery, we identified the subsequent launch of the Organizational Resiliency grant program, which we named CATALYZE—Coalition Infrastructure Development.

The CATALYZE Organizational Resiliency track supports organizations that build power in Black communities and seek to scale their impact in one of three ways: program expansion, social enterprise, and/or strategic and institutional partnerships. The CATALYZE - Coalition Infrastructure Development grant was designed to support the third area (strategic and institutional partnerships) by funding BLOs who are involved in coalitions and desire to strengthen their core operational functions to sustain or expand the work of the coalition.

For this grant program, the Collective expanded its outreach to include organizations connected to other Black-focused networks with whom we partner around the state, including the African American Infant and Maternal Mortality (AAIMM) Prevention Initiative, California Black Power Network, LiveFree Coalition, and the Black Equity Equity Initiative - Inland Empire. In doing so, we expanded the Collective’s support for Black-led coalitions beyond our base and deepened our partnership with these networks.

Selection Process

Across its grantmaking programs, the Collective utilizes a community-led grantmaking model, where a team of Black nonprofit leaders and Black leaders in philanthropy co-anchor the application review and selection process.

It is with great excitement that the Collective announces the inaugural recipients of the 2022 CATALYZE—Coalition Infrastructure Development grant:

• Antelope Valley Coalition for Change

• BLOOM Alliance

• Coalition 4 Black Families & Development Disabilities

• Inglewood Active Communities

• Inland Empire Black Women’s Collective

• LA ReproJustice

• Southern California Black Worker HUB for Regional Organizing

Each coalition will receive an award of $100,000 over two years to support its infrastructure development ranging from coalition management to microgrants to the Black-led organizations within their network to sustain and deepen their engagement in the coalition’s activities. As self-described coalition needs, each grantee’s work focuses on advancing equity for Black people, from racial justice, youth development, parental and disability rights to health, women’s empowerment, reforms to the family welfare system, and workforce development. These coalitions are fighting for the rights and well-being of Black people in Los Angeles County, the Inland Empire, and California statewide.

We can’t wait to see all that develops from this inaugural cohort and how this investment will impact Black families and people in California.

Congratulations to all the coalitions awarded, and welcome to the Black Equity Collective family!

The Black Equity Collective Team