To find out more about any of these organizations, please hit the link embedded in their name.
2023 Grants
The African Roots Social club is a multi-purpose mutual support organization in Santa Cruz. They provide community gatherings, cultural activities and food to nourish their bodies and feed their souls. As well, for kids who can't afford summer activities, they organize outings such as hikes, beach visits or the movies. We donated $3,000 for winter programming.
The original Gemma Project was created in the Santa Cruz County Jail by and for incarcerated women. Gemma, which means "a bud ready to grown independently", was chosen as the name by these woman. The project was very successful in helping woman to reintegrate into the community and avoid recidivism. This reenvisioned project is both to provide effective support at a local County jail but also to teach the model with effective support so that it can be widely replicated in the USA. We gave $20,000.
We were thrilled to give multi-year (4) support to this inspirational group who is providing food, skills, community and much more in Durham, North Carolina. Our grant will be going to help them repurpose a millwright building (late 20th Century Building) into a storage shelter that can also serve as a farmer's market (open to other small scale farmers in northern Durham County) and covered meeting/teaching/picnic area. As well, the grants are going to be used for operating expenses.
This existing regenerative farm educational center on the edge of Lahaina is building tiny homesteads as interim housing for families to be able to stay in West Maui. They will be given for free for families to remain in the area and be able to put them on their land when it is safe to do so. We donated $20,000. Please consider adding your contribution.
The levee breach at the town of Pajaro was an governmental failure that has had a devastating on the all the residents of the town, most of whom are farmworkers. As the Los Angles Time's reported: A long history of racism set the stage for the Pajaro flooding. We contributed $10,000 towards immediate flood relief via the Community Foundation of Santa Cruz (who have already directed over $600,000 to flood relief).
We were happy to give this second of two grants to this inspirational and fun group. We promised two years of payment for the portable pod that houses their surfboards and equipment for their water safety and surf classes.
2022 Grants
The African Roots Social club is a multi-purpose mutual support organization in Santa Cruz. See more in 2023. We gave $2,500 for their programs.
We have pledged a matching grant of $20,000 to the BHMI to begin a Community Sponsorship Fund for grants and loans to Black initiatives in business, the arts and community programming.
First of two grants. See 2023 for fuller description.
E.A.T was founded in 2018 by formerly incarcerated people in Chicago to uplift the voices and power of those people working in the informal economy, particularly focusing on returning citizens from prison and those in the poorest areas of Chicago's South Side: Austin, Garfield Park and Englewood. Please hit the link above to find out more about this very impressive group and their many initiatives. We granted them $10,000 for operating expenses.
Santa Cruz Black is dedicated to empowering and sustaining a prosperous and thriving Black Community within Santa Cruz County. We have pledged $5,000 for operating funds for 2022.
Second of four yearly grants of $10,000 per year. See 2023 Grants for fuller description.
2021 Grants
Our first grant was to endow the Karst Scholarship at UCLA. The scholarship, which will exist in perpetuity, will go to a student who is planning a career in the public interest or in academia in the area of racial equity and who also embodies Ken's spirit of collegiality.
dev46 will be initiating a pilot program in Rincón, Puerto Rico to create a human-centered technology education and training academy for girls of limited means who, together, will gain needed skills and a broader perspective of what is possible in their lives. The organization hopes that this will lead to lasting friendships, the building of strong interpersonal skills and a sense of hope for the future.
HeirShares is developing an app to help families with heirs' property title issues. Heirs' property, also known as family property, is land passed without a will. One of the biggest issues is just figuring out the family tree to know who the co-owners of the property are. This is the first step to clear the title. It's an ambitious project which we were happy to support. For more information about heirs property read this.
First of four yearly grants of $10,000 per year. See 2023 Grants for fuller description.