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Seven organizations in Marengo County were recent recipients of the Black Belt Community Foundation’s Community Grants.

Those organizations were the Healthy Eating Project (HEP) Marengo BBCF Distribution, Education with Focus on Computer Literacy ­­– Friends of Theo Ratliff Activity Center, Meet-Up Indoor Walking and Blood Pressure Monitoring Program ­­– Eastern Star Baptist Church, Inc., Growing the Number of Entrepreneurs and Job Creators in the Black Belt ­­– Rural Business & Training Center, Inc.

The Renovation & Modernization of Existing Community Facility ­­– Toney Nixon Music, “Elderly Empowerment: Building Collaborative Alliances” ­­– Braxton Senior Care, and the Marengo County Youth Leadership/Foster Parent Recruitment and Training ­­– Marengo County Foster Parent Association.

 The BBCF has long awarded Community Grants throughout the Black Belt to address a wide variety of community needs. The money provided has had an unquestionable impact on the citizens of the counties receiving these awards.

In 2023, BBCF adopted a new and even more responsive model of giving based on the practice known as “Trust-Based Philanthropy”. This approach centers on equity, humility, and transparency, by redistributing power so those closest to the issues determine the appropriate solutions.

Trust-based philanthropy utilizes honesty, trust, respect, and anti-racist policies to centralize power over resources and outcomes in the community.

The Black Belt Community Foundation is proud to fund 53 projects this year, totaling $178,821. From community festivals to summer reading programs to health and wellness initiatives, this funding makes a significant impact in Black Belt communities, touching the lives of 26,356 individuals living in the Alabama Black Belt.