NBA Foundation and Chicago Beyond Launch $1 Million Hyperlocal Initiative to Support Nonprofits Driving Economic Opportunity for Black Youth  

The NBA Foundation and Chicago Beyond today announced a new $1 million collaboration to support Black-led nonprofit organizations that are advancing enrichment and opportunity for young people in Chicago. The initiative marks the NBA Foundation’s first-ever collaborative grant to deploy resources and reach more organizations at the hyperlocal level, building upon Chicago Beyond’s local expertise and a trust-based philanthropic model.

To fund this effort, Chicago Beyond and the NBA Foundation have each contributed $500,000. Through this trust-based model, selected nonprofits will use the funding and prioritize the initiatives they believe will have the most significant impact in their communities. This approach has proven to have a transformational impact on nonprofit leaders, enabling them to efficiently steward resources as they strive for social change. 

This initial cohort of grantees includes four Black-led organizations taking diverse approaches to serving young people and community members in Chicago: 

• True Star Media, which empowers underserved youth to forge their own paths by providing jobs and training that teaches them to create, develop, and market digital content on platforms that celebrate their identity and perspectives. 
• ChiFreshKitchen, a worker cooperative owned by formerly incarcerated women that collaborates with urban farms, food operators, worker centers, policy advocates, and other community organizations led by people of color on the South and West Sides of Chicago to promote food sovereignty, racial justice, and equitable food access in the city. 
• The Evolved Network, a nonprofit that provides experiential programming through culinary and gardening equipping youth in systemically oppressed communities with transformative healing, skills, and support needed to evolve into masters of their unique gifts. 
• I AM CHI Foundation, which seeks to service Chicago’s youth through tutoring, mentoring, counseling, and job training opportunities that will put them on a path to success. 

“We are excited to team up with Chicago Beyond in this effort and support organizations who are driving economic advancement for Black youth in Chicago by providing funding to use where they need it most,” said NBA Foundation Executive Director Greg Taylor. “This grant model will help the NBA Foundation create more opportunity for resources and ultimately reach even more Black youth in line with our mission.”  

“We are proud to partner with the NBA Foundation on this shared mission of recentering and uplifting organizations helping young people build their futures,” said Founder and CEO of Chicago Beyond, Liz Dozier. “This partnership centers on trust-based giving. We’re inspired by these community-based organizations and look forward to providing them with support needed to continue to thrive.”

Historically, Black-led organizations receive significantly less funding and support from foundations than white-led organizations. Among other bodies of work, Chicago Beyond is committed to significantly increasing funding to Black-led and centered organizations.  

Each grantee as part of this initiative has been carefully reviewed by the NBA Foundation and Chicago Beyond, with a focus on centering the voices and needs of the community. Additional grant recipients will be announced in the coming months as part of this commitment.