United Way of Southwest Georgia officially announces the Request for Proposals for Reimagine Albany’s Equity Advancement Funds. The Equity Advancement Funds are a series of mini-grants designed to support organizations committed to systemic racial equity advancement in the priority issue areas of housing, education, and/or health.

The RFP targets local grassroots organizations able to demonstrate a record of community work related to racial justice. Each applicant is required to complete an application clearly identifying to which of the three priority issues the grant will be applied if awarded. The Equity Advancement Funds, funded by the Sapelo Foundation, allocates $10,000 to each issue area for a total of $30,000 in grant funding. Selected entities will receive grants in increments ranging from $1,000 - $5,000 for services provided in Dougherty and/or Lee County.

Examples of potential ventures to be funded by the grant include, but are not limited to the following:

• Educating renters about their right [Renters’ Bill of Rights development]

• Educating residents on methods of energy efficiency [Home energy cost burdens]

• Developing/strengthening youth empowerment initiatives/programs

• Increasing high school graduation and college enrollment among black youth

• Developing/strengthening food, nutrition, and wellness awareness in the black community

• Addressing maternity mortality among women of color

• Increasing access to health care

United Way of Southwest Georgia will select awardees through a competitive application process. Applications are currently being accepted and must be submitted by November 15, 2021 at 5:00 p.m.

Under the terms of the grant, organizations that are chosen to receive funds must be private voluntary nonprofits or faith-based; have an accounting system; practice nondiscrimination; have demonstrated the capability to administer community equity programs; and if they are a private voluntary organization, have a voluntary board. Qualifying agencies are urged to apply.

Application is available online: https://www.unitedwayswga.org/equityfund.

Please contact Philip Gentry, Special Projects Manager at United Way of Southwest Georgia at [email protected] or (229) 883-6700 with questions.