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9 Black-Led Nonprofits Making Change In Their Communities

From helping single parents get their degrees to tackling homelessness, these Black-led nonprofits are transforming their communities. Support them this Black History Month and beyond!


 

1. H.O.P.E.

A woman with her arms around her young son sits in front of a brick building with a windowPhoto: H.O.P.E.

Kenita Smith started H.O.P.E. (Helping Other People be Empowered) based on her life story. Despite wanting to be a doctor from the age of 6, Kenita faced roadblock after roadblock on her journey to becoming a nurse practitioner as a single mother. Now, Kenita is helping other single parents access the resources she couldn’t through H.O.P.E. The black-led nonprofit offers Black single parents in Atlanta supportive services like financial assistance for childcare and life skills training to ensure they can graduate with college degrees.

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2. Free Minds Book Club and Writing Workshop

A man sitting down at a table, smiling with his hands on a stack of books, with a bookcase in the background.Photo: Free Minds Book Club and Writing Workshop

Free Minds Book Club and Writing Workshop has transformed the lives of over 1,000 incarcerated youth in Washington, DC. Through books and creative writing, Free Minds helps teenage boys discover their voices, imagine new possibilities, and heal. With mentoring and supportive services that follow them from incarceration to reentry, Free Minds inspires these young men to pursue education, meaningful careers, and a future beyond the cycle of incarceration.

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3. Pointters Community Initiative

Attendees at Covid Vaccination Education for the Congolese CommunityPhoto: Pointters Community Initiative

Pointters Community Initiative, led by Dimeji Tomori, was formed to build a more inclusive, equitable community in Wisconsin’s Fox Valley. They stepped up in huge ways during the COVID-19 pandemic—which disproportionately impacted Black communities across the US—by providing job training, mental health support, and financial assistance to 250 single Black mothers.

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4. CAN I LIVE, INC

A group of mothers stands together holding certificatesPhoto: CAN I LIVE, INC

CAN I LIVE’s mission is to advance affordable housing, economic inclusion, and personal responsibility through education, civic engagement, and entrepreneurship. Formed by Racquel Williams-Jones, who speaks openly about the emotional wounds the welfare system left on her, CAN I LIVE addresses those challenges through research, education, career training, and policy changes.

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5. Legacy Institute for Financial Education

group of diverse people pose in front of L.I.F.E. signPhoto: Legacy Institute for Financial Education

Legacy Institute for Financial Education (L.I.F.E.) works to empower economically disadvantaged minority communities by teaching financial literacy, creating economic stability, and building generational wealth. The social enterprise LIFE Tech, which trains the next generation of IT technicians in Deep East Texas, operates under L.I.F.E. to provide apprenticeship programs, training, and digital services. LIFE Tech is a member of The Rural Digital Equity Network, a network of more than 20 community-based organizations, which allows L.I.F.E. to increase capacity and meet the IT needs of its community.

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6. Career Girls

two girls proudly show their certificatesPhoto: Career Girls

Career Girls is one of the largest girl-focused online career knowledgebases in the world that equips girls with inspiration and resources to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, math, and beyond. Their project, Close the Imagination Gap for Girls Worldwide, provides girls—primarily BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color)—with resources to help prepare for and reach the career of their dreams. Executive Director Aisha Ali and her Career Girls staff are dedicated to youth empowerment and inclusivity, promoting collaboration among students from various backgrounds.

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7. Ms. Foundation for Women

A group of women from Ms. Foundation for Women stand with Gloria Steinem in front of a red and white backdrop black-led nonprofitsPhoto: Ms. Foundation for Women

The Ms. Foundation for Women was formed as a vehicle to build women’s collective power in the US by investing in women-led movements, particularly those by women of color. The foundation was one of the first funders of domestic violence shelters and sexual assault hotlines in the 1970s. Today, this Black-led nonprofit continues to support organizations working to end all forms of gender-based violence and works at the intersection of race and gender with Teresa C. Younger as President and CEO.

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8. S.H.A.P.E. Community Center

A group of three children playing together.Photo: S.H.A.P.E. Community Center

S.H.A.P.E. Community Center has been a cornerstone of support in Houston, Texas, improving lives through programs rooted in unity, self-determination, and collective responsibility. Their programs like Community LUV provide meals, showers, haircuts, and clothing to individuals facing homelessness and food insecurity.

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9. Roots Community Health Center

A man smiling and sitting at a table, handing an item to a person standing on the other side.Photo: Roots Community Health Center

Dr. Noha Aboelata founded Roots Community Health Center in Oakland, California, to address health disparities affecting African American communities. By providing comprehensive medical services, health education, and supportive programs, Roots empowers individuals to overcome systemic barriers and achieve holistic well-being.

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When you support organizations like these Black-led nonprofits, you support the work that is building a better tomorrow for communities.

Featured Photo: Together, We Can Heal Our Community by Roots Community Health Center

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