San Francisco, CA—Today, San Francisco-based Metta Fund announced for the first time a round of grants centered on advancing racial justice and providing resources and capacity-building support to Black-led organizations. The new funding reflects Metta Fund’s evolving commitment to racial equity and recognizes the impactful work many of our regional partners are engaging in.
Three grants totaling $235,000 were made to support San Francisco Bay Area nonprofit groups leading the way to advance racial equity. The Black-led grant recipients work in broad capacities to dismantle structural racism, tackle racial disparities, shape policies, and advance systemic change.
“We envision a world in which intergenerational communities have access and resources to build an equitable and healthy future. The pursuit of racial justice is at the center of that vision,” said Kimberly Brandon, Metta Fund Board Chair.
Initial grant recipients are:
- MegaBlack SF: MegaBlack SF is a collective of Black-led organizations and Black individuals fighting for visibility, sovereignty, dignity, and justice for Black San Franciscans. Founded in February 2020, the MegaBlack SF is fighting for economic power; equitable and restorative investments in public education for Black students; land for businesses and cultural events; consequences for anti-Blackness; housing and an end to the displacement of Black people from San Francisco; and reparations for government policies that have uniquely disrupted and harmed the Black San Francisco community.
- California Black Freedom Fund: Launched in February 2020 the California Black Freedom Fund is a $100 million initiative to provide abundant resources to Black-led power-building organizations over the next five years. Co-created with Black leaders and organizers, the first-of-its-kind fund ensures that California’s growing ecosystem of locally rooted, Black-led organizing efforts have the sustained investments and resources they need to eradicate systemic and institutional racism. Since its launch, the fund has galvanized the support of more than two dozen funders and donors, with nearly $50 million already committed.
- Black Leadership Council: The Black Leadership Council (BLC) is a San Francisco-based group of leaders across varied sectors – public, civic, and private – that seek to improve conditions for the Black population in the San Francisco Bay Area, and across California. BLC leads strategic initiatives across sustained economic, legislative, and community engagement efforts that harness the best thinking, practices, and ideas for Black prosperity in San Francisco, the region, and the state.
“The critical work of combating anti-Black racism calls for funders to work together and invest in Black-led organizations to achieve impact,” said Janet Y. Spears, Chief Executive Officer of Metta Fund. “We encourage other funders to support racial justice leaders and groups leading the charge.”
“We’re proud to support the organizations and leaders who are building power in their communities to advance equity,” added Renée Espinoza, Metta Fund Director of Program Strategy. “The racial justice movement is more intersectional than ever before – reflecting the convergence of race, gender, age, sexual orientation, disability, and economics on people’s lives. We are inspired by the groups working to reimagine what’s possible and realize justice for us all.”
About Metta Fund
Metta Fund is a private foundation dedicated to advancing the health and wellness of San Francisco’s aging population. We partner with innovative nonprofits to prioritize areas where community needs are greatest and where systemic change is needed to address inequities – because everyone deserves to live a healthy life, at every age. We strive toward a vision of an inclusive, connected, multi-generational, healthy and thriving San Francisco. For more information, visit mettafund.org
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Contact
Anna Karrer Manley
Director of Communications
(415) 660-7359
akarrer@mettafund.org