NBA All-Star Jrue Holiday and two-time Olympic gold medalist Lauren Holiday, have opened the second round of applications for the Jrue and Lauren Holiday Social Impact Fund (JLH Fund).
Following a successful first round of grant distribution and support during the fall of 2020, after Jrue pledged the remainder of his 2020 NBA salary to create the fund, the JLH Fund – in its second round of funding — will again provide up to $1,000,000 in grants to Black-led nonprofit organizations and Black-owned businesses.
The focus of the grants will be in the Greater Milwaukee, New Orleans, Indianapolis, and Los Angeles areas with priority given to organizations focused on social impact and creating a more equitable future for underserved communities.
Jrue and Lauren Holiday are donating $1M in grants to Black-owned businesses and nonprofit organizations.
Last season, Jrue donated $5.3 million in game checks to start a social justice fund. pic.twitter.com/wwdzAioq96
— The Association (@association) May 18, 2021
“When we first decided to start this fund, it was at an inflection point of two pandemics – the disproportionate effects that COVID-19 had on the Black community and businesses; and equally as devasting, the murder of George Floyd and that of many other unarmed Black people – resulting in an overwhelming feeling of helplessness. We are fortunate enough to have the opportunity to help people through the JLH Fund and will continue to do this work and make the greatest impact possible,” said the Holidays.
Alexys Feaster, founder of The Kinship Advisors, is managing the JLH Social Impact Fund and added, “This next phase of the JLH Fund is taking a holistic approach to bring Jrue and Lauren’s long-term vision to life. Doing this work right goes beyond the donations. It is understanding the values of Jrue and Lauren, that this is about bringing as many resources as we can to the people and the communities most in need. Black communities and businesses have been historically overlooked and underfunded and with the JLH Fund, we are building a community of support.”
Working with Renee King, founder of Fund Black Founders, there will be coaching and training for the JLH Fund grantees to expand funding opportunities and community engagement. The JLH Fund is also working with Microsoft’s Nonprofit Tech Acceleration (NTA) for Black & African American Communities so all nonprofits that apply to the JLH Fund, will get technology and support services to remove IT barriers and increase the impact of their missions. Darrell Booker, head of Microsoft NTA shared,
“Building a community of support for Black and African American nonprofits is fundamental in advancing their missions. We look forward to working with these nonprofits to ensure they have the technology they need to be as efficient and productive as possible in their operations.” Feaster added, “This is all just the start. We look forward to working with people who want to serve communities in need, whether that be other athletes, companies, philanthropists or community leaders, let’s partner to make the impact as great as possible.”
First round recipient of the JLH Fund, Jacob Adams, founder of Stem to the Future shared, “The JLH grant provided my team with capital that supported us in training educators in Los Angeles on how to create and facilitate justice-based STEAM curriculum. We were able to use the funds to pay our facilitators, design curriculum, and provide observations and debriefs with educators, which enabled us to accomplish our goal of providing Black and Latinx students with hands-on learning experiences to solve real world problems.”
Good luck to @jrue_holiday11 and the @bucks as playoffs start today! ? ? Tune in at 1:00 PM CST to watch Bucks vs. Heat in Game 1!#BlackLivesMatter #BLM #SocialJustice #SupportBlackBusinesses #JrueandLaurenHolidayFund #nba #playoffs #bucks #jlhfund @laurenholiday12 pic.twitter.com/9vpEr5f7iT
— JLH Impact Fund (@thejlhfund) May 22, 2021
Lemel Durrah, also a first round recipient and founder of Compton Vegan, an affordable and healthy alternative to everyday foods, was able to use the JLH Fund grant during the pandemic to secure a food truck and continue to remain in business.
He served Compton and surrounding cities labeled as food desserts and swamps with plant-based dishes. Elliott Hutchinson, founder of Son of a Saint in New Orleans, an organization that provides mentorship, education and emotional support for fatherless young men, added “Aligning with an organization that has a shared interest in positively impacting your community is extremely empowering.
The Jrue and Lauren Holiday Fund takes philanthropic support a step further— they are truly invested in growing the capacity of their partner organizations to effect meaningful change.” Applications for the JLH Social Impact Fund are open from May 17-May 28, 2021.
To apply, visit www.jlhfund.org For media inquiries, partnership opportunities or for more information, email info@jlhfund.org About The Kinship Advisors The Kinship Advisors is a Black woman-owned agency that closes the gaps and provides culturally connected strategic advisory for athletes, entertainers, and businesses resulting in greater impact in underserved communities, expanded brand development and transformative experiences.
About FundBlackFounders.com FundBlackFounders.com is a Black-owned and operated, socially conscious, rewards crowdfunding platform that allows everyday people to fund Black-Owned businesses from start to profitability.
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