The New Commonwealth Racial Equity and Social Justice Fund, a fund established this year by senior-level Black and brown corporate executives in Massachusetts, announced its first round of grant funding Friday, including $100,000 distributed between Family Health Center of Worcester and African Community Education, also based in Worcester.
Each organization will receive a $50,000 grant to help ensure Black and brown children in the region receive access to education and affordable health care and mental health services, according to a Friday press release.
The New Commonwealth Racial Equity and Social Justice Fund was established to help eliminate systemic racism through Massachusetts by providing financial support to Black and brown communities, according to a press release from the organization. Black and brown-led charitable organizations typically gather a tiny fraction of the funding that goes to other charitable groups, according to fund management, which is why the fund focused on those groups during its first funding round, which totaled $1 million.
“We’re excited to jumpstart this process with a quick series of grants to groups in the Worcester community that have a history of working to help Black and brown communities,” said Desiree Ralls- Morrison, senior vice president of Marlborough manufacturer Boston Scientific Corp., general counsel and corporate secretary and a founder of the New Commonwealth Fund, in a statement. “With the knowledge these organizations have, it was an easy decision to support African Community Education and Family Health Center of Worcester. We know each will have an immediate impact on fighting racial inequities in Massachusetts.”
The fund has raised over $20 million in pledges and seed money so far.
Monica Busch
Worcester Business Journal
