For the first time, local, regional and statewide funders have committed to raising $5 million over two years to invest in Black-led organizations in the Inland Empire.

The Inland Empire Funders Alliance on Tuesday, July 14, announced its partnership with the Black Equity Initiative of the Inland Empire to launch the Black Equity Fund, a regional pooled fund, which comes with the promise of long-term investments in local Black-led organizations. The seed money for this fund is coming from The California Endowment and the Inland Empire Community Foundation with the rest of the $5 million to be raised over the next two years.

Black-led organizations in the Inland Empire in particular have been struggling because they dont get as much funding or support, said Dina Walker, president and CEO of BLU Educational Foundation in San Bernardino, which provides services for area youth.

Were excited because this is a forward-thinking plan in which we, the organizations, will be part of the decision-making process and get to decide how the funds are distributed, she said.

Walker said they are in the process of mapping out Black-led organizations across Riverside and San Bernardino counties that focus on issues crucial to the African American community including education, criminal justice, health and housing. She said she is aware of 20 Black-led organizations that currently want to be part of this initiative.

The Black Equity Fund will hopefully provide opportunities for organizations in the Inland Empire that have not been able to build themselves because of the lack of resources and investment, said the Rev. Samuel Casey, executive director of Congregations Organized for Prophetic Engagement.

I hope these Black-led groups can finally get in the game, he said. They need to be able to not just hire staff, but pay them well. I hope this will help us expand our reach.

The Black community in the Inland Empire has been expressing its needs for more than a decade, but its taken something as seismic as the death of George Floyd in the hands of a Minneapolis police officer, to really move the needle on this issue, Casey said.

Its certainly a step in the right direction, he said. Its intentional and its a long-term investment.

Funders need to repair the damage caused by decades of under-investment in Black communities, said Michelle Decker, CEO of the Inland Empire Community Foundation, a co-investor in the Black Equity Fund.

We need to come together in a manner that honors the expertise of Black-led organizations, she said in an issued statement. The economic and health challenges of COVID-19, as well as the collective trauma of the killing of Black lives, have shown us that the success of the region will rise or fall based on its progress on racial equity.

This type of investment should have occurred a long time ago, said Margarita Luna, senior program manager at The California Endowment. She said these organizations have been historically overlooked because they were viewed by funders as a risky investment.

When funders look at where to invest, they look at operating budgets, Luna said. If that budget doesnt hit a certain level, they consider it a risky investment. So, these organizations have been caught in a vicious cycle where they dont get much-needed funding because they dont have those healthy budgets.

Local organizations such as Congregations Organized for Prophetic Engagement, which were instrumental in getting San Bernardino County to declare racism a public health crisis, should be credited for their leadership, said Karthick Ramakrishnan, director of the Center for Social Innovation at UC Riverside, which is also a partner in the Black Equity Fund.

George Floyds murder shocked the consciousness of the nation in ways that other killings should have, but did not, he said. Weve seen statements made by philanthropists and titans in the corporate world. Were seeing words matched by actions and investment.

People typically think of South Los Angeles or Oakland as the epicenter of Black power, not often the Inland Empire, Ramakrishnan said.

But, you saw San Bernardino County, which has not had the strongest reputation with racial equity take the kind of stance they did by declaring racism a public health crisis, he said. This shows the innovation and leadership of local Black-led organizations.

Ramakrishnan says the Black Equity Fund will be a game changer because it gives more power to the organizations by recognizing their expertise and leadership and the Center for Social Innovation will be a data partner in this initiative, helping monitor its progress and efficacy.

The older model was when these organizations had to prove themselves time and again, he said. With this initiative, the hope is that well see more consistent money for Black-led organizations.

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$5 million coming for Black-led organizations in the Inland Empire with new initiative - Press-Enterprise