Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Announces 2022 Racial Equity Grants

Today, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) announced a series of new grants to support organizations working to advance a world that is more just, equitable, and inclusive. The grant recipients include organizations that are primarily led by people of color and are activating key levers to tackle racial disparities, from cultivating more leaders of color, to reshaping policies that promote equity, to accelerating systemic change that will advance progress in CZI’s focus areas of science, education, and supporting the needs of local communities.

“We are inspired by the transformative work these organizations are leading to drive change and achieve measurable impact,” said Belinda Stubblefield, CZI’s Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. “We are committed to dismantling systemic inequities — especially to advance our work across science, education, and our local communities — and these organizations are critical to that effort.”

As part of the 2022 racial equity grants, CZI supported organizations including OneGeneration, which brings together Indigenous families, students, educators, communities, and organizations to support Native American communities. “OneGeneration’s work is grounded in addressing inequities facing Native youth through community-led design, rooted in Indigenous knowledge and vision,” said Kara Bobroff, Executive Director of OneGeneration and citizen of the Navajo Nation. “Funding support helps grow programs like Indigitize, which will increase access to computer science for 10,000 Indigenous youth by 2024 and incorporate Indigenous perspectives within the field of computer science.”

This year, CZI’s racial equity investments include a partnership with the nation’s four Historically Black Medical Colleges (HBMCs) to further drive cutting-edge scientific research that addresses significant gaps in genomics research. The HBMCs are uniquely equipped to guide medical research that will directly impact Black communities, generate groundbreaking scientific advancements in precision health, and accelerate CZI’s mission to support the science and technology that will make it possible to prevent, cure, or manage all diseases by the end of the century.

CZI is also working with a growing community of partners to equip teachers with the research, tools, and allies they need to center student well-being in support of academic achievement — which begins with caring for our teachers. Earlier this year, as part of its commitment to supporting teacher diversity, CZI announced new funding to boost teacher well-being, ensuring teachers are able to stay and thrive within the profession. While burnout affects all teachers, surveys show that educators of color, who are already underrepresented in schools, may leave at greater rates. Teacher well-being is an important retention strategy that contributes to the diversity of the education workforce and to the success of students of all backgrounds.

Building on this work, the grants announced today support creating conditions for organizations, institutions, communities and individuals at the front lines of the fight for equity to succeed through advancing critical research, shifting cultural narratives and building a pipeline of leaders. Grantees include:

• The 1954 Project: The 1954 Project seeks to radically redesign how philanthropy connects with Black leaders in education.
• African American Community Service Agency: The African American Community Service Agency seeks to preserve the dignity and culture of a diverse African American Community in Santa Clara County.
• Association of Latino Professionals For America (ALPFA): ALPFA connects Latino leaders for impact and offers professional development and career-building opportunities.
• Black Women in Science and Engineering: Black Women in Science and Engineering is focused on bridging the leadership gap for underrepresented women in STEM, through networking, mentorship and career development.
• Racial Equity in Philanthropy Fund (REP) at Borealis Philanthropy: REP invests in philanthropy-serving organizations that inform, educate, and equip funders to advance racial equity in philanthropy.
• Children Now: Children Now’s whole child, anti-racist, connector advocacy model breaks down systemic barriers in education, health, and economic security to build power for all California kids, from birth to age 26.
• Common Future: Common Future powers community-led solutions that advance racial justice and economic equity. 
• /dev/color: /dev/color is the community and career accelerator for Black software engineers, technologists, entrepreneurs, and executives, and a key source of accountability for industry partners. Together, we’re changing tech for good.
• Ella Baker Center for Human Rights: The Ella Baker Center organizes to shift resources away from prisons and punishment and mobilizes Black, Brown, and low-income people to build power and prosperity in our communities.
• Haymarket People’s Fund: Haymarket People’s Fund funds grassroots organizations across the New England region that work for systems change possible through anti-racist community organizing and movement building.
• The Institutional Antiracism and Accountability (IARA) Project: IARA aims to move organizations from words to action to accountability by evaluating and disseminating the best evidence for achieving racial equity in the structures, policies, and practices of institutions.
• Invisible People: Invisible People works to fight homelessness by giving it a face while educating about the systemic issues that contribute to its existence through storytelling, education, news and activism.
• La Plazita Institute: La Plazita Institute engages with youth, elders, and communities to draw from their own roots and histories to express core traditional values of respect, honor, love, and family.
• The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change: The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change empowers people to create a just, humane, equitable and peaceful world by applying Dr. King’s nonviolent philosophy and methodology.
• Martin Luther King Senior Community Resources Collaborative: The Martin Luther King Sr. Community Resources Collaborative centralizes organizational resources and believes communities gain strength through the achievement of self-reliance.
• National Association of Black Accountants (NABA): NABA engages, empowers, and educates Black Business Leaders and institutions by providing a platform to enhance skills and elevate voices.
• National Black MBA Association (NBMBAA): NBMBAA creates educational, wealth building, and growth opportunities for those historically underrepresented throughout their careers as students, entrepreneurs and professionals.
• National Minority Health Association (NMHA): NMHA seeks health equity and closure of the healthcare disparity gap in minority and underserved communities through Operation Healthy You™, Equityville™, THE.art Alliance, the Health Equity Action Leader™ network, and other programs.
• Native Americans in Philanthropy: The mission of Native Americans in Philanthropy is to promote equitable and effective philanthropy in Native communities.
• One Generation: One Generation works with Indigenous families, students, educators, communities, and organizations to create and grow community-led innovations through our strengths to address inequities in Native American communities. 
• Prospanica: Prospanica hosts annual career and professional development conferences to connect Latinx business professionals to graduate programs, subject matter experts, corporations, and each other.
• The Redress Movement: The Redress Movement organizes racially and ethnically diverse local movements to help community residents build and wield collective power to redress residential segregation.
• USC Dornsife Equity Research Institute: The Equity Research Institute (ERI) uses data and analysis to contribute to a more powerful, well-resourced, intersectional, and intersectoral movement for racial, economic, and environmental justice.
• VietRISE: VietRISE advances social justice and builds power with working class Vietnamese and immigrant communities in Orange County, CA.
• Visión y Compromiso: Visión y Compromiso is committed to community health and well-being by supporting promotoras, community health workers and other grassroots community leaders.
• We Are All Human Foundation: The We Are All Human Foundation is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit devoted to advancing diversity, inclusion, and equity for all, with a particular emphasis on accelerating the progress of Hispanics in the United States.

These grants are part of a multi-year $500 million commitment CZI made in December 2020. Since that commitment, CZI has invested over $215 million, in addition to other continued key investments, to integrate racial equity across CZI’s work.

For more information about CZI’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and to sign up for updates about racial equity grants, visit our DEI webpage.

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About the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative

The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative was founded in 2015 to help solve some of society’s toughest challenges — from eradicating disease and improving education, to addressing the needs of our communities. Through collaboration, providing resources and building technology, our mission is to help build a more inclusive, just and healthy future for everyone. For more information, please visit chanzuckerberg.com.