The North Texas Community Foundation announced it will distribute its largest round of grants ever through the Fund to Advance Racial Equality (FARE) to 21 organizations in Fort Worth and Arlington.
Among the $577,500 to be presented in grants will be $30,000 to the upcoming National Juneteenth Museum in Fort Worth. The museum, the vision of Fort Worth’s longtime activist and 2022 Nobel Peace Prize nominee, Opal Lee, is set to break ground in 2023 and open to the public on June 19, 2025.
The museum will be located on the site of Lee’s own current Juneteenth in the Historic Southside of Fort Worth, also the neighborhood Lee lived in as a youngster. Garrett March, Associate Director of Community Impact at North Texas Community Foundation, said the $30,000 is to help hire a museum strategist, who will work with stakeholders to develop content, exhibits and programming.
“The museum is not only about understanding the injustices of the past, but inspiring us all to continue to lay the foundation for a better future,” March said. “When we all have equal opportunities for education, health care, and employment, our community will be all the better for it.”
The latest round of grants brings the fund’s total to nearly $1.2 million awarded.
In partnership with local funders, FARE was established in 2020 to provide grants for nonprofits and municipal entities working to achieve a more equitable community for all. This year, funding for FARE was provided by North Texas Community Foundation fundholders, Rainwater Charitable Foundation, Colonial Savings and Wells Fargo.
“North Texas Community Foundation is committed to creating a community where everyone can thrive,” said Rose Bradshaw, president & CEO. The work that these grant recipients are doing is both innovative and responsive, embedding the voices of those most affected by challenges in our region.”
Through grants awarded, the fund strives to eliminate racial bias and discrimination, ultimately leading to more equitable outcomes for all. In addition to receiving funding, grantees are invited to participate in a cohort for networking and capacity building opportunities.
Funded projects fall into one of FARE’s three priority areas: building understanding between racially diverse groups, strengthening community leadership, and developing trust between residents and law enforcement. The National Juneteenth Museum was awarded in the category of Building Understanding. The 2022 grant recipients include:
Building Understanding:
BarbaraCares
Brave/R Together
Children at Risk
City of Fort Worth, Neighborhood Services Department
Community Frontline
DNAWORKS
Fort Worth Japanese Society
Fort Worth Opera
March to the Polls
Maroon 9 Community Enrichment Organization
National Juneteenth Museum
Transform 1012 N. Main Street
Improving Neighborhood-Police Trust:
Big Brothers Big Sisters Lone Star
City of Fort Worth, Office of the Police Oversight Monitor
One CommunityUSA
Supporting Community Leadership:
BoardBuild
Jolt Initiative
Leadership Fort Worth
Leadership ISD
LVTRise
Northside Inter-Community Agency