On Thursday, November 1, 2018, the Philadelphia Black Giving Circle (PBGC) launched its inaugural grant making cycle.

PBGC will award grants for general operating support to eligible Philadelphia non-profits. Applications will be accepted starting on November 1, 2018 through December 13, 2018 with the announcement and awarding of grants in February 2019.

The Philadelphia Black Giving Circle launched in February 2018 with a mission to build the capacity and financial sustainability of Philadelphia’s Black-led/Black serving non-profits while also promoting a culture of charitable giving and philanthropy within the Black community. Recognizing that small nonprofits play a major role in serving Philadelphia’s most underserved individuals and communities, priority will be given to organizations that have an annual operating budget of less than $1 million.

Potential grantees must meet the following criteria:

• Nonprofit 501(c)(3) status or be under the auspices of a fiscal sponsor that is a 501(c)(3).
• Based in the City of Philadelphia
• Operating for at least 2 years
• Identify as Black-led and Black-serving
• Annual operating budget of less than $1 million

“A Giving Circle is when individuals come together around a common issue or cause and pool their collective charitable dollars to have greater impact. Nationally, Giving Circles have emerged as a growing philanthropic trend among donors of all sizes and backgrounds” says Allison Acevedo, Chair and Founding Member of the Philadelphia Black Giving Circle. “While our focus is on supporting Philadelphia’s black community, we welcome and encourage any individual, no matter ethnicity, to support our collective effort.”

The Philadelphia Black Giving Circle’s mission is to cultivate charitable giving within the Black community, build capacity and financial sustainability of Black-led non-profits, and address the most pressing needs facing the Black community in the Greater Philadelphia region. The giving circle will leverage our collective resources to encourage philanthropy and community service that impacts the Black community in Philadelphia.

For more information about the PBGC and its grant application, please go to www.phillyblackgiving.org. For media inquiries, please contact phillyblackgiving@gmail.com.