The Black Girl Freedom Fund, an initiative of Grantmakers for Girls of Color, has announced the recipients of its first round of grants.

Launched in September 2020 with the goal of mobilizing $1 billion in investments in support of Black girls and young women over the next decade, the fund has raised $17 million to date. Inaugural grants ranging from $50,000 to $100,000 were awarded to seven organizations that meet the fund's criteria — that they be led by Black girls and/or Black women, Black femmes, or gender-expansive Black people; serve those same communities; and focus on leadership development, work to center the power of Black girls, facilitate programming for Black girls, and center their wellness and safety in their mission and/or programs.

Selected with the help of an advisory committee of seven youth between the ages of 13 and 17 who are part of their target constituency, the recipients are 3D Girls (Atlanta), the F.I.N.D. Design (Nashville), Get Smart B4U Get Sexy (California), Healing the Black Body (national), the Hive Community Circle (South Carolina), and Pretty Brown Girl (national).

"Black girls and gender-expansive young people are deeply invested in the well-being and safety of their peers," said Kyndall Clark Osibodu, manager of organizational health and learning for Grantmakers of Girls of Color, who co-facilitated the Black Girl Freedom Fund Youth Advisory Committee. "Not only did the Youth Advisory Committee conjure up and bring into the room their first-hand experiences, they modeled for us what it means to do philanthropy abundantly, make decisions with conviction, and hold us accountable to co-construct a container that centers their own healing, safety, and well-being."

(Photo credit: F.I.N.D. Design)