United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley is committed to being anti-racist and promoting anti-racism work across our community. We cannot serve our communities without directly confronting racial injustice within them.
The Fund for Racial Justice and Equity (FRJE), powered by United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley, seeks to transform people and communities by investing in Black and Brown leaders and organizations. It is guided by a team of seven Black and Brown community leaders who are experts in their fields with decades of collective lived experience. Together, they developed the Fund’s strategic framework and investment process that expands opportunity and access to equitable funding. By removing barriers currently faced by leaders of color, we ensure that resources are available to support the programs, people and services centered around the voices and experiences of those most affected by racism. This investment process is committed to equitable funding practices throughout the application, review and distribution processes.
With funding from donors and partners, the Fund has invested more than $628,000 since 2020 toward advancing racial justice and equity in the following focus areas:
- Leadership development
- Economic advancement
- Health and wellness
- Stories of Black and Brown excellence and success
To learn more about the Fund, contact Marci Martinez-Howey at 610-807-5755.
2024 fund for Racial Justice and Equity Grant Recipients
Following an initial round of grant awards in 2023, the Fund has announced a second round of 18 grant awards totaling $300,000 starting January 2025.
The following organizations received grants ranging from $10,000 to $40,000:
| Agency | Amount |
|---|---|
| Basement Poetry | $25,000 |
| Batts Development Group | $40,000 |
| Fine Feather Foundation, Inc. | $10,000 |
| Global Hope International | $10,000 |
| HopeDealersGlobal | $10,000 |
| InnaStar | $10,000 |
| Juneteenth Lehigh Valley | $10,000 |
| LatinosARE | $10,000 |
| Lehigh Valley Black Church Housing Alliance | $30,000 |
| Mother2Mother Inc. | $20,000 |
| Movement Moves Media | $15,000 |
| SELF! | $20,000 |
| The Gathering Place | $10,000 |
| The Preventive Measures Foundation | $10,000 |
| The Rilyc | $10,000 |
| The Rising Sun Initiative | $10,000 |
| The Thrive Hub, Inc. | $25,000 |
| YWCA of Bethlehem | $25,000 |
In the summer of 2023, United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley awarded twenty-one organizations serving historically marginalized communities $310,000 in grants to develop leadership, economic advancement and wellness.
The following organizations received grants ranging from $10,000 to $50,000:
- Cohesion Network
- Epoch Tribe
- Financial Literacy Center of the Lehigh Valley
- Fine Feather Foundation Inc.
- Global Hope International
- Greater Community Development Corp.
- InnaStar
- Juneteenth Lehigh Valley
- Lycan Media
- LatinosARE
- Lehigh Valley Black Church Housing Alliance
- Light on the Horizon
- Mother2Mother Inc.
- Movement Moves Media
- Resurrected Community Development Inc.
- SELF!
- The Rilyc
- The Rising Sun Initiative
- The Thrive Hub Inc.
- Unidos Inc.
- Vet Beds
Learn more about the 2023 grants here.
Building a greater lehigh valley where every person belongs
and every person thrives.
“United Way is open for people like us to come in and have a part in the process of funding. We challenge more people who look like us to step up and participate.”
Tyrone Russell
CEO of Faces International
fund partners and leadership
Scott Blair
Senior Director, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
B. Braun Medical Inc.
Kumari Ghafoor-Davis, MSW
Equity & Inclusion Coordinator
Mayor’s Office, City of Allentown
Kevin Greene
Chief Operating Officer
Faces International
Marci Martinez-Howey
Associate Vice President, Diversity Equity and Inclusion
United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley
Tyrone Russell
Chief Executive Officer
Faces International
Janine Santoro
Director of Equity and Inclusion, City of Bethlehem
Mark Wilson
Executive Director
Zoellner Arts Center
In the News
Lehigh Valley Black Church Housing Alliance Empowers Communities Through Financial Literacy and Homeownership
The United Way’s Fund for Racial Justice and Equity supports initiatives like the Lehigh Valley Black Church Housing Alliance (LVBCHA) to close the racial wealth gap. LVBCHA empowers families through financial education and homeownership counseling, helping over 800 participants last year take steps toward generational wealth.
2024 Grant application now open
The 2024 FRJE grant is open to Lehigh Valley nonprofit organizations that are led by and explicitly serving Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), LGBTQ+ and disability communities or the intersections of these identities. Provide programming in one of the following areas: leadership development, economic advancement, health and wellness and/or stories of Black and Brown excellence and success. Grants between $10,000 – $50,000 will be available for programming in Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon Counties.
This grant will fund agencies and programs for one year, January 2025 – December 2025.
