What is the Southern Communities Initiative?
A catalytic consortium to accelerate racial equity funding, programming, and outcomes in six southern communities that are home to more than half of African Americans, in ways that are locally-led, measured, and sustained.
SCI acts as a channel partner for corporate and philanthropic organizations to:
- Concentrate and direct investment resources in local initiatives
- Amplify high-impact community organizations and initiatives
- Coordinate across the racial equity ecosystem to break down silos
- Track, evaluate and sustain impact in 6 US southern communities
$100B+
In corporate and philanthropic racial equity commitments across the U.S. since George Floyd’s murder
90+
SCI partner organizations to date
~9K
Black-owned businesses & MBEs to be supported across SCI communities
6
SCI target communities home to approximately half of the U.S. Black population
~$2B-2.5B
Estimated investment needed to support SCI communities’ goals and initiatives
~5x+
Estimated economic impact after ~10 years
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We are focused on four racial equity priorities where this consortium has the ability to drive differential impact
MBE Entrepreneurship and Supplier Diversity
Grow Black-owned and other minority business enterprises (MBEs)
Access to Capital (CDFI/MDI)
Modernize CDFI/MDI systems & technology, hire & train talent and increase CDFI/MDI capacity to issue more capital
Education/HBCU and Workforce Development
Reduce student debt and support high-paying employment opportunities via education/skills training for people of color
Digital
Access
Increase access and adoption of affordable high-speed internet solutions for low-income and minority households
Our Community Leads
Examples of how you can support SCI*
Within Specific Communities
Other Support
Support Grameen America branches
Identify funding and community partners in target cities of Atlanta, Birmingham and Memphis to establish a new branch to provide access to capital to ~9K minority women entrepreneurs
- Funding partner to provide $2 million per year to establish each new Grameen America branch (with a minimum 4-year commitment)
- Trusted community partner to market and endorse Grameen branch to drive local participation
- Learn more about Grameen America
Participate in DonorsChoose
Invest in DonorsChoose campaigns that impact SCI regions
- School districts that serve students of color get $23 billion less in state and local funding than school districts with the same number of white students.
- The DonorsChoose platform enables: 1. Teachers to request learning resources their students need, 2. DonorsChoose team members to vet each project and 3. Partners and donors to fund the projects that inspire them.
- In 2021, we fulfilled $1.25M in teachers’ requests (in partnership with DonorsChoose and PowerSchool) for classroom supplies at over 675 schools in and around Atlanta, Birmingham, Charlotte, Houston, Memphis and New Orleans – communities that are home to half of all Black people in the United States
- Learn more about Donors Choose
Public Database Links
A comprehensive, integrated platform that provides independent and impartial data for public-private cooperation.
Nonprofit database of classroom needs provided by teachers across the country from basic classroom essentials to STEM materials.
* = not exhaustive; please contact us for additional ways you can support SCI
Our Partners
Lowry & Associates
