In the basement level of Aenon Missionary Baptist Church on Genessee Street, Ebony Nicole Smith sat among other non-profit business owners to learn about a funding opportunity.
The New York State Black Legislative Task Force held a “listening tour” recently to educate the public on the $30 million in state funding it secured to support 501(c)(3) organizations that are dedicated to uplifting underserved communities.
The money will be distributed across the state. Smith said this makes the application process a bit more challenging.
“The task that we have as an organization is to stand out,” Smith said. “We must stand out in a sea of other organizations who want funding. And I believe that we can.”
Smith is the outreach and recruitment coordinator for Black Men Achieve of Greater Rochester. The organization was launched about five years ago to provide mentorship and other support to Black and brown boys in the community.
“It's just hoping that those who review the applications can see and understand what it is that we are doing and will support us moving forward,” Smith said.
This is the first time the task force has received these grant dollars, officials said.
Democratic State Sen. Samra Brouk and Assemblymember Demond Meeks, both of Rochester, are part of the Black Legislative Task Force. Meeks said nonprofits, like Black Men Achieve, are what the group had in mind when advocating for this funding.
“When we talk about housing insecurity, food insecurity, challenges with education, these are the organizations that are stepping up and have a track record of stepping up in these spaces,” Meeks said.
Investing in nonprofits will be important for sustaining neighborhoods, Brouk added, especially now that organizations are losing federal contracts, funding and benefits.
“We want to instill trust in our communities,” Brouk said. "We want to instill trust in these organizations and the people that they're serving.”
The deadline to submit applications is 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 17.
Officials said they’re unsure of when the money will be available and distributed.
