Black United Fund
What BUFOR wants you to know
Through the generous support of Portland Community College employees, we were able to serve the community by:
- Providing grants to 11 grassroots, community-led organizations that focus on civic and academic education as a means to break the cycle of poverty in underserved communities
- Provide nonprofit mentorship to our grantees to ensure that these organizations are equipped with the tools necessary to succeed
- Facilitating nearly a half a million dollars in scholarships for 26 local students
Illustrations of how BUFOR helps our community
Building Blocks 2 Success Program
When Antonio Jackson founded Building Blocks 2 Success (BB2S), he started with a commitment to “get ethnically and gender diverse at-risk youth from North and Northeast Portland excited about Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) through exposure and participation in STEM-related programs and activities.” He was delighted to find that the BB2S mission aligned with the funding criteria for the Black United Fund of Oregon’s (BUF) grantmaking program. In addition to receiving grant funding from BUF, Antonio also elected to receive mentorship in nonprofit management from BUF’s Executive Director.
In 2017, BB2S served over 200 students and introduced a Robotics program that places students in an elevated learning environment with mentors that set the expectation for them to attend college. This year, BB2S plans to reach more students and implement year round programming in partnership with local school districts.
Antonio credits the mentorship of BUF in elevating the funding opportunities for BB2S. As Antonio stated, “The Black United Fund’s grant making application required us to take note of certain standards that prepared us to solicit funding from larger funders that we might not normally think of.”
The Black United Fund is proud to support nonprofits like BB2S that promote education as an aid to breaking the cycle of poverty, ensuring that all Oregonians have the same opportunities to succeed.
Mentor4Success Program
The Black United Fund of Oregon’s Mentor4Success Program is community-driven education program designed to support at-risk students on the path to higher education. Mentor4Success incorporates our ACCESS Scholarship, Scholarship Writing Workshops, annual College Fair, and mentors for students. We work with local high schools, youth programs, and nonprofit organizations to refer high school students who are low-income, under-served, first generation college students, minorities, and/or foster youth who reside in Oregon or SW Washington to our programs. Our goal is to establish a solid support system for students in order to make their dreams of college attainment and career success a reality.
Services provided:
- Academic enrichment/tutoring/study skills
- Career exploration and counseling/internships
- College admissions guidance and counseling
- Community service/service hours
- Financial aid advising/FAFSA completion
- Mentoring
- SAT/ACT and other test preparation
- Scholarships and last-dollar grants
What students are saying:
“This program should travel to all schools and talk about the scholarships that are out there for kids who see themselves in college. Thanks so much for the opportunity!”
“I am so grateful to be here, I have made connections and tools to go to college.”
“I would be the first generation going to college in my family so I had no idea what I was supposed to do. Now I feel way better.”
“The program is very helpful for me because I come from a family that does not speak English. I’m getting the help that they are not able to provide for me.”
Chess for Success
Chess for Success helps children develop the skills necessary for success in school and life by learning chess. More than a chess club, it is an educational program in 75 schools spanning nine counties that reduces the achievement gap for 3,100 at-risk elementary and middle school students: 73% low-income, 49% minorities, 33% girls.
This is a story from our grantee, Chess for Success.
Girls Play Chess: Amelia’s Story
“A t-shirt and a snack may drive a child to join an after-school program. But soon they discover through Chess for Success, they’re perceived by others as smarter. They feel smarter. And they get smarter,” said Keith Ayres, a teacher and Chess for Success coach.
Amelia was an emotional second grader when she joined the club. Curious about the game, she was more interested in the social nature of the club.
“Every time she saw me, she would ask when we would get our club shirts,” Ayres recalled. “I remember her beaming when she finally received her shirt, her smile telling all how proud she was to be a member.”
When she became a student is his 4th grade classroom, Ayres got to know the issues Amelia faces on a daily basis. Her parents are divorced. Mom is African-American and works full time. Dad is Caucasian and a student with several learning disabilities. Amelia commutes to and from Beaverton and Portland on public transportation when she stays with her dad.
It was heartening for Ayres to watch how her involvement with chess changed, and how it changed her.
“Amelia has a great personality and, although she’s obviously bright, has difficulty demonstrating what she knows in academic areas,” Ayres said. “Through her club involvement, I have seen her confidence and sense of self-worth grow as she’s learned to plan, react, and revise her goals in the chess game of life.”
The Children’s Book Bank – A Grantee of Black United Fund of Oregon
Every year The Children’s Book Bank collects tens of thousands of gently-used and new books, which we distribute in bundles of 10-16 to low-income preschoolers and kindergarteners, or through free book fairs to children in grades 1-8 at high needs elementary schools in the Portland area.
By providing books to take home and keep, The Children’s Book Bank helps families develop daily reading habits and improve attitudes toward reading. In a recent survey, 94% of families who were not already reading daily, reported reading more now that they have their own books. One parent writes, “One time, while we were reading a book I noticed my son’s eyes light up and he said, “Mom look I have my own books now. I can read them to my friends.”
In addition to taking pride in owning books, children find meaning in their books. “Around the time we received the books we had to stay with some friends and we had all our things in storage and Aaliyah had no books. When she got the books and took them to where we were staying she was very happy and excited and didn’t feel so bad anymore that we had no home at the time. She learned that having someone read to you or looking at books can change a person’s mood from sad to happy.”
Lead Administrator of Albina Head Start, sees a positive shift in attitude toward books community-wide. Now instead of bringing toys to Show & Tell, children are bringing in books and sharing their favorite stories with their classmates. Parents talk about their children heading straight for the book department instead of looking at toys when they go shopping. This comfort with and desire for books will help these children become lifelong readers and learners.
To learn more about how your contribution to the Black United Fund of Oregon is making a difference, visit bufor.org