About the fund

Jointly established in 2021 with the Town of Brookline, the Racial Equity Fund supports initiatives that advance racial equity and racial justice for the Brookline community, including providing funding to address racial equity gaps that affect the quality of life for People of Color in Brookline.

Ensuring that enduring equity becomes a reality for all means investing in efforts led by and focused on supporting and uplifting Communities of Color. The Racial Equity Fund supports initiatives that advance racial equity and racial justice for the Brookline community. The Town of Brookline generously provided $500,000 allocated from mitigation fees from cannabis dispensary revenue—one of the first communities in Massachusetts to do so—to launch the fund.

Fund history

Today, both the fund and the associated Racial Equity Grant Program are managed by BCF. This grant program is the only such program in our community that aims to address the impacts of racism on the health, well-being, and overall quality of life for Communities of Color, and reallocate resources and power to those members of our community who have been historically marginalized or disadvantaged.

Consistent with the fund’s purpose, BCF works closely with the Racial Equity Grant Committee — a volunteer committee comprised of community members, representatives from the Town of Brookline, and representatives from BCF — to identify priorities for each grant cycle, review applications, and make funding recommendations.

Further information

For more information on the Racial Equity Fund, please contact the BCF development team.

Related funds: