Celebrating Black History Month with Outstanding, Black-Led Projects

To honor and celebrate Black History Month, Lever for Change is highlighting outstanding U.S.-based projects in our Bold Solutions Network that are Black-led or support aspiring Black leaders. Join us in our celebration by learning more about and investing in one or more of the projects rigorously evaluated for impact and featured below.

Black History Month is a time to acknowledge and celebrate the contributions and achievements of the Black community. Lever for Change is proud to join in this celebration by shining a light on some of the outstanding projects in our Bold Solutions Network that are led by Black individuals or support aspiring Black leaders.

Two women from Girls, Inc. sitting at a desk smiling
Caption: Equality Can't Wait Challenge Awardee: Girls, Inc.

The Bold Solutions Network is a collection of high-impact proposals submitted to competitions designed and managed by Lever for Change. These projects tackle some of the world's most pressing problems and are led by innovative leaders working to create real, lasting change in their communities. Among the work featured in this collection are Oxfam America's Equality Starts Here Collective, which represents Black leaders and advocates of anti-racist progress, and seeks to build economic, social, and political equity for Black women in the South, dismantling legal, policy, and employment barriers for Black women rooted in systemic racism and sexism. Also included is Girls Inc., which is run by Stephanie J. Hull, a Black woman dedicated to creating opportunities to help girls of color take their place as leaders. Girls Inc.'s Project Accelerate will speed the entry of young Black women and other women of color into leadership positions nationwide.

All of the featured organizations are making a difference in the lives of Black individuals and communities, and we are proud to be associated with them.

Navigating this Collection

The project tiles are organized alphabetically by the lead organization name. You will find a brief snapshot for each proposal where you can gather key organizational details and project information that was captured during the challenge process. For ease of viewing, you may click on each tile to expand the snapshot.


Whether you are an individual looking to make a difference, or an organization seeking to invest in meaningful change, these projects offer a unique opportunity to do just that. By learning more about these projects and investing in one or more of them, you can help support Black leaders.

We can provide you with additional information about a proposal, facilitate introductions to the organizations, answer any questions you may have about supporting the selected proposal(s) and/or organization(s), and even share a curated list of organizations if you have specific philanthropic interest areas. Please reach out to Karen Minkel, Director of Philanthropy, to take the next step in supporting one or more of these compelling and bold solutions.

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