Hartford Foundation for Public Giving
HARTFORD, CT — A city-based giving foundation has recently awarded funding to five area organizations to help Black males cope with mental health issues.
This past spring, the Beta Iota Boulé Foundation and the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving announced a collaboration to support the mental health of Black boys and men.
The Boulé has invested $400,000, with the foundation matching up to $600,000 to create a $1 million impact.
As a result, $200,000 of these funds have been made available through the Black Giving Circle Fund at the Hartford Foundation to support grants over the next two years.
At a recent meeting, members awarded five one-year grants of $20,000 to support projects related to promoting and expanding access to mental health services for Black boys and men.
“We are proud to announce the five awardees of our inaugural grants through the partnership between the Hartford Foundation, Beta Iota Boulé Foundation, and the Black Giving Circle Fund,” said Black Giving Circle Fund Steering Committee Chairman Chris Cloud.
“These recipients do incredible work in our community and will help us move the needle to improve mental health and wellness for African American men and boys. We salute them all for their commitment to this important work!”
Organizations receiving $20,000 grants include:
Blue Hills Civic Association (BHCA): The grant will support the Greater Hartford SAFETY Fellowship Program, a collaboration with T.R.U.E. Self Counseling, that provides an eight-hour Mental Health First Aid course to teach people to help those experiencing mental health problems or crises.
Covenant Preparatory School: The grant will support the Covenant Campaigns for Mental Health program, a 10-week class designed to be an immersive, hands-on experience that puts boys at the center of every aspect of the project.
“Covenant Prep is thrilled to receive this transformative grant to address the unique mental health needs of Black men and boys,” said Katie Zakreski McKinney, Covenant Prep’s Director of Development & Community Relations.
Ebony Horsewomen: The grant will support the Equine Empowerment to Culturally Competent Mental Health Training program, an Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) to certify Connecticut State licensed mental health professionals and experienced horse professionals to become horse specialists and program mentors.
“We extend our deepest gratitude for selecting us to receive funding for our Black Boys and Men initiative,” said Patricia E. Kelly, President/CEO of Ebony Horsewomen, Inc.
Integrated Health Services (IHS): The grant will support the Equipping Black Male Youth as Ambassadors of Mental Health & Wellness communications campaign from January to June 2025.
Funds will support a dedicated IHS clinician who will prioritize strategies that engage Black male students aged 12-15 in activities that contribute to improved long-term mental health status.
“We are thrilled about this award from the Black Giving Circle Fund as it will enable IHS to more intentionally promote positive mental health outcomes for Black males by providing direct access to school-based mental health services,” said IHS President/CEO Sherry Linton-Massiah.
The Amistad Center for Arts and Culture: The BGCF grant will support the I Am A Man!: Mental Health and Wellness program.
The program will provide 20 Black men and boys with access to weekly clinical therapy through museum-sponsored therapists’ visits, along with a public awareness campaign.
For more information, or to join the Black Giving Circle Fund, visit //www.hfpg.org/BlackGivingCircle or contact Ramonita Garcia at RGarcia@hfpg.org. The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving is the community foundation for Hartford and 28 surrounding towns. For more information, visit www.hfpg.org or call 860-548-1888.
