We envision the Greater Louisville region as a place where zip code doesn’t determine destiny and everyone has the opportunity to live up to their full potential. But the realities are that there are inequities and disparities all around us in educational attainment, occupational opportunity, employment, wages, home ownership, gender, race and ethnicity, access to healthy environments, and more.
The Need

In 2019, the poverty rate for African Americans in Louisville was around 26%, compared to approximately 10% for white residents.
In 2020, the high school graduation rate for African American students in Jefferson County Public Schools (which includes Louisville) was around 81%, compared to approximately 89% for white students.
As of 2019, African Americans made up about 20% of Louisville’s population but accounted for over 50% of the arrests made in the city.
In 2020, African American residents in Louisville experienced higher rates of chronic health conditions like diabetes, obesity, and hypertension compared to white residents.

Sources: Data USA, Kentucky Department of Education, WFPL News, City of Louisville Health Equity Report, MUW data analysis
What We're Doing Together
To Help
- Leading SPECIFIC INITIATIVES designed to lift under-resourced neighborhoods, individuals, and marginalized groups.
- Investing in Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) LED NONPROFITS to address systemic inequities.
- Investing in ENTREPRENEURS in under-resourced neighborhoods.
- Offering RACIAL WEALTH GAP SIMULATIONS that take people on a historical journey to wealth building.
- Hosting a FREE VIRTUAL SPEAKER SERIES on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) featuring best-selling authors and experts on equity.
- Developing and maintaining best DEI PRACTICES, providing TRAININGS, and applying an EQUITY LENS to our community investments.
Here are some of the proven, long-standing programs and initiatives as well as innovative solutions that we work together on every day.
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Black L.O.V.E.
Black L.O.V.E. (Live. Own. Vote. Excel.) Philanthropic Partnership utilizes strategic guidance and leadership of Black leaders and philanthropic partners. The partnership structure provides a collaborative opportunity to pool philanthropic resources and collective thought leadership.
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Racial Wealth Gap Simulation
Our Racial Wealth Gap simulation that takes people and organizations on a historical journey to wealth building in America, pausing on 13 federal policies that most powerfully accelerated or impeded progress based on race.
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FundBLACKFounders
In response to the lack of capital and resources, FundBLACKFounders was founded and helps Black entrepreneurs raise capital by offering support and training to grow their businesses, providing access to crowdfunding platform and matching grants to what is raised.
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Beyond Buzzwords
Beyond Buzzwords is a Metro United Way speaker series on diversity, equity and inclusion that is designed to provide thoughtful and meaningful discussions about important topics that promote thinking as well as personal and institutional application.
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United Neighborhoods
Our neighborhood model prioritizes resident-driven priorities, strategies and solutions for investment, and understands that sustained neighborhood change requires listening to residents, authentic relationship-building, significant investment, and a long-term commitment.
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Young Men United
Launching soon, Young Men United will be designed to create barrier-free pathways for young Black men to reach their academic and career goals by bringing wrap-around supports to youth in our community to and through college graduation.
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...and our partners in this work
Results
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What We've Done Together
Watch Video -
Black L.O.V.E. partner spotlight on the Decode Project
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Black L.O.V.E spotlight: BrainSTEM
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WAVE Country with Dawne Gee
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Our Black L.O.V.E. Philanthropic Partnership that empowers and invests in Black led social change organizations entered the second year of its initial two-year round of investments in 19 non-profits.
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3,000 attended Beyond Buzzwords speaker series on diversity, equity and inclusion
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Over 4,000 people participated in Racial Wealth Gap simulations
It will take all of us working together to ensure every individual in the Greater Louisville region has the opportunity to reach their fullest potential. Only then will we achieve an equitable community. Join us and invest today.
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