The black belt community foundation (bbcf) , founded in 2003, is a 501(c)3 organization

We represent twelve counties in alabama's poorest region: bullock, choctaw, dallas, greene, hale, lowndes, macon, marengo, perry, pickens, sumter, and wilcox. These counties rank, according the small area income and poverty estimates, as having some of the highest rates of poverty for youth between the ages of 5-17, and some of the lowest median household incomes across the american south. According to study results published in 2014, children living in the black belt region have a poverty rate that exceeds the state poverty level by 143% and was 92% higher than the entire US average. Ongoing issues of high unemployment rates, substandard educational systems, poor health care access, environmental racism, and rural flight, feed a legacy of generational poverty that is our mission to eradicate. We choose to combat the aforementioned need in a variety of initiatives. We provide community and/or arts program grants to an average of 100 organizations each year. We also offer a head start program in multiple counties. A grant from the kellogg foundation funds work in truth racial healing and transformation, and our work to amplify the voices of southern black girls and women is funded through the novo foundation. We offer workshops in leadership training, organizational capacity building and community collaboration. Finally, we actively work as a philanthropic partner with our community participants. Bbcf is requesting vista's assistance in building our own capacity and in regional asset mapping.