Change Happens announced today that it has been awarded a $100,000 grant from the Foot Locker Foundation Community Engagement Program to support its Each One Of Us program.

The funding—part of a partnership between the Foot Locker Foundation and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC)—is designed to bridge gaps in health, wealth, and upward mobility driven by racial inequity and promote youth empowerment and community wellness—all while supporting community-based organizations led by people of color.

For both LISC and Foot Locker, Inc., this funding is part of larger national efforts focused on economic opportunity and racial equity. The program draws from Foot Locker, Inc.’s $200 million commitment to its Leading Education and Economic Development (LEED) initiative, which is focused on fueling education and economic opportunity within the Black community. It also connects to LISC’s Project 10X strategy to break down systemic barriers and support racial justice.

“We are so excited and grateful to receive the support from the Foot Locker Community Empowerment Program,” said Steven Benson, Program Coordinator for the Each One of Us mentoring program at Change Happens. “The grant will allow the Change Happens mentoring program at Jack Yates High School to add 50 additional young men of color, ages 14-19, and pair them with a caring male role model/mentor that will help them set and achieve their dreams, goals, and aspirations. These mentorships bridge gaps in health, wealth, and opportunity for young men living in marginalized and vulnerable communities. ”

Change Happens is one of 16 organizations funded through the new Community Engagement Program, which spans 12 metro areas where Foot Locker and LISC have a significant presence. It builds on the partners’ shared goal to inspire and empower youth, and it recognizes that organizations led by minorities and servicing Black and Brown communities often face unique funding constraints. For example, a 2020 assessment from The Bridgespan Group and Echoing Green found that Black-led nonprofits had unrestricted net assets that were 76 percent lower than those of White-led groups, making it more difficult to operate their organizations and grow their impact.

“Creating a more equitable future begins with meaningful investments at the community level,” said Richard Johnson, Chairman and CEO of Foot Locker, Inc. “Through LEED and the Community Empowerment Program, we are providing local nonprofits like Change Happens the tools and resources they need to expand their impact. Organizations like Change Happens have a deep connection to the communities they serve and understand the issues they face. With this support, local groups like Change Happens will advance opportunities for youth in communities that have been underserved, underinvested in, and overlooked for too long.”

Change Happens has been focused on issues related to racial equity and youth for over 30 years. It has had an outsized impact in the communities it serves by listening to the lived experiences of the people it serves, and providing programs and services with the belief that “there is no such thing as a single-issue struggle, because we do not live single-issue lives.”

“Local organizations like Change Happens are critical because they directly respond to the challenges that young people face every day, especially in communities of color,” said LISC CEO Lisa Glover. “By investing in education, workforce development and mentorship programs, we can not only help young people overcome long-standing hurdles to success, we can also help make local economies work better for everyone.”