The WIlliams family on the steps of their new home in the Constitution Hill neighborhood of Woonsocket, created and made affordable by NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley.

The Black Philanthropy Initiative is a field-of-interest fund at The Rhode Island Foundation. It was established by the Foundation and a group of community leaders to advance equity and social justice for Blacks in Rhode Island.

BPI was focused, through June 2011, on a fundraising campaign. The Foundation matched every dollar raised, resulting in a permanent endowment that will grow and make grants in perpetuity. The campaign was guided by a campaign committee of committed volunteers.

Grantmaking will focus on economic sustainability and the Black family in the areas of housing, financial literacy, and job training.