Amid a challenging equity landscape, Selma-based organization doubles down on commitment to Black girls and women in the South
SELMA, Ala., Dec. 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — As funding for racial and gender equity initiatives faces nationwide rollbacks, Southern Black Girls and Women’s Consortium responded by expanding its reach and deepening its impact. In 2025, the organization invested more than $1.2 million through its Black Girls Dream Fund, Innovation Fund, and Black Girls Defense Fund, supporting over 60 organizations and more than 25 small businesses across 13 Southern states.
Southern Black Girls also reached a historic milestone this year: awarding its 1,000th Black Girl Joy Challenge grant. The nationally recognized program provides monetary grants to girls ages 13-24 to spread joy in their communities. With 100 new grants awarded in 2025, the program has now invested in 1,000 young leaders since launching in 2020.
“This year proved that even in difficult times, investing in organizations that center Black girls and women is an act of resistance, imagination, and faith in the future,” said Chanceé Lundy, Executive Director of Southern Black Girls and Women’s Consortium.
In June, Southern Black Girls brought together over 1,300 Black girls and women in Atlanta for the 2025 Black Girls Dream Conference, themed “She Got Next.” The two-day gathering featured 80 workshops on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, & Math), mental health, financial empowerment, and social justice, reinforcing the organization’s commitment to preparing the next generation of Black women leaders.
The organization’s investment in Black women entrepreneurs also yielded powerful results. Crystal Chisholm, founder of The Oyster Journal—a platform connecting oyster enthusiasts with growers—received mentoring and financial support this year through Southern Black Girls’ Dream Investment Program.
“When I first launched my app, I built it myself, but I had technical limitations,” said Chisholm. “This grant allowed me to hire a contractor to add premium features that will generate revenue for the first time. This marks our shift from building community to creating financial sustainability.”
2025 marked the first full year of leadership under Executive Director Chanceé Lundy, whose journey with Southern Black Girls represents a powerful full-circle moment. Her relationship with Founder LaTosha Brown began more than 30 years ago, when Brown mentored a 14-year-old Lundy through a community youth program in Selma, AL. That intergenerational bond embodies the Consortium’s commitment to investing in the very organizations that work to impact Black girls and women.
“As this year comes to a close, I’m reminded that even when the road is rough, we are still holding on,” Lundy shared in a recent letter to supporters. “Even under pressure, we showed up, expanded our giving, and stayed intentional about meeting this moment.”
As Southern Black Girls and Women’s Consortium looks toward the future, the organization remains committed to expanding its grantmaking, strengthening grassroots infrastructure, and continuing to model what equitable, community-rooted philanthropy can look like in the South.
About Southern Black Girls and Women’s Consortium
Founded in 2017 by LaTosha Brown, Felecia Lucky, Alice Eason Jenkins, and Margo Miller, Southern Black Girls and Women’s Consortium is a philanthropic organization dedicated to channeling greater resources to underfunded organizations centering Black girls and women across 13 Southern states. Headquartered in Selma, AL, Southern Black Girls employs participatory grantmaking approaches that center Black girls’ voices while supporting racial justice, education, health and wellness, economic mobility, and leadership development. Since its founding, Southern Black Girls has awarded over $11.4 million to more than 250 Black women-led organizations and provided over $600,000 in grants to 1,000 girls through initiatives like the #BlackGirlJoyChallenge.
For more information, visit southwesternblackgirls.org or follow @SouthernBlackGirls on social media.
Media Contact:
Candice M. Dixon, Communications Manager
Email: candice@southernblackgirls.org
Phone: (334) 394-3236
SOURCE: Southern Black Girls & Women’s Consortium
