Words of inspiration can be found just about everywhere inside The Boys & Girls Club of North Alabama’s chapter on Fairbanks Street in Northwest Huntsville.

Posters proclaiming educational-themed axioms like “Knowledge is Power,’’ intended to motivate and encourage students of varying ages taking advantage of programs offered by the club, cover many walls.

It was there last week on the Calvary Hill campus where the Community Foundation of Greater Huntsville announced recipients of the 2025 Racial Equity Fund Grants, a program designed to support nonprofit organizations that strive to close equity gaps based on race within the community.

The mantra “Common Good is Common Ground’’ is not just a saying at the Foundation.

“This is not just a fun day to hear about so many wonderful programs, but to always have a celebration of the donors who are making this work possible,’’ said Melissa Thompson, the Foundation’s CEO/President. “At the Foundation, we believe that we are here for good. We’re honored to support our donors and their dreams for our community’s future.’’

The Foundation made a day of it, using a bus to take attendees on a tour of previous grant recipients to showcase the impact of the funded programs. The group even broke for lunch.

“We are committed to help level the playing field,’’ Thompson said. “We know that we are truly stronger together. We want to create a community where all of our heroes can thrive. We believe that generosity has the power to change lives, change communities, and even change the future. That’s why our mission is to mobilize generosity to improve quality of life right here at home in our community.’’

The Foundation presented checks totaling $78,640 to seven nonprofits. The recipients were selected from an initial pool of 26 applicants, narrowed down to 15 semifinalists before the final seven were chosen.

Donors gave matching funds to those raised by the organizations, which helped The Cap and Gown Project receive $38,000 for its STEM Summer Institute.

Recipients included:

The Boys & Girls Club of North Alabama: A grant of $6,500 to support its Skill Building Program, which is part of the YouthForce workforce credentialing initiative.
Huntsville Community Drumline: An $8,100 grant to provide access to professional, tuition-free music education.
Huntsville Learning Center: A $5,000 grant to support its Summer Growth Camp, an immersive program for students grades 6-10.
Momentum Leaders: A $6,000 grant to provide scholarships to expand access to high-impact professional development for women of color.
The CAP & GOWN Project: A $38,000 grant for its STEM Summer Institute. Through the program, students participate in rigorous test prep, engage in hands-on STEM projects, explore college campuses and build pathways to postsecondary success.
The Legacy Center: A $7,440 grant to support caregivers of loved ones with dementia — a condition that disproportionately affects Black women.
Village of Promise: A $7,000 grant to support Promise Preparatory, an early childhood education program that ensures children are developmentally ready to enter kindergarten.

“We believe that the seven organizations who will receive grant funding are doing really important work as the boots on the ground to create opportunities that help level the playing field and give all members of our community an opportunity to thrive,’’ Thompson said.

The Foundation “mobilizes’’ potential donors and pairs them with nonprofits to provide matching funds. The grants were created in 2020 in the aftermath of national protests related to the death of George Floyd.

“With that backdrop in mind, the Racial Equity Fund was launched,’’ said Gary Wittig, who chairs the grant committee. “Since that time, the Racial Equity Fund continues to seek to support organizations and programs that are strategically addressing equity gaps across our community. These are programs that are clearly identified as a need in the community and seek to create systemic change that will provide increased opportunity for those they serve.’’

Since its inception, the Racial Equity Fund has awarded 50 grants to local organizations totaling $545,850.

“Half of those funds are then placed into the endowment,’’ Wettig said. “And that endowment has now grown to over $350,000 to sustain this work in the future. We know that opportunity gaps cannot be solved in one grant cycle. So to this end, that is why this endowment is important as it provides a permanent source of funding to continually address these issues long after all of us have left.’’