JGBF makes grants with the goal of increasing social and economic mobility for underrepresented students. JGBF prioritizes proposals that support efforts to:
JGBF makes grants with the goal of strengthening the quality of educational opportunities and improving outcomes provided by postsecondary institutions in Kentucky. JGBF prioritizes proposals that support efforts to:
With an eye towards maximizing retention and equitable access to higher education, the University of Kentucky LEADS Program uses a predictive model to provide the most financially vulnerable students with individualized awards that cover unmet financial needs. UK has already seen increases in retention rates, demonstrating the program’s success in using data-informed strategies and personalized methods to encourage financial stability among underrepresented minorities, first generation students and Pell Grant recipients.
JGBF is partnering with the Council on Postsecondary Education to launch the Kentucky Student Success Collaborative (KYSSC). KYSSC is the first state-wide student success center in the United States that works with both two- and four-year institutions, while linked to the business community and state policy makers. The KYSSC is built on what has been learned from nearly a decade of national philanthropic investments in state student success centers in over 16 states. It emphasizes improved outcomes for underrepresented students, accelerating and improving institutional interventions to narrow attainment gaps and improving pathways for students to complete college with career ready skills. Kentucky has the opportunity to learn both from the successes and failures of other initiatives and to impact student outcomes more quickly.
The goal of this grantmaking focus is to support efforts of postsecondary institutions to accelerate economic growth and social mobility in the two regions that are the focus of JGBF’s community and economic prosperity grantmaking program. Of interest are programs and initiatives to:
“In the last two years, the Louisville Urban League has been able to place over 1,100 men and women in jobs, representing $25 million in new wages. We could not have made this kind of impact without our partnership with the James Graham Brown Foundation. Together, we are assisting African Americans and other marginalized populations in job placement, helping to create the financial stability necessary for strong families.” – Sadiqa Reynolds. JGBF has supported the Louisville Urban League through multiple grants that focus on creating pathways to living wage jobs.
The mission of Invest606 is to create an ecosystem of support for emerging entrepreneurs. It is a business accelerator, based on both a community-based collaboration and a higher-education partner. This accelerator has removed many obstacles for emerging businesses in the Appalachian area by making networking, pitching ideas, and access to funds more accessible for all. JGBF has supported this mission through work with the Foundation of Appalachian Kentucky and the University of the Cumberlands to adapt the accelerator model to the rural communities in Eastern Kentucky.
