The Nextdoor Kind Foundation awarded microgrants to strengthen local communities

7K+

applications

20

grants given

$100,000

awarded

Objective

Small businesses make up the vast majority of businesses in the U.S, heavily contributing to local communities, economies, and innovation. While the sector continues to grow, due to systemic barriers, entrepreneurs of color are less likely to receive access to capital and business mentorship than other entrepreneurs.

In November 2022, Nextdoor launched the Nextdoor Kind Foundation - a grassroots charitable organization that doesn’t rely on top-down solutions, but rather seeks to empower individuals, small businesses, and community organizations on the frontlines to solve issues in their own neighborhoods and to help us rely on each other.

The Nextdoor Kind Foundation believes when many are struggling with daily expenses, that we all have a responsibility as good neighbors to raise our hands to help. Our focus is on microgrants to individuals, nonprofits, and small businesses to support neighborhoods at the hyper-local level. We believe small gifts can inspire and empower new leaders across the country, and the world, to deepen our connections to each other and inspire kinder communities.

Solution

To start, we launched the Keep It Local Business Fund in partnership with the NAACP and Hello Alice. Experienced partners like the NAACP and Hello Alice bring deep expertise to reaching small businesses owned by people of color that historically have less access to capital. The Keep It Local Business Fund offered $5,000 microgrants to entrepreneurs of color who make substantive contributions to their community. In the coming years, we will expand our programming to give microgrants to small nonprofits and individuals making a big difference in their neighborhoods.

By partnering with Nextdoor to harness the power of the platform, we are uniquely positioned to galvanize civic engagement at scale — from matching neighborhood volunteers with their local food bank to helping to supercharge fundraising efforts for nonprofits with small gifts.

Results

The Nextdoor Kind Foundation awarded 20 U.S. small business owners of color microgrants from the Keep It Local Business Fund. The fund is the first phase of the Foundation’s commitment to providing local grants to help neighbors strengthen their local communities. In partnership with the NAACP, the largest and most pre-eminent civil rights organization in the nation, and Hello Alice, the free platform helping over one million small businesses launch and grow, the grant program awarded a total of $100,000 in microgrants to entrepreneurs, enabling them to help strengthen and support communities at a local level.

You can read more about all 20 grant recipients here.

Testimonials

“We were blown away by the quality and number of submissions we received for the Keep It Local Business Fund. It’s an indicator that local businesses remain in the forefront of thriving communities. It’s also a reminder in our belief that good ideas start at the grassroots level. Our first-ever grantees are a reflection of what ‘keep it local’ means — an unyielding commitment to their communities with the mission to make a positive impact — they are true changemakers.” - Shireen Santosham, Executive Director, Nextdoor Kind Foundation.

“Black families must have equal opportunity to create generational wealth if we are going to achieve true racial equity. One of the most crucial tools to achieving this goal is providing Black entrepreneurs with the resources necessary to grow their businesses and enrich their communities. That’s why NAACP proudly leads partnerships like this one with Nextdoor Kind Foundation and Hello Alice to cultivate strong, small Black-owned businesses and provide grants to ensure they can thrive. This partnership will work to break down barriers and create opportunities for Black business owners. When corporations and advocates share the same vision of progress, we all win.” - Derrick Johnson, NAACP President & CEO