The Biddy Mason Charitable Foundation (BMCF) is thrilled to announce it has received a grant of $50,000 from the esteemed S. Mark Taper Foundation. The unrestricted award will fuel transformative programs for current and former foster youth living in Los Angeles County to help them fulfill their personal, academic, and career aspirations.
“Foster youth face considerable hurdles in life as they often lack the familial and professional support systems that others take for granted. It’s critical that more of them access the programs that we offer and that we continue to evaluate and enhance those resources so we’re truly meeting their unique needs.” says BMCF President and CEO Jackie Broxton. “We’re so grateful that the S. Mark Taper Foundation recognizes the value of investing in their wellbeing and potential.”
The Biddy Mason Charitable Foundation has spent the last decade tailoring support services to those who have experienced the foster care system. Serving 200 youth and adults annually, the nonprofit differentiates itself by incorporating feedback from current and former foster youth to guide program development. The grant is the first that BMCF has received from the S. Mark Taper Foundation and will support new and existing resources, including:
• monthly life-skills workshops for mothers who have experienced foster care;
• residential support for qualifying current and former foster youth in need of temporary housing as they work toward financial independence;
• pro-bono legal services for current and former foster youth; and
• kinship programs (designed for family members who are fostering a relative’s child or children) to bridge the historical and racial divide experienced by families who have experienced the foster system in Los Angeles.
The S. Mark Taper Foundation’s contribution is a testament to their commitment to improving people’s lives through community-based nonprofits. With BMCF having recently celebrated its tenth anniversary, the grant will enable the nonprofit to scale its services for the next decade and create lasting positive change for a greater number of current and former foster youth in LA.
About the Biddy Mason Charitable Foundation
Initially an outreach project of First AME Church in Los Angeles, today the Biddy Mason Charitable Foundation is an independent nonprofit advancing the humanitarian legacy of Biddy Mason, a formerly enslaved woman who became a leading philanthropist in LA. BMCF provides resources to current and former foster youth while raising awareness for Black history. Learn more at biddymason.com.
About the S. Mark Taper Foundation
The S. Mark Taper Foundation, founded in 1989, is a private family foundation dedicated to enhancing the quality of people’s lives by supporting nonprofit organizations and their work in our communities. The S. Mark Taper Foundation is committed to grantmaking that aligns with the values of diversity, equity and inclusion. In order to overcome the systemic disenfranchisement of people on the basis of race, gender identity, sexual orientation and disability, we join our philanthropic partners in a continuing examination of privilege and a commitment to advancing inclusion and opportunities for all people of Southern California.
