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The Black Belt Community Foundation (BBCF) hosted its Annual Community Associates retreat on Dec. 8-10 at the Auburn Marriott Opelika Resort Grand National.

There were 79 participants from across the 12-county service area of the BBCF which include Bullock, Choctaw, Dallas, Greene, Hale, Lowndes, Macon, Marengo, Perry, Pickens, Sumter and Wilcox counties. The theme for this year’s retreat was “Investing in Grassroots Leadership:  Empowering Leaders & Building Stronger Communities.”  The retreat work sessions included the following:  a review of the community associates’ program, a discussion on the potential impact of the 2024 general election results, a discussion on how the BBCF work will look in 2025 and effective grantmaking.

The first session was a review of the community associates’ program and was led by local grassroots leaders. Darlene Robinson, BBCF Vice Chairperson of the Board and Community Associate in Greene County, shared important nuggets of BBCF History.  Lilllian Wideman, Sumter County Community Associate, led an informative session on the BBCF Mission, Vision and Value Statements.  She was followed by Sheryl Threadgill-Matthews, Wilcox Community Associate, who walked the participants through the Roles and Responsibilities of a Community Associate.  Janice Maxine Jones, Pickens County Community Associate, ended the session with a review of the Community Associates Local Structure.

Christopher Spencer, Chief Community Engagement Officer, led the second session which focused on the potential Impact of the Results from the 2024 General Election.  Spencer presented the data from the 2024 Primary Election and compared the results with the voter turnout data for the 2024 General Election.  The voter turnout had increased significantly across the Black Belt region for the general election but much work still needs to be done to get higher voter participation.

During the third session of the 2024 Annual Retreat, which focused on How the BBCF will Work in 2025, the participants participated in a group table exercise where they identified the assets and needs of their counties and developed a work plan and focus for 2025.  The session ended with each county presenting their work focus for 2025 which included topics such as advocacy for Medicaid Expansion in Alabama, Workforce Development, Business Development, Career Readiness Training, Youth Development, Job Creation, Recreation and Literacy Programs, Improved Tax Base, Ambulance Services, Community Engagement, Community Collaborations, Financial Workshops, and Community Meetings.

The final session on day 3 of the retreat focused on Effective Grantmaking and was led by Samantha Ledbetter, Community Engagement Director, Wendell Paris, Jr., Community Engagement Director, and Christopher Spencer, Chief Community Engagement Officer for the BBCF.  Ledbetter provided the participants with the impact of the 2024 community grants cycle and an overview of the BBCF grantmaking principles.  Spencer provided instructions on the 2025 Community Grants Application and Paris provided all the participants with details on the 2025 Arts and Community Grants timelines.  Paris shared that all new grantees and grantees that have never applied using the new BBCF grant management software must attend the required online Grant Seekers Workshop to be eligible to apply for a grant.  There will be four opportunities to participate in an online Grant Seekers Workshop.  Two workshops will be held on Tuesday, January 14th and two will be held on Thursday, January 16th.  The Grant Seekers Workshops will begin promptly at 11:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. on both dates.

The retreat closed on a positive note.  The mission of the BBCF Community Associates is to support the philanthropic mission of the BBCF.  The community associates from each county presented a total of $37,514 in monetary donations to the BBCF.

This brings the local community fundraising total to $82,890 staff to support the 2025 community grants program.  The BBCF Board of Directors allocated a match of $120,000 to support the philanthropic work of the local community associates.  Therefore, over $200,000 will be available for the BBCF 2025 Community Grants Program. BBCF is truly exemplifying its motto of, “Taking What We Have, To Make What We Need!”