NBA All-Star Jrue Holiday and his wife, who is two-time Olympic gold medalist, Lauren Holiday, are on an admirable mission to help more Black-owned businesses and Black-led nonprofits. TODAY reported that the philanthropic couple announced that applications for Black and brown business owners who would like to apply for assistance from the Jrue and Lauren Holiday Social Impact Fund (JLH Fund) are currently being accepted through May 28, 2021. The first round of grants was previously distributed to Black-led nonprofits and Black-owned businesses in 2020.
“JLH Fund will provide up to $1,000,000 in grants to Black-led nonprofit organizations and Black-owned businesses,” The Jrue and Lauren Holiday Social Impact Fund’s website details stated.
The grants will focus on supporting applicants who are located in the Greater Milwaukee, New Orleans, Indianapolis, and Los Angeles areas. Funding priority will be given to social impact-focused organizations, in addition to organizations creating a more equitable future for underserved
communities. Additionally, the JLH Fund plans to offer business guidance in the form of coaching, training, and mentorship, in addition to financial assistance, according to the website.“We just want to keep it going. We know there is still a pandemic. And hopefully, we’re at the end of it, but even through that pandemic of 2020 and a little bit of 2021, we know there’s still struggles and needs out there, and we want to be able to provide those needs,” Jrue told TODAY.
Holiday plays for the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) Milwaukee Bucks. The NBA reported that Jrue pledged the remainder of his 2019-2020 NBA salary ($5.3 million) to create the JLH Fund.
The second round will be for Black-owned small businesses (with a max of 250 employees); Black-led, tax-exempt nonprofit organizations; founder(s) who are 21+, and individuals who identify as Black/African American, and own at least 51% of the total entity. Please visit this link
for further details and guidelines.