The Penny Foundation is community-ownership, legacy giving, designated funds and smart communities. We are a Birmingham, Alabama-based, 501(c)(3) community chest working to eliminate economic inequality in the Black community. The Foundation connects people, organizations, and resources in the areas of family, community, and economic development. We implement initiatives through the lens of technology and innovation.

Through an assets-based approach and identity-based giving, The Penny Foundation provides access to impactful giving at every level and respects the community’s history of generosity. We serve as a philanthropic vehicle for people to focus their resources in the Black community. The Foundation successfully carries out its mission through developing grants, programs and donor advised funds.

In 1890 the first black-owned and black-operated financial institution, The Penny Savings Bank, was founded by Reverend William Reuben Pettiford in Alabama – based in the Magic City.

Created as a necessity of de facto and later codified segregation, The Penny Savings Bank backed and encouraged the development of black businesses, as well as savings by African Americans, especially in urban areas. (Source: www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-1828)

Programs

Help to develop initiatives that have impact.

Grants

Create grants that elevate and support critical work in areas of low resources.

Donor Advised Funds

Invest funds into programs that provide the best resources for the community.

Virtual Town Square

An online information hub.

The Needs In Our Community Are Great And Every Penny Counts.

Get involved today by joining The Penny Club – a league of members who support the Foundation and its operations. There is also the opportunity to participate in the establishment of a community-owned grocery store, develop a scholarship, or participate in an innovation-fueled conference.

Your gift to The Penny Foundation is an empowered investment in your community now, a testimony to your commitment to its progress, and a vote for the future. Whether you are making a one-time gift, a long term investment, or wish to leave a legacy gift, your contribution is more than an act of charity. Its reach is beyond Birmingham: more than a hand out, it’s a series of arms linked to uplift others.

Give Today And Help Protect Our Community’s Success—Tomorrow And Beyond.

The Foundation gives you an ability to strategically fund your interests and passions, ultimately improving the lives of numerous individuals, families and communities.

The Penny Foundation is here to:

Build Community Wealth 

Facilitate Smart Communities 

Encourage Entrepreneurship 

Foster Communication Among Community Stakeholders 

Help Nonprofits and Organizations

The Penny Club

Your pennies empower people. We provide access to a trusted platform to give and raise funds. Invest your funds to support programs that provide the best resources for African-Americans. Become a member of The Penny Club by clicking below. 

  

Legacy Giving

The Black community has long pooled and redistributed its resources to support its families, organizations and businesses. Take the time to build your family’s available assets and create what’s needed.

The Our Voice, Our Time Project is a video-voice project that provides youth and young adults the opportunity to express their feelings and thoughts about their neighborhoods, communities, and the City of Birmingham, AL. The project is a proactive approach, through the use of video, to empower youth and young adults to act as recorders and catalysts for change in their own communities.

Subscribe

Click [HERE] to subscribe to the Penny Foundation newsletter. Members receive monthly updates of initiatives, programs and events.