Dear community,
We’ve officially entered the next phase of the Open Road Fund 2024! We received over 4,300 applications from Black people in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota, and have informed all applicants of their selection outcome. We felt excitement and hope as we reached out to the 101 finalists who were randomly selected to receive $50,000 to invest in their Black wealth-building plans. We were also filled with sadness having to turn so many people down. All Black folks’ dreams for their abundant futures are worthy and deserving of resources.
From the beginning, we have been clear that this is not reparations. While these gifts are an important step toward cultivating Black wealth, they are not close to enough to repair all the harm done to the Black community over the last 400 years. When we do get reparations, it should be for all descendants of enslaved African people, not just 800 folks from Minnesota and the Dakotas.
How were finalists selected?
We used a random-selection process to choose finalists because of our inherent belief that all eligible applicants’ dreams and plans for creating and sustaining Black wealth deserved an opportunity to be chosen. One family’s plan to buy a home does not have more or less merit than another person’s plan to invest in a business or to pursue higher education.
We worked with software developers to design a randomization tool built for our grantmaking process. Using this tool, we randomly selected finalists — 50% from the Twin Cities metro area and 50% from Greater Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota.
Will finalists be publicly announced?
For those who were not chosen this year, we understand the grief and skepticism you may be feeling right now. With only 101 people selected across three states, some of us may not yet know anyone who was selected. Out of respect and concern for finalists’ privacy, Nexus will not make finalists names public, although finalists are free to share if they wish.
What’s next?
Phase 2 of the Open Road Fund includes finalists submitting their wealth-building plans and letters of support, and once approved, disbursement of funds. After finalists receive their awards, we plan to consensually share grantee stories and evaluate grantee experiences in partnership with Research in Action, a Black-led research and evaluation firm.
The Open Road Fund will be distributing gifts for the next six years. We hope you will continue to follow the Open Road Fund and Nexus Community Partners — across our organization, we work to nurture the prosperity of our communities, including our health, joy, peace, love, safety, and the needs of future generations. We will continue to share Black wealth-building opportunities hosted by Nexus and our partners.
In Solidarity,
The Open Road Fund Team
If you have not heard back about your Open Road Fund application, please email us at ORFsupport@nexuscp.org. If you have questions, please reference our FAQ page.