Our work at The Enterprise Center is inherently collaborative. Every program we run and every bit of impact we make is only possible through strong partnerships — partnerships with others who are working to close the digital divide and increase engagement and economic mobility.
In some cases, we work directly with collaborators, and sometimes, we work alongside them toward the same goals. In this ongoing series, we are highlighting the people and organizations in Chattanooga and Hamilton County who are innovating in the spaces The Enterprise Center cares most about, and changing the way we think about what’s possible.
As we enter February — Black History Month — we wanted to highlight the Urban League of Greater Chattanooga and the Sankofa Fund for Civic Engagement, in particular. These two organizations are vital to the ongoing growth from which our entire community benefits, and, with the recent revocation of ARPA funding, we want to encourage those who are able to, to donate or volunteer and actively support their work.
In even our own digital equity and economic mobility work, the tendency can be to think of the efforts of non-profits only in utilitarian terms — addressing basic needs — instead of the work they so often also do to catalyze and recognize excellence and innovation. Many, like the Urban League, work tirelessly addressing the whole spectrum of experience. As a systems-focused organization, the Urban League improves immediate outcomes for individuals in need, connecting with them during some of their most challenging days, through efforts like the Family Prosperity Initiative — but that’s only the start. Time and again, the Urban League invests in community members, offering a strong network and opportunities, ensuring that initial support can turn into, for example, a dynamic career, thriving business or other story of success.
You can read more about the Urban League’s depth of programming and partnerships on their website, as well as make a donation at this link.
The Sankofa Fund has a more recent history in Chattanooga and Hamilton County, but, in a community that has branded itself as a hub for entrepreneurship, of getting things done when others are busy drawing up plans?
Their more than one million dollars of investment over the past nine years into small businesses, arts organizations, neighborhoods, youth programming, and other groups has put dollars in the hands of those doing vital work. Structured as a giving circle, this sort of support makes an outsized impact, guided by those with expertise and experience — and who have invested their own money, as well.
You can learn more about their investments on their website, where you can also make your own commitment through the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga
