IGF Capital Campaign
The Black Youth Healing Arts Center:
A Space for BIPOC Youth to Develop and Enrich Our Collective Future
Who We Are
At the heart of Frogtown stands Irreducible Grace Foundation’s Black Youth Healing Arts Center (BYHAC). The BYHAC is a unique space dedicated to healing, creativity, and transformation designed to meet the needs of Black and BIPOC youth. Inspired and co-created with young people, this space emphasizes cultural heritage, engagement with elders, and the development of community leaders. The BYHAC is not just a building—it’s a sanctuary where the determined youth of our community can begin to reclaim their identities, foster collective healing, and build leadership skills with confidence.
Our participants come from throughout the Twin Cities metro area, with more than 50% living in Saint Paul.
Our participants range from children to elders. At the BYHAC youth and young adults learn from and engage with elders.
Now, we need your help
While we’ve come a long way in developing these programs and securing our physical space, non-profits always rely in part on the generosity of our community. Irreducible Grace Foundation is launching a campaign to raise $2.5 million, a critical investment to retire the remaining $1.3 million debt on our beloved BYHAC building, establish a $700,000 sustainability fund to maintain the space, and secure $500,000 to provide livable salaries for our tireless staff.
Why this Campaign Matters
Our $6,000 monthly mortgage comes at the cost of expanding programming and increasing community engagement. By paying off this debt, we will have more capacity to bring our strategic planning framework to life and invest directly in our young people and their futures.
Once the debt is retired, we’ll establish a Sustainability Fund to ensure that the BYHAC remains a safe, accessible space for years to come. This fund will cover building upkeep, ongoing operational costs, and any improvements required to meet the needs of the people we serve. These funds will also support salaries to cement staff retention and maintain positive youth/staff relationships.
This Campaigns Success Means
1. A Safe and Inclusive Space: With your help, the BYHAC will continue to serve as a sanctuary where youth of color find refuge, stay connected, and become empowered.
2. Effective Healing and Cultural Reclamation: Every dollar saved will allow us to continue offering therapeutic programs that integrate African and ancestral healing practices, arts, and movement techniques to address the root causes of trauma and empower youth to reclaim their personal and cultural identities.
3. Enacting Systemic Change: We believe in addressing not just individual trauma but the systemic inequities that perpetuate it. Your investment will help us advocate for broader changes in education, youth services, and in our neighborhoods ensuring that our work has a lasting effect beyond the walls of BYHAC.
How You Can Help
We invite you to partner with us in building a debt-free, sustainable future for the BYHAC. Together, we can provide BIPOC youth with a space to heal, lead, thrive, and serve others for generations to come.
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Donate today to help us reach our $2.5 million goal.
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Join the movement by sharing this campaign with your network and spreading the word about our mission to foster holistic healing, cultural empowerment, and systemic change for BIPOC youth.
Your support will free us from working against the current financial constraints and allow us to do what we do best—create spaces where youth are healing and leading in community.
If you would like more information or are interested in foundation or corporate support please contact our Executive Director at darlene@irgrace.org