The Faces Issue: Celebrating Black History Month
From Philadelphia Weekly
Paying it forward has been Donna Frisby-Greenwood’s mission in life since she was a kid. At 15, she started the NAACP Youth Council in her suburban Philly neighborhood. By the time she was 23, she founded her first nonprofit to help urban youth. Today, as the program director of the Philadelphia office of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Frisby-Greenwood continues to tear down the barriers that make it difficult for communities in need to access funding. “When most people think of foundations, they think of them pairing with only elite institutions. We encourage everyone to apply,” says Frisby-Greenwood.
As the 26th largest foundation in the country, with more than $2 billion in assets, the Knight Foundation differentiates itself from its peers by awarding grants to deserving organizations headed by people from all walks of life, including the formerly homeless and imprisoned. Since joining the foundation in 2010, Frisby-Greenwood is working hard to ensure that Philly is on the receiving end of Knight’s philanthropy, creating forums that enable disenfranchised voices to be heard.
About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
Knight Foundation supports transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts. We believe that democracy thrives when people and communities are informed and engaged. For more, visit www.knightfoundation.org.