The Open Road Fund aims to redistribute resources to present-day descendants of the Transatlantic Slave Trade in an effort to catalyze intergenerational Black wealth building.
Donor Name: Nexus Community Partners
State: Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 07/21/2025
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
The Open Road Fund is a community fund giving $50,000 wealth-building gifts to Black folks in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota in order to create tangible pathways to liberation, prosperity, and healing on the own terms.
Despite numerous obstacles to economic justice, they believe that abundance and success is a birthright. When faced with barriers, they can call upon the ancestors and one another to open the road to liberation. The fund aims to strengthen the spirit of resilience and collective power in the communities.
The primary goal of the Open Road Fund is to enable Black individuals, their families, and communities across Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota to build community and intergenerational wealth.
Funding Categories
- Financial Well-being
- Applicants to this category may use the funds to increase their ability to afford basic needs, pay off debts, and contribute to their family and other community member’s well-being. They may also use these funds to grow their wealth for the future through savings, investments, and more.
- Economic Power
- This category is for applicants who want to use their awards to support ownership, entrepreneurship, or a project that stimulates economic power in Black communities. For some people, owning a vehicle could help them build wealth. Other people might purchase equipment, software, or patents to technology. People interested in business may start their own, or work with the community to launch a cooperatively-owned enterprise.
- Education
- This category is for applicants who want to build wealth for themselves through increasing their knowledge. By acquiring degrees, certifications, licenses, and new skills, they are able to earn more money and pursue new opportunities.
- Housing
- This category is for people who want to use their award to gain access to Housing for themselves and their family. They also could use these funds to create more affordable and sustainable housing options for themselves, their families, and/or their community. People who already own a home may invest this award in projects to increase the comfort, size, or value of their home. These are just some of the possibilities.
- Health and Healing
- This category is for people who want to use their award to access care. Funds could be used to get medical care and address health issues. Funds could also be used to gain healing from trauma (including historical and generational trauma). Some people may use this fund to make time for rest by taking a sabbatical. Other people may choose to explore opportunities to express their creativity by producing arts or crafts. Some may even travel around the Black world and learn about their heritage.
Eligibility Criteria
An eligible applicant must be:
- A Black person who is a descendant of African people who were kidnapped and subjected to chattel enslavement in the Americas;
- Age 14 or older;
- A resident of Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, or any of the 23 Native nations whose territories are occupied by those states. Eligible uses of the Open Road Fund gift are also considered.
For more information, visit Nexus Community Partners.
