Fund Story

Established in 20021 by Unity’s Board of Directors, the purpose of Unity’s new African American Empowerment Fund is “to improve socioeconomic conditions and celebrate the contributions of African Americans in La Porte County.”

The initial focus of the fund is on entrepreneurship and financial literacy. The fund is championed by Denice Shipp-Glenn, Unity’s Professional Volunteer.

The African American Empowerment Fund aims to help achieve the Vision for La Porte County: We envision La Porte County as a vibrant collection of unique communities that invest in their diverse people, grow their economic and health vitality, and promote innovative leadership through talented citizens for a rich quality of life for all. - Created by citizens via Vibrant Communities of La Porte County Process 2019

The Community Foundation of St. Joseph County’s African American Community Fund began more than 20 years ago. This fund has inspired African American donors and funded: Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, Programs featuring relevant authors, Bringing a life-size statue of Harriet Tubman to South Bend, and Many arts & culture projects of interest to African Americans.

Since the fund’s inception in 2021, grants have been awarded for the following: $5,000 to support the 2022 Kwanzaa Celebration and $250 to support the Martin Luther King, Jr. event hosted by Purdue Northwest Westville Campus.

To learn more about Unity’s African American Empowerment Fund or to help the fund grow contact: Denice Shipp-Glenn 219-877-8242 or Maggi Spartz.

  • Your gift is tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
  • You will receive a tax receipt electronically for your records once your donation is processed.
  • Gifts by credit card incur a processing fee for each transaction which will be deducted from your gift. The current fee is 3.5% per transaction. When donating online, we invite you to select the option to increase your gift to cover this fee so that your charitable intent can be fully realized.
  • If you would like to make a one-time or recurring payment from a bank account, please contact the Unity Office at (219) 879-0327 or unity@uflc.net.
  • If you prefer to donate by check, our mailing address is 422 Franklin St, Suite C, Michigan City, IN 46360. Please include the fund name(s) you wish to donate to in the memo line.