BANF was created to provide resources and networks that support the vibrant Black, Latinx, Indigenous, Asian American, Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern and other communities of color of Greater Houston in fully displaying their power, values and traditions. Its goals are achieved through community-participatory funding initiatives; community-informed evaluation and learning practices; and asset-based network building strategies to inform leadership, advocacy and action.

BANF distributed its first $2 million of funding to eligible applicants in January 2022 as crisis funding in response to the pandemic. Since then, it has invested a total of $8 million to support various programs for individual artists, arts education organizations, cultural accelerator organizations, and 11 Houston Cultural Treasures.

This groundbreaking effort was born out of the Ford Foundation’s America’s Cultural Treasures initiative, which in September 2020, committed an unprecedented $156 million to support BIPOC arts communities across the country in response to the devastating economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The grantmaking initiative invested $35 million across seven regions, including Greater Houston, and invited local philanthropic partners to match funding in support of multi-year grant programs for cultural groups of color with exceptional regional or local significance.

Information on page is current as of August 22, 2025. The life to date gifts and future commitments total of $1,000,000 may include other gifts not mentioned above.