CZI Community Fund Partners With the Community - Blog

"While community feedback has helped inform the Community Fund’s focus since its launch, this year is the first time CZI enlisted 11 community members to help allocate the funds.

Curtis Yancy,  CZI’s local impact manager who oversees the Community Fund, says his team took this step with the pilot program to ensure the community’s voice was central to the review and decision-making process.

“Community knows what community needs,” Curtis says.

Community review panel participants were selected based on several factors, including their availability — the training and review process took roughly 40 hours — and their ties to the community. However, the most important criteria included their dedication to racial equity and their firsthand experiences."