LOUISVILLE, KY — The Brown‑Forman Foundation today announced $4 million in contributions to organizations advancing educational opportunities for the community in and around the west Louisville neighborhoods that are home to Brown‑Forman Corporation’s global headquarters.

“The Brown‑Forman Foundation, in partnership with Brown‑Forman Corporation, strives to ‘be better and do better’ as individuals, leaders, and neighbors in Louisville and in our west Louisville home. From early education through to high school success, as well as programs to increase college and career readiness, today’s donations represent our belief in these organizations and the important role they play in transforming our neighborhood,” said Lawson Whiting, Brown‑Forman Foundation Director, and Brown‑Forman Corporation, President and CEO. He added, “We view these contributions as an investment in our future.”

Organizations that will receive funding from the Brown‑Forman Foundation include:

• The Louisville Central Community Center’s Mini-Versity Child Development Program, which ensures families of infants and preschoolers have access to quality early education services and that children begin school with the necessary social, emotional, and intellectual capacities
• The Louisville Urban League’s Equitable Education Engagement (E3), which is multi-medium programming for early childhood through postsecondary youth, including guidance for parents, peer-to-peer mentoring, tutoring, college preparation and career exposure, and internship/externship experiences focused on enhancing equity in education.
• Simmons College of Kentucky’s Minority Teacher Education Program, which enables low-income minority students to gain access to a lifelong profession that yields personal economic stability and positive change for low income youth.
• AMPED, which will provide technology training and support for Jefferson County Public Schools parents and students in west Louisville. The pandemic has forced a large number of these families to dive headfirst into the digital world, with little to no access to digital devices or access to the internet.
• EVOLVE502, which convenes and organizes Louisville’s existing government, education, and social service partners to better link youth to vital resources to BROWN-FORMAN FOUNDATION 850 DIXIE HIGHWAY LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY 40210 ensure academic success, and provides access and funding for Jefferson County Public Schools students to pursue postsecondary education.
• The Jefferson Community & Technical College (Jefferson) Rise Together Initiative, which will help support Jefferson students residing in the zip codes 40210 and 40211, including mentoring, success coaching, and engagement opportunities.
• The Brown‑Forman Diversity Scholarship for the University of Louisville J.B. Speed School of Engineering, which supports underrepresented populations within the school and provides a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) pipeline program and co-op opportunities with Brown‑Forman Global Production.

“The Brown‑Forman Foundation will continue to look for partnership opportunities to address the effects of systemic racism and disinvestment that our west Louisville neighbors have experienced for far too long,” said Ralph de Chabert, Brown‑Forman Foundation President and Brown‑Forman Corporation, Senior Vice-President, Chief Diversity and Global Community Relations Officer. “Investing in education is another step in the right direction in our desire to be better neighbors.”

Brown‑Forman Corporation

Brown‑Forman Foundation

Brown‑Forman Corporation established the Brown‑Forman Foundation in 2018 to serve the company’s strategic charitable mission and ongoing philanthropic endeavors. Based in Louisville, Kentucky, the Brown‑Forman Foundation amplifies Brown‑Forman Corporation’s generous culture to deliver transformative community impact, with focus on enhancing arts and cultural living, ensuring essential living standards, and empowering responsible and sustainable living. Visit www.brownformanfoundation.org