Kheprw Institute
 | |
| Type | 501(c)(3) Public Charity |
|---|---|
| 20-0820589 | |
| Location |
|
Area served | Indianapolis, Indiana |
Key people | Executive Director, Imhotep Adisa Director of Operations, Paulette Fair |
| Website | Kheprw Institute |
The Kheprw Institute is a nonprofit organization located in Indianapolis, Indiana. It focuses on community organizing and leadership development and serves hundreds of people through its programs.[1][2] Kheprw Institute is a member of the Climate Justice Alliance.
History
[edit]Kheprw Institute (KI) was founded in 2003[3] and established as a nonprofit in 2004.[4] The founders Paulette Fair, Pambana Uishi, and Imhotep Adisa report that the organization was named after the Kemetic word for the scarab beetle, a symbol of renewal. KI began as youth outreach and leadership development program to mentor African American males enrolled in Indianapolis schools.[5] KI's philosophy and approach to community development is framed around the Empowerment, Economy, Education, and Environment (the "Four E's").[6]
Impact
[edit]Kheprw serves hundreds of people in Indianapolis through community programs. Some of these programs have included the Good Stuff Thrift Store (2004–2009), KI Paint (2006–2010), a fair-trade coffee café that provides free Internet access (2006–2012), and a variety of other social enterprises. Kheprw also manages a charitable trust that serves as a community investment fund.[2] In 2016 the Institute launched a Community Controlled Food Initiative to connect community members to produce grown by local farmers. The Initiative also supported a monthly Good Food Feast, a neighborhood potluck and cooking demonstration.[7] In February 2020, the Institute launched Alkhemy, an entrepreneur hub for under-resourced communities.[8] Like many community organizations, Kheprw moved many of its community meetings online during the pandemic. Other programs were postponed.[5]
In 2022 the city of Indianapolis chose to invest $1.5 million in a KI program to promote home ownership and to counteract gentrification.[6] That same year, the organization coordinated a community gardening program, Growin' Good in the Hood, to alleviate food shortages.[9]
At the end of 2022, the Institute received a $90,000 grant to support Octavia's Visionary Campus, a seventeen acre urban farm on the south side of Indianapolis.[10][11]
In early 2023, Kheprw released a report with the Polis Center at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis focused on disparities in Marion County's criminal justice system.[12]
References
[edit]- ^ "Home". Kheprw Institute. Retrieved 2022-11-01.
- ^ a b "Building Power, Building Wealth: The Value of Community-Driven Models". Non Profit News | Nonprofit Quarterly. 2022-06-22. Retrieved 2022-11-23.
- ^ Kryder-Reid, Elizabeth; Holzman, Laura M.; Nadaraj, Aghilah; Humphrey, Leah (2022-06-13), "An Environmental Justice Lens on Indianapolis's Urban Ecosystem", The City is an Ecosystem (1 ed.), London: Routledge, pp. 205–219, doi:10.4324/9781003217442-20, ISBN 978-1-003-21744-2, retrieved 2022-11-01
- ^ "Kheprw Institute - GuideStar Profile". www.guidestar.org. Retrieved 2022-11-01.
- ^ a b Burris, Alexandria. "Season for Sharing: Kheprw Institute works to build community wealth, develop leadership". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
- ^ a b "Kheprw Institute". indyencyclopedia.org. 2021-07-05. Retrieved 2022-11-01.
- ^ SAVI. 2017. Case study: Kheprw Institute. https://www.savi.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Kheprw-Case-Study-2018-07-18.pdf
- ^ "ALKHEMY in a Great Place – Indy Midtown Magazine". Retrieved 2022-12-09.
- ^ "Kheprw's Growin' Good in the Hood program focuses on growing food and growing community". WRTV Indianapolis. 2022-08-16. Retrieved 2022-11-01.
- ^ "United Way of Central Indiana awards $950,000 to 11 nonprofits for social innovation". United Way of Central Indiana. Retrieved 2023-04-12.
- ^ Mills, Wes. "United Way awards nearly $1M to address community needs". Inside INdiana Business. Retrieved 2023-04-12.
- ^ Pross, Katrina (2023-03-27). "Fewer criminal charges are being filed in Marion County, but racial disparities persist". WFYI Public Media. Retrieved 2023-04-12.