Grinnell Black Alumni Network launches Giving Circle to ensure students feel supported
July 23, 2026 — That spirit of collective investment has long existed within Grinnell College’s Black community.
“Black alumni over the years have consistently supported current students through mentorship, advocacy, volunteerism, and financial contributions,” says Noel Green ’94, co-chair of the Grinnell Black Alumni Network (GBAN). “Black Grinnellians have navigated challenges, insisted on belonging, pushed institutions forward, and achieved excellence – often because someone extended support, opened a door, offered guidance, or helped make the journey possible.”
Noel Green ’94, left, and Opeyemi Awe ’15 serve as co-chairs of the Grinnell Black Alumni Network, which is introducing a Giving Circle on Aug. 1.
This August, GBAN will launch a Giving Circle to invest in student experiences that celebrate and sustain Black humanity, creativity, and identity at Grinnell College.
“The Giving Circle provides a way to direct our collective resources toward the issues and opportunities that matter most while remaining flexible enough to respond to the evolving needs of each new generation,” says Opeyemi Awe ’15, GBAN co-chair
This community-directed fund is a first of its kind at Grinnell for affinity groups. Alums who are members of the Giving Circle will collectively select College programs to received GBAN grants each year.
Alums can become a founding member of the Giving Circle with a $500 gift or they can sign up for the recurring monthly option that starts at $42.
“By pooling gifts, we become something no single donor can be – a permanent, community-owned resource that tells students that we are invested in their success,” Green says.
In October 2025, about 45 alums returned to Grinnell for Black Alumni Weekend. Across generations, alumni shared stories of resilience, community, and mutual support – recounting how Black alumni from the 1960s and 1970s helped create opportunities for students in the 1980s, and how each generation has continued to build on the foundation laid by those who came before.
Chrisine Uwiringiyimana ’26, left, and Aisha Abdallah ’28 embraced before a cookout during Black Alumni Weekend in October 2025.
“Those conversations reinforced a shared understanding about the ongoing importance of investing in one another,” Awe says. “From those discussions emerged the vision for the GBAN Giving Circle. Alumni expressed a desire to make a meaningful investment in the future while partnering with the organizational and institutional progress that has been made at Grinnell. More than a fundraising initiative, the Giving Circle is a commitment to sustaining the legacy of those who came before us and ensuring that future generations of Black Grinnellians have the support, community, and opportunities they need to thrive.”
The GBAN Giving Circle will launch on Aug. 1 but those interested may make gifts at any time. August is Black Philanthropy Month making it an ideal time to have the initiative underway. GBAN leaders would love to have 50 or more donors become founding members of the circle.
“We want alums to give what feels right and know they’re part of this community,” Awe says. “This is about Black alumni investing in the Black experience at Grinnell through a giving circle owned by our community. Black alumni have never been better positioned than we are today to collectively invest in the students, leaders, and communities that will come after us.”
—by Jeremy Shapiro