Exciting News: PDDBM Receives Grant Support
- Imara Muraty
- Nov 3, 2025
- 2 min read
Updated: Dec 3, 2025
Please Don’t Die Black Men (PDDBM) has been awarded a $75,000 grant per year for the next three years from the Washington State Department of Commerce through the VOCA By and For Grant. This funding will support our free afterschool programs in fashion design, film, and journalism.
Our Urgent Need for Support
This incredible opportunity will sustain our youth programs long-term. However, we need your help to bridge the gap right now.
This is a reimbursement grant, which means we must cover the costs upfront before being reimbursed. Despite our tireless efforts, we have not been able to acquire any additional loans or grants, no matter how many we’ve applied for.
To make matters harder, we were recently kicked out of our previous program location by new landlords. Since then, we’ve had to move our afterschool program around to different spaces just to keep it going for our youth.
Yet, through it all, we’ve never stopped. We continue to show up for our students. We continue to create safe, empowering, and educational spaces for underrepresented youth in Clark County.
How You Can Help
Now, we’re asking for your help to keep that momentum alive. ❤️
Even a $1 donation makes a difference. Every contribution helps us pay for essentials — from art supplies to transportation, computers, and more.
You can read exactly what your donations help fund on our Program Wish List, which describes what we’re spending the money on:
You can also track our fundraising progress and make a donation here:
Shop to Support Our Mission
In addition to donating, you can also support us by shopping all of our products! With winter and Christmas approaching, we’re confident you’ll find something meaningful and unique for yourself or a loved one. Every purchase directly supports our mission and keeps our youth programs thriving.
Together, We Can Make a Difference
We can do this together. Let’s show that community still means something — that we can come together for our kids, our culture, and our future.
Please donate today, share this message, and help us keep our programs alive until our first reimbursement arrives.
With gratitude and perseverance,
Ruby N. Lewis
Chairwoman & President
Please Don’t Die Black Men (PDDBM)
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