 Dear friend: Your financial support of the Knoxville Area Urban League is important to the work that we do. We are committed to the work of empowering African-Americans and others who can benefit from our programs throughout eastern Tennessee to enter the economic and social mainstream – securing economic self reliance, political power, civic engagement and civil rights. Your financial support helps us to do this work and a gift to us is tax deductible since we are a 501-C3 charitable organization. We welcome individual gifts at any level of giving, but request that any gift from an individual be at least $25. Memberships for organizations and corporations range from $200-500 as indicated under the membership tab. Sponsors for our Equal Opportunity Dinner are special partners for us and are especially important in supporting the work that we do in making Knoxville a great place to live, work and play for all of us.
How can you give? We have three major ongoing campaigns: our annual fund, the endowment fund and the building fund.
The Annual Fund
Through the annual fund, we seek to raise money that is unrestricted (no strings attached) to support the basic operations of the Urban League. Our Board sets a goal for the annual fund each year. The Equal Opportunity Dinner held each October and our annual membership drive are the principal sources of funds for the Annual Fund. From time to time, we also receive gifts from individuals and organizations to support our work.
We also accept gifts that are restricted as a part of our Annual Fund. Under our guidelines, the Urban league will deduct 10% of such gifts to cover fundraising and general administration costs.
The Endowment Fund
Over the years, the Urban League has supported is programs through grants. A major consequence of this has been that once a grant has ended, the program supported by the grant also ends. An undue reliance on grants has also made it difficult to build a solid financial underpinning for the organization. To address these issues, the Board has approved a campaign to build an endowment. Consequently, we have established the “Knoxville Area Urban League Endowment Fund” at the East Tennessee Foundation. We ask our friends to remember the Urban League in their wills, as one of the beneficiaries in their Ira accounts and their retirement plans at work and in their insurance policies. Please contact us or the East Tennessee Foundation if you wish to make a contribution to the Endowment Fund or wish to discuss various planned giving options.
The Building Fund
Finally, we are seeking funding to renovate our current facility. This is particularly important as we increase the range of services that we offer. We purchased the building over ten years from the United Way; the building was initially built as a retail furniture store. It needs to be updated for use as an office and educational facility.
Membership in the Urban League
As a community based non profit organization, membership in the Urban League is important to us. We welcome memberships from individuals, corporations and organizations of all kinds. Each year we hold an annual membership appreciation luncheon. Memberships in the Urban League are tax deductible. Please join with us in our movement to "empower communities and change lives". Click here for our Membership Page
Click her to Make a Gift Online to the Urban League | 
Knoxville Area Urban League - Yesterday, Today and Beyond
