Goal: $50,000.00

Specific Need

The Yuma Street Cultural Center is a once-in-a-generation investment in our community.

We’ve already raised more than $850,000 toward our $2.5 million goal—demonstrating strong momentum and belief in this vision.

Today, we are raising $50,000 to move this project forward at a critical stage.

On Grow Green Match Day, your gift goes even further. Every donation of $25+ is matched by 50%, increasing your impact and helping us accelerate progress.

This project will create a space where entrepreneurs can launch and grow businesses, where culture is preserved and celebrated, and where community members can access the tools, connections, and opportunities they need to thrive.

We’ve already seen what’s possible.

In 2025 alone, BEFH:

• Supported more than 100 entrepreneurs
• Helped launch 12 new businesses
• Created 28 jobs
• Unlocked over $250,000 in capital

“They didn’t just invest in my business—they invested in me.”
— Kriscendra Baptiste, Gifted Care Service Founder & CEO

Your support helps us build what comes next.

Mission

The Yuma Street Cultural Center is a hub for culture, entrepreneurship, and community—dedicated to preserving history, expanding opportunity, and supporting the growth of diverse businesses and leaders in the Flint Hills. 

We build pathways to entrepreneurship, ownership, and innovation that drive economic mobility and expand access and opportunity.

Profile

Yuma Street is more than a place—it is a living testament to Black history, resilience, and excellence in Manhattan, Kansas. Once a vibrant hub of faith, leadership and enterprise, this historic district has been shaped by the presence and influence of local and nationally significant figures, including Jackie Robinson, Earl Woods, Martin Luther King Jr., and Murt Hanks, Wallace Kidd and Dave Baker. Their time connected to this community reflects the depth of legacy rooted in Yuma Street.

Today, the Yuma Street Cultural Center carries that legacy forward—honoring the past while creating new pathways for economic empowerment, cultural expression, and community connection. It stands as both a preservation of history and a bold investment in what’s next.

Access is the Model: Closing Gaps. Expanding Opportunity.

YSCC is built on a simple belief: talent is everywhere, but access is not.

The Center is intentionally designed to remove barriers that often prevent individuals and families from fully participating in economic opportunities for growth. Through affordable programs, welcoming spaces, and targeted support, YSCC expands access to the resources, relationships, and opportunities that help people pursue entrepreneurship, build ownership, create financial stability, and shape stronger futures.

The Yuma Street Cultural Center will expand BEFH’s mission to build pathways to entrepreneurship, ownership, and innovation that drive economic mobility and strengthen the broader community.

How Access Is Built In

• Sliding-scale pricing for entrepreneurs
• Free or low-cost community programs
• Financial literacy & coaching
• Youth development and workforce readiness pathways
• Resource navigation through partnerships
• Inclusive gathering and event spaces
• Programs responsive to local needs
• Digital and Ai-Powered entrepreneurship, financial learning tools

When access expands, communities rise.

Learn more about the future plans of the Yuma Street Cultural Center: http://yumastreet.org/.

$33,278.00 received
in 133 gifts 66.56%  of  $50,000.00 Goal