BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. — A Boynton Beach nonprofit that helps young entrepreneurs and local families says it's struggling to stay afloat as funding for smaller, grassroots organizations continues to drop.
WATCH BELOW: 'This particular endeavor is struggling,' Annette Gray tells WPTV
Annette Gray, founder of the GBDC Entrepreneurship Institute, shared her story at a recent Let's Hear It event in Boynton Beach — saying she's seeing fewer grants, smaller donations, and more competition for limited dollars.
"This particular endeavor is struggling, because we're not able to get the word out," Gray said. "We don't have the marketing, advertising dollars, and we also need sponsorships."
Gray launched the nonprofit in 2014 to teach young people leadership, critical thinking, and business skills. Inside the Boynton Beach Mall, she now runs the Kidpreneur Leadership Academy, a hands-on learning space for kids ages 9 to 16.
"We're helping them with reading, math, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence," Gray said. "They put on costumes, and for the day they are either the fireman, the policeman — they own the grocery store."
Gray said the program regularly saw 15 to 20 kids each week. Now, that number is down to just a few.
"Last week we had three kids come through," she said. "Right now we're having to charge, because we're not getting the grants."
In the last few months, Gray said her nonprofit has applied for more than 25 grants, but only received three small approvals.
Beyond youth programs, GBDC also serves adults and seniors through its 40-foot technology bus, which travels to communities to help people get connected — from paying bills and filling out applications to learning basic computer skills.
But the bus has been out of service for about six months. Gray said she'll need around $10,000 to get it back on the road.
To help fill the funding gap, GBDC is hosting its 2nd Annual Young Entrepreneurs Awards and Fundraising Eventon November 8 from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Delray Beach Golf Club.
Gray hopes the event — along with more community support — will help keep her programs running.
"We do need to raise about $50,000 to help with some of our capacity issues," she said. "So that we can focus on providing these programs, get our 'Call My Ride' vans on the road, get our technology bus back on the road."
Gray says her goal remains the same: to empower local youth and families — and keep the spirit of entrepreneurship alive in Boynton Beach.
If you'd like to learn more about the GBDC Entrepreneurship Institute or donate to its programs, click here.
