The AAUF - African American United Fund (formerly the Black United Fund) Moving the Philadelphia Community Forward

AAUF's mission has been achieved through various programs that promote access to higher education, increase utilization of social and human service programs, promote cultural development, raise awareness of health and wellness issues affecting African Americans, provide youth leadership training, stimulate voter education, increase awareness of criminal justice issues and address the digital divide.

According to Aissia Richardson, President of the African American United Fund, "For 25 years, the mission of the African American United Fund (AAUF) has been to actively engage community members to participate in collectively addressing social and economic injustices in the African American community by pooling resources to enhance the quality of life of those most affected by these social and economic injustices."

Through its technical assistance and incubator space rental programs, AAUF builds community infrastructure by conducting workshops, one on one consultation and offering meeting and office space to emerging and existing organizations.

This summer the African American United Fund joined the Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition (GPUAC) as a member organization. GPUAC unites government, business, neighborhoods and individual initiative to improve the quality of life in the region, build wealth in urban communities and solve emerging issues. AAUF is excited to join GPUAC, which has a long history of providing high quality financial management to organizations across the Delaware Valley.

In the spring, AAUF convened a coalition of organizations concerned with the future of the City of Philadelphia. Eleven organizations met to discuss how to educate voters about the issues that are uppermost in the minds of Philadelphians; crime, education, jobs and business development.