BeyGood

This article needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (July 2024)

BeyGOOD

Founded	2013; 11 years ago (2013)
Founder	Beyoncé
Focus	Humanitarian
Area served	Worldwide
Board of directors	Mai Lassiter Kawanna Brown Jay Brown Cheryl Creuzot Funmi Olorunnipa Badejo Marilyn Booker
Key people	Beyoncé (Founder) Tina Knowles (Chairwoman) Ivy McGregor (Executive Director [1]
Website	beygood.org

BeyGOOD is a non-profit organization founded in 2013 by American singer-songwriter and activist Beyoncé.^[2] the foundation is committed to supporting the organizations, institutions, and people work to transform their communities into places of well-being, economic prosperity, generosity, and justice.

The organization prioritizes economic fairness by backing marginalized and underprivileged initiatives, dedicated to assisting individuals through educational grants, promoting internships, and providing resources to promote entrepreneurship and ensure the sustainability of small businesses nationally and internationally.

BeyGOOD initiative was established by Beyoncé in 2013 during The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour. It serves as an extension of her philanthropic efforts and has now become a 501(c)(3) Public Charity known as the BeyGOOD Foundation. The foundation remains dedicated to promoting economic equity and education. Through various programs, BeyGOOD has made significant contributions globally in areas such as education, health, housing, water scarcity, and disaster relief. Their impact has been felt across the world such as South Africa, Haiti, Burundi, Australia, United Kingdom, the Caribbean, United States, and more. The foundation emphasizes the importance of collective action and individual contributions in creating positive change.^[3]

In June 2017, Beyoncé collaborated with UNICEF under her philanthropic arm, BeyGOOD, to unveil the initiation of #BEYGOOD4BURUNDI. This long-term alliance aims to ensure access to clean and safe water for the most susceptible children in Burundi. Through this partnership, various initiatives have been implemented to enhance water, sanitation, and fundamental hygiene practices in the remote regions of this landlocked East African country.^[4][5]

Beyonce's 2018 Coachella performance was a love letter to HBCU'S showcasing black talent and black culture. During that performance, she announced that under her BeyGood initiative, there will be a Homecoming Scholarship awards program for the 2018-2019 academic year. Students at Xavier University, Grambling State University, Tuskegee University, Morehouse College, Wilberforce University, Texas Southern University, Fisk University and Bethune-Cookman University were the eight recipients with four of them being chosen to receive $25,000 grants each. Wilberforce University, Tuskegee University, Bethune-Cookman university, and Xavier University were the four schools chosen.^[6]

In 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Black Parade Route was launched. The Black Parade Route is a program celebrating black owned businesses and communities. The Black-Owned small Business Impact Fund assisted Small Businesses impacted by the pandemic as well as partnered with the NAACP to focus on the importance of strengthening small businesses.

In 2022, BeyGood partnered with Adidas, Amazon, and Matthew 25: Ministries to host the BeyGood hurricane relief supplies distribution in Orlando, Florida. The initiative aided thousands impacted by the hurricane and with the support of Adidas and the African American Chamber of Commerce, provided $5k in grants to small businesses that sustained damages.

During the 2013 holiday season, Goodwill Industries and Beyoncé teamed up once again for Beyoncé's second North American leg of The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour. This collaboration had a big impact on Goodwill headquarters in 13 communities, where fans were encouraged to #BeyGOOD and support Goodwill's job training and community services. The goal was to reduce unemployment and help individuals support themselves and their families. Through this partnership, Goodwill collected 27,500 pounds (14 tons) of donated clothes and goods during the previous summer, equivalent to over 800 hours of free on-the-job training at Goodwill career centers.^[7]

After the launch of Beyoncé's haircare line, Cécred, in February 2024, BeyGood announced the initiation of annual $500,000 cosmetology school scholarships and business grants.^[8]

A statement on the BeyGood website states:

“We recognize running your own business is difficult, no matter if you rent a booth, operate a salon, or work out of your home, each year, 25 $10,000 grants will be awarded to qualifying salon business owners in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, and New Jersey so they can continue their transformative impact in the community.”^[8]

Beyoncé and Tina Knowles began a partnership with her hometown church Bread Of Life Ministries to provide support amidst the 2005 Hurricane Katrina and 2017 Hurricane Harvey natural disasters.^[9] On April 28, 2020, Beyoncé collaborated with fellow Houston artist Megan Thee Stallion on a remix to her song "Savage", and that night it was announced that the proceeds from both Beyoncé and Megan Thee Stallion's song contributions would help Bread Of Life create campaign #IDIDMYPART: a series of mobile Covid-19 drive-through testing sites in Houston, as "a response to the disproportionate deaths in African-American communities."^[10] Further collaborations with Matthew:25 Ministries, supermarket chain H-E-B, Frenchy's Chicken, and Procter & Gamble contributed masks, vitamins, hand sanitizer, cleaning supplies, gift-cards, food vouchers, and toiletry kits.^[11] This initiative expanded to Atlanta (in collaboration with entertainment executive Tyler Perry), Mississippi (in collaboration with actress Octavia Spencer), Detroit (Magic Johnson), and Seattle.^[12][13]