Bronx Community Foundation executive director: 200 laptops, $100,000-plus given to local groups to narrow digital divide

LaToya Williams-Belfort, executive director of the Bronx Community Foundation, said the foundation recently distributed 200 laptops and delivered more than $100,000 in grants to six community-based organizations as part of a “day of collective action” aimed at narrowing the borough's digital divide.

Williams-Belfort told Bronx Talk that the foundation — founded about a decade ago by Bronx natives Derrick and Desmond Lewis — has focused its work on four priorities: digital access, public health, economic security and equity and justice. "We are the one and only community foundation" serving the Bronx, she said, and the foundation has invested about $15 million into the borough over the last nine-plus years.

The hosts cited research from the Center for an Urban Future indicating that about 22.4% of Bronx households lack broadband at home and that roughly one in three households lack access to a computer. Williams-Belfort noted that the foundation funded that study and called the numbers a call to action: "If we cannot close the digital divide or significantly reduce it, we're going to have a generation of young people who cannot compete," she said, framing the issue as a public-health and workforce concern.

Williams-Belfort said recipients and grant partners were selected using data and a participatory grant strategy that involved community-based organizations and input from residents. The foundation paired device distribution with training in cyber safety, digital literacy and responsible AI use so families and students would have support to use the devices effectively.

The foundation's grants for the day of action were unrestricted, Williams-Belfort said, allowing nonprofits to apply funds where they judged them most needed. She described the foundation's approach as trust-based philanthropy that seeks to reduce duplication, track outcomes with data and scale investments through partnerships with elected officials and private-sector leaders.

Williams-Belfort outlined fundraising goals for expanded work: she cited the foundation's past $15 million investment and said the foundation is aiming to raise another $20 million over the next 10 years to expand borough-wide impact. During the interview she also referenced larger aspirational reach figures; the foundation described several different impact estimates during the conversation, and Williams-Belfort emphasized that exact reach targets would depend on future fundraising and partnerships.

Listeners were directed to the foundation's website (bronx.org) and social channels to learn how to volunteer, donate or partner. Williams-Belfort said business leaders, professionals and residents all have roles to play in collective efforts to close the digital divide and expand economic opportunity in the Bronx.

The interview concluded with host remarks of thanks and program credits to producer Ray Peguero and Bronxnet's production staff.