Beersgiving among BA's 2020 Diversity and Inclusion Grant recipients

The Brewers Association (BA) has announced the recipients of its 2020 Diversity and Inclusion Event Grants program. This year, 14 events were selected from 69 applications to receive grants totaling $50,000.

Among those receiving a grant is the Fort Worth-based organization, Beersgiving. Founded by Danii Oliver of Island to Island Brewery, and Eric Jackson of the lifestyle brand Uncap Everything, Beersgiving brings civilian and military families together for a day of craft beer, local bites and industry-focused S.T.E.M. experiments for kids.

Since the creation of its Diversity Committee in 2017 and the hiring of its first-ever diversity ambassador in 2018, the BA has taken continued, proactive steps to advance diversity and inclusivity among brewers and beer lovers.

• In 2019, the BA released a five-part series of best practice guides laying the groundwork for addressing, creating, and managing a diversity and inclusion program.
• In May, the inaugural class of diversity and inclusion event grant recipients was announced, with a total of $20,000 awarded to six recipients.
• The BA also completed its first benchmarking survey of brewery owner and employee diversity in terms of gender, race, and ethnicity; and in December published a free “We Welcome Everyone” poster available for download in Spanish and English for breweries and beer businesses.
• For 2020, the BA will publish a series of case studies written by diversity ambassador Dr. J. Nikol Jackson-Beckham, Ph.D., that spotlight best practices in action, and will also introduce a pilot mentorship program.

“It’s inspiring to see so many organizations striving to connect and welcome new people to beer and each other,” says Julia Herz, craft beer program director for the Brewers Association. “While there is still much work to be done, we are proud to continue our commitment to nurture a more diverse and inclusive craft beer community and we congratulate this year’s grant recipients.”

As for Beersgiving, future events scheduled for the Dallas-Fort Worth area include Family Afternoons Out, April 18 at Brutal Beerworks in North Richland Hills, and Barrel-Aged Conversations, May 30 at Peticolas Brewing Co. in Dallas. Tickets for both events are available now by way of Eventbrite.

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To learn more about Beersgiving, visit http://beersgiving.info, or follow the project on social media: Facebook, Instagram.