Black philanthropy is by no means a recent phenomenon.
This is a non-exhaustive round up of recent journalism, history, data and contemporary stories on Black philanthropy.
Tyrone Freeman of Indiana University highlights giving from the colonial era to today in his piece at The Conversation.
Black mutual aid societies were vitally important to African American civic life before the Civil War, throughout Reconstruction and into the Jim Crow era.
The co-operative organizations financed medical care, life insurance, banking and financial services and purchases of land and livestock.
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A detailed 2014 report from the National Committee for Responsible Philanthropy, “Freedom Funders,” examines the historical connections between philanthropy and the Civil Rights Movement.
The Urban Institute studied Federal Reserve data and found that Black families contribute the highest percentage of their wealth to charitable and philanthropic causes among American racial and ethnic groups-despite the overall wealth gap and other economic disparities they experience.
A 2015 study from Blackbaud found that African American donors were more likely to support charitable causes than others, especially those focused on social services, health and youth.
But data also shows that African Americans are often excluded or neglected in traditional fundraising efforts.
The Chicago Foundation for Women helped to produce a report on women philanthropists of color in Chicago.
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The findings have wide relevance and provide insight on key philanthropic and volunteer drivers.
Often led by Black donors and other philanthropists of color, giving circles are small groups that pool philanthropic dollars, then deliberate and vote on their use, and grant out money on a regular schedule.
The work of philanthropy leaders like La June Montgomery and Marilyn Waite, has shed light on the lack of women of color in philanthropy - especially black women.
In the U.K., the Association of Charitable Foundations has found that boards of philanthropic foundations are 99% white, compared to 92% in the wider charity sector, and male Trustees outnumber female Trustees by two to one.
Every year, Black households contribute over $11B to causes they care about-giving 25% more of their income than white households, despite a persistent racial wealth gap.
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Nearly 67% of Black families donate annually.
Black generosity isn’t new-it’s the blueprint.
Givebutter celebrates this rich past and present during Black Philanthropy Month and beyond by lifting up leaders in Black-led nonprofits and the vibrant communities they serve.
Note: While February is Black History Month, August celebrates Black Philanthropy specifically.
Money. Black People. Philanthropy. | Regina Alhassan | TEDxKingLincolnBronzeville
Black Women Leading in Philanthropy
For International Women’s Day, meet four black women leading in philanthropy who are overcoming the odds and changing philanthropy for the better.
1. Purity Kagwiria, Director, With and For Girls
Kagwiria is feminist activist and a storyteller based in Nairobi, Kenya and the incoming Director of With and For Girls Collective, which gives $3m in flexible awards and an additional $1 million in leveraged funds to grassroots, girl-led and girl-centred organizations.
“Frustration and hope got me into philanthropy.
As a young woman, I was frustrated that many young women's initiatives rarely got funding due to lack of a track record in receiving and managing grants and lack of someone to second the young women for grants,” says Kagwiria.
Kagwiria serves as an advisory member of East Africa Girls’ Brain Trust, has previously served as a founding advisory committee member of the FRIDA (The Young Feminist Fund).
“I was constantly grappling with the question, where is the money for girls and young women activism?
Over the years I have also been involved in seeding young women led initiatives as a first funder and this has opened opportunities for them to access more funding.
I was also driven by hope that with a few critical voices, the terrain could change and include more girls and young women initiatives without using such a rigid lens.”
Kagwiria cites that there are a couple of Girls Funds that have come up in the last three or so years and traditional donors are becoming a bit more flexible in their funding criteria.
2. Lyn Cole, Independent Advisor
Cole worked at the National Lottery Community Fund, the U.K.’s largest funder, for nearly two decades until 2016.
Her last role was as England Director, overseeing the over an annual giving budget of £500 million.
“I was driven by a desire to address entrenched inequalities across our society.
The role gave me the opportunity to reflect on how the right funding could help people and communities to take even the smallest of steps towards addressing inequalities through a strength-based approach,” says Cole on why she got into philanthropy.
Since leaving the Lottery, she has remained involved in Grantmaking as Trustee of the Millfield House Foundation, Adviser on the Migration and Youth Panel of the Paul Hamlyn Foundation and a Non-Executive Director of the South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust.
3. Patricia Hamzahee, Independent Advisor
After more than 20 years working in banking and finance, Hamzahee is a trustee of several charities, a donor and an investor.
“I have enjoyed a relatively privileged life, both professionally and personally; and having lived in places around the world where others have not enjoyed such good fortune, I have for some considerable time been committed to ‘giving back’.
Community service is something that defines me,” says Hamzahee.
On her philanthropy philosophy, Hamzahee says, “I believe that our communities, particularly the young people who are our future, benefit most if we are an active and positive part of the change we want to see.
This is why I have worked to align my personal philanthropy with my professional focus on social finance and impact investing.”
She is currently building an ecosystem that supports Black owned and led organisations with both philanthropic funding and impact investment.
“I particularly want to galvanise sources of finance generated by the Black community for the Black community.
Instead of being seen as the recipients of others’ charity, we can help ourselves by coming together.”
4. Mosun Layode, Executive Director, African Philanthropy Forum
Mosun Layode is the Executive Director of the African Philanthropy Forum (APF), established in 2017 as an independent entity to build a learning community of strategic African philanthropist.
After two decades of experience in international development, she began working closely with philanthropists, tracing back to her roots.
“I am African and giving is part of our culture as we are communal in nature,” says Layode.
“There is a proverb in Western Nigeria which says, it is difficult to be rich in the midst of abject poverty.
Consequently, at the most basic level, everyone tends to support those in need, given the inequalities in our society.”
