As Black Philanthropy Month draws to a close, we wanted to share what helped inform our work deeper, drove conversations internally, and prompted more reflection about how we are learning more about the power and community of Black philanthropy.
Here are several articles which we found especially informative throughout the month of August:
An interview with Dr. Jacqueline Bouvier Copeland about her work in Black philanthropy and the impact of Black Philanthropy Month on the African American community and Black Diaspora. She also reflects on her work and what is next for her.
Chera Reid, co-executive director of the Center for Evaluation Innovation, and Lulete Mola, co-founder and president of the MN Black Collective Foundation, name how when Black-led change is not valued and sustained, it often results in the delay or loss of transformational gains, and we all suffer. They also discuss the collective foundation and how, over the next year, CEI and MNBCF will partner with philanthropy and movement builders to advance systems change imperatives.
Alesha Washington, the new leader of The Seattle Foundation, discusses her leadership and cites the need to focus on racial equity in everyday practice. She sees that courage, and if we are willing to show up when it matters, will be critical to advancing the work beyond the Foundation.
Kay Dervishi of the Chronicle of Philanthropy writes about Bloomberg Philanthropies’ efforts to build Black wealth – historically a barrier for advancing Black leadership and power – and discusses its Greenwood Initiative, which provided $100 million to four historically Black medical schools to provide debt relief to students.
In which Cheryl Dorsey, president of Echoing Green, reflects on the faltering or episodic commitments that funders made to Black organizations, causes, and leadership more than two years after the racial reckoning of 2020 and makes several recommendations about how funders can make progress.
