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Philanthropy and HBCUs: Foundation funding to historically Black colleges and universities

May 2, 2023

Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have played a central—if underappreciated—role in the United States. The earliest HBCUs were founded before the legal enslavement of Black people ended. Since then, they have been critical in educating Black people, developing Black leaders, and addressing inequality. Although researchers have studied the government's role in financing HBCUs, there has been little research on private philanthropic support. This report seeks to fill that gap by examining U.S. foundation funding to HBCUs and exploring the relationship between foundations and HBCUs. Through quantitative analysis leveraging Candid's comprehensive grants data and qualitative interviews with HBCU staff, students and funders, this report strives to understand the philanthropic funding patterns and experiences of HBCUs.

A Spirit of Unity: How Black Foundation CEOs are Advancing the Call to Action on Anti-Black Racism for Philanthropy

December 1, 2022

In 2020, ABFE issue a challenge to philanthropy to let the passion of the racial uprisings and protests inspire them to generate bold and effective ways to uplift the Black community. For over two years, ABFE has regularly convened Black foundation CEOs in the U.S., including Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, to craft a set of imperatives that address anti-Black racism.This report centers the work of Black Foundation CEOs and is a self-reported indication of the forward movement these leaders are making towards building a healthier, more robust, and better resourced Black community. Our long-term goal is to free Black people from disparate treatment that result in the racial disparities on almost every indicator of well-being. To get there, we must dismantle the structures and institutional policies and practices that disadvantage and marginalize Black people, as well as the false narratives about Black communities that allow for continued inhumane treatment.

Black Nonprofit Fundraising Guide

August 12, 2022

As part of our work to address disparities in fundraising for Black nonprofit organizations, we've partnered with Young, Black, & Giving Back Institute and ABFE to put together an educational guide that includes tactics and strategies for Black-led and Black-serving nonprofits to amplify their messaging and activate supporters all year long.This guide was developed using ABFE's Racial Equity framework as a guiding principle for addressing disparities in fundraising for Black nonprofits. ABFE's Racial Equity framework promotes effective and responsive philanthropy in Black communities by analyzing strategies that allow grantmakers and donors to effectively support Black-led and Black-serving nonprofits and their communities.

Philanthropy OUTlook: LGBTQ Black Communities

October 21, 2020

Philanthropy OUTlook: LGBTQ Black Communities offers an overview of the unique needs of LGBTQ Black communities, shares a snapshot of current philanthropic support, and offers key recommendations for funders looking to better support LGBTQ Black communities and Black-led organizations.

Guiding a Giving Response to Anti-Black Injustice

August 25, 2020

This memo offers funders potential paths to invest in organizations and movements within the Black-led racial justice ecosystem. It provides principles for giving and highlights priority investment areas and example organizations within those areas.

The Case for Funding Black-Led Social Change

March 9, 2020

The Black Social Change Funders (launched by Hill-Snowdon Foundation and ABFE) presents "The Case for Funding Black-Led Social Change" as a charge to inspire sustained commitment to strengthen and expand the infrastructure for Black-led social, institutional and political power in the U.S. The case addresses three interwoven questions:Why focus on anti-Black racism?Why is it necessary to invest in Black-led social change?What should philanthropy do?A dynamic and lasting infrastructure for Black social, institutional and political power is in the best interests of transformative social change. It is essential for dismantling structural racism and charting a course for an equitable, just and sustainable nation.

A Self-reflection Tool for Black Trustees on Foundation Boards

January 23, 2017

A companion to ABFE's Responsive Philanthropy in Black Communities: A Framework and Agenda for Change

Beyond Plight: Defining Pathways to Optimal Development for Black Men and Boys Across the Life Course

January 1, 2017

Beyond Plight: Defining Pathways to Optimal Development for Black Men and Boys across the Life Course is ABFE's contribution for creating better lives for us, and, by extension, our world. It is a long title, which challenges us to look beyond quick solutions. The observations and recommendations within Beyond Plight were based upon input from funders and practitioners who have invested resources and brain power into better outcomes for Black men and boys – some for their entire professional careers. We connected with key thought leaders, whose names you find on page three. These are people who have been committed to this work for some time and even invoke their lived & shared experiences – this isn't theory. It also continues the work of practitioners who looked into the early childhood aspects of optimal development, through our previously released report, titled, "Exceeding Expectations: A Shared Vision for Impact and Definitions of Success for Black Men and Boys".

A Call to Action: Trustee Advocacy to Advance Opportunity for Black Communities in Philanthropy

April 1, 2016

This Call to Action encourages foundation Trustees to increase the representation of Black leadership among foundations' staff, vendors, consultants and grantees. It emerges from the Association of Black Foundation's (ABFE) initiative, "Leverage the Trust", which promotes the role of Black Trustees in making philanthropy more responsive to Black communities.

Education: Black Facts

April 19, 2015

Even though African Americans have made incredible educational strides in the last 60 years, there is still much work needed to create an equal playing field for African American children. Embedded racial and structural inequities produce unequal opportunities for school success. Systematic policies, practices, and stereotypes work against children and youth of color and negatively affect their opportunity for achieving educational success. We need to understand the consequences of these inequities, how disparities are produced, and how they can be eliminated to ensure thatall children and youth have equal opportunity for academic achievement and consequently social and economic mobility.

Employment and Workforce Development: Black Facts

April 19, 2015

It has been more than 40 years since closing, or relocation of many industrial jobs within the inner cities of America. These developments had a supremely devastating effect on African American's (especially males) ability to be gainfully employed and earn a livable wage. However, since this time many African Americans have entered college and are earning degrees in an effort to be more competitive in the global economy. In 2008, approximately 17% of African Americans held a Bachelor's degree or higher. Blacks are attaining economic growth and professional opportunities like never before and the growth of the Black middle class seems quite promising for the future of Black America. Nevertheless, despite thehopeful outlook for some, there still remains a significantly large segment of Black Americans who are having their economic opportunities curtailed or are effectively closed off from economic mobility altogether.

Criminal Justice: Black Facts

April 19, 2015

For decades, incarceration has been America's solution to crime. From 1973 to 2009 America's prison population grew by 703%. American society has the largest documented incarceration rate in the world. Over two million individuals are currently incarcerated within American prisons andjails. Nowhere is the impact of this prison industrial complex felt more profoundly than in the African American community. Often, systemic policies, practices and barriers work against African Americans and negatively affect their life chances significantly. This can leave many AfricanAmericans (males especially) vulnerable to incarceration, which in turn leads to a large number of Black men within the criminal justice system. Consequently, as the society moves from an industrial work force to a technologically skilled one, African American males coming out of prisonand detention will be further ill-equipped to provide financially for their families, thus, making the "street hustle" and criminal activity a more attractive option, that will land them back in prison. This is a recidivistic cycle that facilitates poor community development and disrupts the African American family. Furthermore, it is a disproportionate systemic cycle that has become worseover time. Without consistent, thoughtful and significant intervention, the social mobility and future life chances of a generation of African American men will be severely curtailed, which inturn will destabilize communities and ultimately, American society. The numbers are staggering and reveal a problem that unfortunately has reached epidemic proportions.