President’s Note
A Message from Susan...
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Dear Colleagues,
Cheers to you! Because of you, ABFE had its largest annual conference attendance to date!! Over 300 of you
–
from foundation leaders to program officers to trustees and more
–
came out in record numbers to
our 2018 Conference,
The Fierce Urgency of Now
,
on April 14 - 16th in Memphis.
We set out to create a sense of
urgency
on increasing public and private investments in Black communities at our conference. Thank you for attending and engaging in this important dialogue that we ultimately hope will move more dollars into our communities.
As an inaugural member of our Connecting Leaders Fellowship Program (CLFP), I am beyond excited to announce that we are looking for our next class of dynamic philanthropic professionals! This program is near and dear to me
–
and here at ABFE, we recognize the importance of curating and developing these future agents of change.
Words cannot express my gratitude and appreciation to all of you: our Members, Sponsors, Speakers, Supporters...and anyone I may have missed,
thank you
for helping make our 2018 conference a success.
Looking forward...
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Susan Taylor Batten
President and CEO, ABFE
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Member Notes
What's Happening at ABFE
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The 2018 - 2019 Connecting Leaders Fellowship Program (CLFP) Application is Now Open!
ABFE's Connecting Leaders Fellowship Program (CLFP) is now taking applications for its 2018 - 2019 Class! Now in its 12th year and 121 Fellows strong, we are looking for funders who are committed to assisting Black communities through philanthropy. Fellows will have the opportunity to learn from seasoned grantmakers and peers on a regular basis, understand how to be more effective agents for change within their institutions, and participate in a network that focuses on innovative solutions to community challenges.
Fellows attend a week-long Leadership Summit (this year's Summit will take place November 11 - 16, 2018 in Chicago) and are assigned an executive coach. In addition, each fellow is required to complete a community-based learning project during the fellowship year. This can be volunteer work or a research project on a topic of interest. We will host a information and Q&A webinar for anyone interested in applying to fellowship on Wednesday, May 23, 2018 at 2:00 PM ET. You may register for the webinar,
here
.
For more information on CLFP, contact Tekecha Morgan, program associate for ABFE, at
tmorgan@abfe.org
.
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From L to R: ABFE Board Member Cedric Brown, 27th James A. Joseph Lecturer James Head and ABFE President and CEO Susan Taylor Batten
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Recap:
ABFE's "The Fierce Urgency of Now" 2018 Conference
Over 300 (a
record
turnout!)
professionals in philanthropy including presidents, trustees, program officers, donors and activists attended
ABFE’s “The Fierce Urgency of Now” 2018 Conference
on Saturday, April 14
th
– Tuesday, April 17
th
at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee. This year, ABFE offered attendees a set of informative workshops, plenaries and networking opportunities to increase the impact of their work.
Several ABFE Philanthropic Institutional Members attended, such as the
Ford Foundation
,
Gates Foundation
,
Casey Family Programs
,
The Annie E. Casey Foundation
and
Bloomberg Philanthropies
(to name a few). In addition to organizations represented at our annual conference, many leaders in their respective fields attended as guest speakers, including
Dr. Iva E. Carruthers
, general secretary of the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, Inc.;
David J. Johns
, executive director of the National Black Justice Coalition;
Leticia Peguero,
executive director of Andrus Family Fund and Andrus Family Philanthropy Program
; Tynesha McHarris
, program officer for Novo Foundation’s Advancing Adolescent Girls’ Rights initiative;
Shawn Dove
, CEO of the Campaign for Black Male Achievement;
Ruby Bright
, executive director and CAO of Women's Foundation for a Greater Memphis; and
Susan L. Taylor
, founder of National CARES Mentoring Movement and former Essence Editor-in-Chief.
Our conference also recognized important leaders for their work and contributions at the 27
th
James A. Joseph Lecture and Awards Program. President and CEO of the East Bay Community Foundation, James W. Head, received this year’s prestigious James A. Joseph Lecturer Awards; Senior Program Officer of The Pittsburgh Foundation, Michelle McMurray, received this year’s Emerging Leader in Philanthropy Award; and, the Metro United Way of Louisville received this year’s Institutional Award for Philanthropic Leadership.
Philanthropic Champion
· Casey Family Programs
Host City Champion
· Memphis Philanthropy
Trailblazer Champion
· The Annie E. Casey Foundation
· The Hyams Foundation
Responsive Champion
· The Kresge Foundation
Equity Champion
· Bloomberg Philanthropies
· The California Endowment
· The California Wellness Foundation
· Medtronic Foundation
Supporter Champion
· Lumina Foundation
· TIAA Institute
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Featured Members
What's Happening with our Members
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Photo credit: Courtesy of MMI
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This month's featured
ABFE Member
is
Kiesha Davis,
director of grantmaking and capacity building for
Memphis Music Initiative
(an ABFE Philanthropic Institutional Member). As featured member, Kiesha contributed a special piece to ABFE titled "Return on Investment," which reflects on the work her organization (MMI) is doing via arts philanthropy and how our conference will impact her work moving forward. Please take a moment to read this thoughtful essay,
here
.
We would also like to thank Kiesha (an alumni of ABFE's 2015
Connecting Leaders Fellowship Program
class) for participating in the "What's Happening in Memphis" session at our annual conference!
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As Director of Grantmaking and Capacity Building, Kiesha leads a team responsible for the stewardship of Memphis Music Initiative’s (MMI) investments to build strong and efficient organizations. She leads the team in the development of strategies to foster organizational sustainability and improve the quality of music engagement programs for black and brown youth. Kiesha’s career has been dedicated to creating equitable opportunities for black youth in communities like Memphis.
Kiesha’s passion for creating equitable opportunities for communities of color is bolstered by her membership on the boards of Star Academy Charter School and the Momentum Nonprofit Partners in Memphis.
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News in the Field
What's Happening in Philanthropy
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Live at 9: National Leaders talk race, diversity
Source: WREG News Channel, April 17, 2018
A national conference brings more than 225 African American leaders to the Bluff City this week.
President and CEO of ABFE, Susan Taylor Batten, and Cedric Brown from the Kapor Center for Social Impact.
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Essence Presents 'Woke 100 Women'
Source: Essence.com, April 18, 2018
For the first time ever, ESSENCE honors the women who are blazing trails for equal rights and inclusion for Black people in America.
The cover features a host of dynamic women, such as writer/producer Shonda Rhimes, veteran journalist Joy-Ann Reid, Women’s March co-chairs Tamika Mallory, Linda Sarsour and Carmen Perez. Plus, appearances from Women’s March organizer Janaye Ingram, political commentator Angela Rye, Circle of Mothers founder Sybrina Fulton, author/blogger Luvvie Ajayi and social activist April Reign. #BlackLivesMatter cofounder Opal Tometi and educator/activist Brittany Packnett are also featured.
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Community News: East Bay Community Foundation
Source: East Bay Times, April 24, 2018
East Bay Community Foundation president, CEO honored
The East Bay Community Foundation (EBCF) is pleased to announce the selection of James W. Head, the group’s president and CEO, as the 2018 James A. Joseph Lecturer, awarded by the Association of Black Foundation Executives (ABFE).
The Joseph Lecturer honor was first awarded in 1991 in honor of ABFE’s co-founder, Ambassador James A. Joseph, and is an award of distinction for outstanding philanthropic leadership in support of black communities, the highest honor which can be bestowed upon an African American in philanthropy. The James A. Joseph Lecture and Awards Ceremony served as the centerpiece of ABFE’s annual program and conference, held April 16 in Memphis, Tennessee, highlighting black philanthropic leadership with Head delivering the event’s keynote address.
“This is an extraordinary occasion that brings together grantmakers, individuals, and philanthropic leaders who work tirelessly towards creating a brighter future for Black communities,” said Head. “As a social justice and public interest attorney, issues of access and equality have been core tenets of my work. Ambassador Joseph’s efforts to facilitate more diversity and inclusion in philanthropy are a testament to the virtues of exercising bravery in the face of overwhelming odds and a willingness to take risks. I am proud to be able to carry on that legacy in service to our community.”
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ICYMI
In Case You Missed It...
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Philanthropist, Activist and Athlete
Colin Kaepernick
received Amnesty International's Ambassador of Conscience Award.
“The Ambassador of Conscience award celebrates the spirit of activism and exceptional courage, as embodied by Colin Kaepernick. He is an athlete who is now widely recognized for his activism because of his refusal to ignore or accept racial discrimination,” said Salil Shetty, Secretary General of Amnesty International.
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Check out the "Awake to Woke to Work: Building a Race Equity Culture" report, presented by Equity in the City and a project of ProInspire.
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ABFE: A Philanthropic Partnership for Black Communities
42 Broadway, 20th Floor
New York, NY 10004
Main Number: 646.392.9877
Membership Questions:
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