Winter Quarterly Bulletin
January 2020
A Message from Susan Taylor Batten
Dear Colleagues,

Happy New Year! We trust that your holidays were filled with joy, and your 2020 is off to great start. 

Here at ABFE, we started the new year with a lot of excitement around our 2020 annual conference, themed HARAMBEE: LET’S ALL PULL TOGETHER , taking place April 16 - 18, 2020 in Raleigh, North Carolina at the Raleigh Marriott City Center.

Home to Shaw University, the first historically Black college established in the United States after the Civil War, Raleigh has become a mecca for Black entrepreneurs. Having been dubbed the Startup Capital of the South by Black Enterprise magazine, Raleigh remains a cornerstone in the fight for civil rights and economic prosperity. Some of the most pressing issues in the country are being fought in the North Carolina state capitol and will be central to our conversations at Harambee 2020.
 
This year’s gathering will present a vigorous agenda for members, stakeholders and partners with opportunities to delve deeper into the key areas of ABFE’s Responsive Philanthropy in Black Communities (RPBC) Framework. We invite you to engage in critical conversations on philanthropic strategies to advance Black wealth; economic developments to help scale Black business and entrepreneurship in the 21st Century; and how to collectively grow and sustain Black political power.

Registration is now open at an early bird rate until January 29 th , 2020 . I encourage you to take advantage of the discounted rate. Translated from Swahili meaning "all pull together," Harambee is a Kenyan tradition of community self-help, cooperative economics, and sustainable development. So - let's all pull together in Raleigh!

As we continue toward ABFE's 50th anniversary in 2021, I am beyond thankful to you all and your endless commitment to building power for and with Black communities. This month's newsletter is designed to share and highlight the success of our shared work in the field.

Cheers to you!

Susan Taylor Batten
President and CEO, ABFE
ABFE 2020 Conference
Visit ABFE-Conference.org for details on registration, hotel and sponsorships.
Early Bird Registration Open Through Wednesday, January 29, 2020.
For more on our call for sessions, click here .
* 29th ANNUAL JAMES A. JOSEPH LECTURE AND AWARDS *

Accepting Nominations NOW!

ABFE’s 2020 Conference will feature our signature event, the 29th Annual James A. Joseph Lecture & Awards Program, which honors those who are at the forefront of cutting-edge philanthropic strategies that support Black communities. We are pleased to announce our call for nominations.
ABFE Updates
Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Each day in our work ABFE honors the Black figures who have contributed to the advancement, justice, and safety of Black communities. We want to acknowledge the legacy of Dr. King and his prescient words, "Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle." This serves as reminder from Dr. King to those pursuing change for African-descendant people across the Diaspora. We celebrate his legacy and continue the struggle.
Member Spotlight
Borealis Philanthropy works as a partner to philanthropy, helping grant-makers expand their reach and impact. Borealis helps connect grant-makers to organizations that meet their mission. They provide a high level of service to their funders and grantees by conducting their work in a manner that is collaborative, transparent, and accountable.  
This quarter's featured
New ABFE Institutional Member
Borealis Philanthropy
WELCOME NEW MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS!
BOREALIS PHILANTHROPY
THE LIBRA FOUNDATION
Contact us to be a featured member or share a content idea!
News From The Field
Black Boys and Men: Changing the Narrative
PODCAST - SEASON 2 LAUNCH
By The McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research, New York University

Source: McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research, New York University

The Black Boys and Men: Changing the Narrative podcast series brings together thought leaders to analyze stereotypes and dispel myths concerning Black boys and men; to explore their strengths and achievements; and to discuss the many ways in which all of us can support their progress and well-being.

ABFE is proud to share that our Board member, Cory S. Anderson is featured in this second season, episode 7 of Black Boys and Men: Changing the Narrative. The podcast went on the road, from Little Rock to Chicago to Philly and back to NYC. Hosted by  Rose Pierre-Louis , chief operating officer of the  NYU McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research , this season explores masculinity, belonging, mental health, how women and girls enter the conversation, and how we can change the narrative about Black boys and men for the better.
Check out all eight episodes of Season Two  below , or revisit Season One on  this page .
 

Jay-Z and Yo Gotti hire lawyers to represent prisoners suing Mississippi Corrections Department

Source: Caitlin O'Kane, CBSNews.com

Jay-Z has made good on his promise to bring legal action against the Mississippi Department of Corrections after five prisoners died violently in the state's prisons earlier this month. Team ROC, the philanthropic arm of Jay-Z's company, Roc Nation, and hip-hop artist Yo Gotti have teamed up to hire lawyers for several Mississippi inmates, a spokesman confirmed to CBS News via email.

According to a complaint filed Tuesday, several inmates are suing Commissioner of the Mississippi Corrections Department Pelicia E. Hall and Superintendent Marshall Turner of the Mississippi State Penitentiary. The suit claims the plaintiffs' lives are in peril inside the prison. 

"The unthinkable spate of deaths is the culmination of years of severe understaffing and neglect at Mississippi's prisons," the lawsuit reads. The plaintiffs claim that due to a lack of guards, the prisons are plagued with violence — resulting in three men dying in one prison alone during the first week of 2020.
We cannot allow the International Olympic Committee to silence the world’s top athletes!

Source: Color of Change

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) just implemented an oppressive policy to silence the free expression of Black athletes during the Summer Olympics. The policy bans athletes from kneeling, raising their fists, or wearing signs or symbolic armbands. At a time of heightened political awareness and the threat of a world war, athletes who take a stand for justice are being told to “shut up and play.”

There is no real peace in the absence of justice and there is no victory when individuals are silenced.

The policy is extremely problematic because as we know, “taking a knee” and “raising fists” are directly associated with justice for Black people. And with no clearly defined consequences in the policy, the IOC has the power to come up with arbitrary punishments that can be implemented differently for individual athletes.

The IOC’s policy is a direct attack on athlete activists like gold medalist Gwen Berry who boldly raised her fist in protest last year. Two gold medalists at last year’s Pan American Games - Gwen Berry and Race Imboden - continued the legacy of athlete activism by protesting during the national anthem of their medal ceremonies. And now, the IOC has created this oppressive policy, clearly in retaliation, while stating that the mission of the Olympic Games is to bring the entire world together and facilitate the understanding of different views. 
Upcoming Events and Conferences
FEBRUARY 2020

February 10 - February 11
2020 Agents of Change Summit
The Rescue Agency

February 12 - February 14
SEA SUMMIT 2020 Bali
AVPN Southeast Asia

February 13 - February 13
2020 No City Limits Conference: Reimagining the Poverty Fight
Robin Hood Foundation

February 14 - February 14
2020 Philanthropy Conference
Yale University

February 19 - February 20
2020 Annual Conference
DC Nonprofit Conference

February 19 - February 21
2020 ANA DC Nonprofit Conference
ANA Nonprofit Federation

February 25 - February 27
Social Capital 2020
Social Capital Partnerships

February 26 - February 27
2020 (Re)Imagining Futures for Girls of Color
Grantmakers for Girls of Color

February 26 - February 28
Reeve Summit 2020
Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation

February 29 - February 29
Guiding More Good Conference
Center for Nonprofit Stewardship
MARCH 2020

March 9 - March 11
PEAK2020 Annual Conference
Peak Grantmaking

March 9 - 11
2020 Foundations on the Hill
United Philanthropy with the Council on Foundations .

March 11 - March 13
2020 National Convening
Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees

March 13 - March 22
SXSW 2020
South by Southwest (SXSW) Conferences + Festivals

March 22 - March 24
2020 International Conference
Jewish Funders Network

March 23 - March 25
DRIVE/ 2020
Case

March 25 - March 27
2020 Funding Forward
Funders for LGBTQ Issues

March 24 - March 25
Bloomberg Equality Summit
Bloomberg

March 24 - March 26
Nonprofit Technology Conference 2020
NTEN

March 29 - March 31
AFP ICON 2020
Association of Fundraising Professionals

March 31 - April 1
Women's Philanthropy Institute 2020 Symposium: Philanthropy Plugged In
IUPUI
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