Celebrate #GivingTuesday with ABFE in mind! On November 29^th celebrate our work and legacy with a day of giving and gratitude. Watch the video above to learn more.

Your generous donation makes our work possible. Please save the date and give back on 11/29. Click the button below to make a contribution today! 

We look forward to seeing you in April!

Stay tuned for more announcements - including

Call for Ideas and Registration/Hotel Info!

ABFE hosted Black Family Foundation leaders in the Miami Florida earlier this month.

The event provided an opportunity for Black Family Foundation leaders to come together and discuss the work in their communities, as well as foster conversations and learnings around how ABFE can best support their commitment to Black communities. “We hope this will be the first of many opportunities to convene Black philanthropists across the country and support their commitment to resourcing and supporting Black communities,” said Evelyn Rivera, Director of Membership.

Native American Heritage Month is a time to celebrate the rich and diverse Indigenous cultures and the civic power and resilience of Indigenous Peoples. It’s important to honor the realities and histories of Indigenous Peoples and not what we may know of Indigenous Peoples based on stereotypes, whitewashed history, or stories in the media that advance similar narratives.

It's also important for us to support organizations that value equitable and effective philanthropy in Native communities. ABFE supports Native Voices Rising, a research, donor education, re-granting, and capacity-building collaborative created to support organizing, advocacy and civic engagement in Indigenous communities.

"Native Voices Rising (NVR) announced $3.5 million in grants to 114 Indigenous and Native-led advocacy and organizing groups. This year’s grant awardees work on an array of critical issues, including the promotion of Indigenous worldview, addressing trauma created by the U.S. Indian Boarding School policy, climate and water justice, and preventing incarceration in Native communities, to name a few.

Established in 2013, Native Voices Rising is a grantmaking collaborative between Native Americans in Philanthropy and Common Counsel Foundation. NVR has granted a total of $9 million in general operating support to Native-led grassroots and advocacy efforts that empower American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian communities."

"According to multiple studies, total philanthropic dollars dedicated to causes that benefit Native communities – let alone Native-led efforts – hovers in the range of 0.3-0.4% of all grantmaking by philanthropic institutions."

ABFE Member, Catchafire Featured Article:

"Overcoming Inequity in Philanthropy"

By: Sha-Kim Wilson, Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships at Catchafire, Co-chair, ABFE Black Women in Philanthropy 

"As Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships at Catchafire, I have the privilege of connecting with organization leaders who are serious about equity, intentional about their grantmaking practices, and constantly seeking ways to disrupt the monotony in the philanthropic sector. A common theme that permeates throughout our conversations is how and where grantmakers can identify the starting point. I have found that there are three common principles rooted in some of the most equitable grantmaking processes: candidness, diversity, and trust."

"In addition to my work alongside grantmakers, I am the founder of Helen’s Hands, a nonprofit organization I created to honor the giving legacy of my late grandmother, Helen McNeely...For me, equity is only made possible by taking on consulting and part time gig work, and sacrificing my retirement funds. It looks like discomfort, tough conversations, and trust in those in my community who say they need help when they say they need it."

ABFE Member Announcements

"After the passage of Hurricane Fiona, and as we have done in the past events that have activated the sense of urgency in the communities, the team of the Community Foundation of Puerto Rico (PRCF) put its ear on the ground and listened to the immediate needs of the community, through the non-profit organizations (NPOs) active in the response process." 

"It was precisely in conversation with the organization Plenitud Iniciativas Eco-educativa Inc., in Las Marías, that our team understood the potential of supporting the supply of food to families and thereby favoring the purchase of crops from local farmers."

READ MORE (Translate to English)

"Sevetri Wilson is not your average tech company founder. She’s a Black woman, she has no coding experience, no cofounders and she’s primarily based in Louisiana, a state that venture capitalists evidently have a hard time finding on a map."

"Most folks with such a profile have very long odds of raising meaningful venture capital money as VC investors have long struggled to invest in diverse leaders. Black founders raised $187 million in venture capital in the third quarter, which is just 0.43% of the total $43 billion deployed in the three months that ended in September, according to TechCrunch. The annual trend is down. Year to date, funding is slightly more than $2 billion for Black founders, compared with the $4.72 billion they raised in the record-setting year of 2021."

READ MORE

Umoja Circle October Meeting Recap

The increased coordinated attacks on organizations working against anti-Black racism have become a concern among philanthropic leaders. Many Black-led nonprofits and foundations have been the target of spurious attacks, including legal, financial, political, corporate, physical, and cyber. The rapidly shifting social and political landscape compounded by "equity fatigue" sparked a conversation on how nonprofits and foundations can respond to these attacks in the short and long term. Color of Change President Rashad Robinson and Marc Philpart, Executive Director of the California Black Freedom Fund, discussed their experiences dealing with these attacks and shared ways the sector can build an adequate response.

The Umoja Circle network is open to Black Foundation CEOs that are members of ABFE. If you are interested in connecting with this network, please email membership@abfe.org.

Smart Investing Network Launch

ABFE is excited to share the launch of our Smart Investment Initiative. Since 2015, ABFE has long promoted the value of diverse asset managers at the heart of ensuring an equitable playing field for Black communities. Our Smart Investing Initiative takes a targeted approach to conduct business with minority-owned firms and providing foundations with prospects for achieving their desired outcomes.

This network will launch virtually on December 9^th 10:30-12:00 pm ET and is geared to support investment officers, asset allocators, and diverse asset managers. If you are interested in attending this meeting or learning more about this network, email Juston Cooper, Director of Networks & Partnership, at jcooper@abfe.org

ABFE is growing! We are hiring new staff that will be critical to advancing our mission to promote effective and responsive philanthropy in Black communities.

Find the full job postings on our site.

Welcome New Members!

Institutional

• Target Foundation
• Living Cities

Individuals 

• Danica Richards – Genentech
• Sanura Young – Chicago State University
• Tashion Macon – Strut Agency

Thank You Renewed Members!

Institutional

• The Chicago Community Trust
• Kalamazoo Community Foundation
• Metta Fund
• Schultz Family Foundation
• Funders for Justice
• The Commonwealth Fund

Individuals

• Kiana Trabue – Bi3
• Amber Hamilton- Memphis Music Initiative
• Kim Covington – Arizona Community Foundation

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