Funders and giving platforms have joined together to create BackBlack, a campaign geared toward addressing funding disparities affecting Black-led nonprofits. Funders and Black-led organizations can find each other through the campaign’s central hub, BackBlackMovement.org.
In addition to linking funders and organizations, the campaign will highlight racial disparities in funding and generate data and insights to illustrate and help close the funding gap.
BackBlack leaders provided statistics via a statement which reflect the lags in funding for Black-led nonprofits. According to the statement, combined funding to Black communities is only 1% of all community foundation funding, resulting in a $2 billion shortfall for Black communities.
Additionally, Black-led nonprofits have revenue 24% smaller than the revenue for White-led counterparts and unrestricted net assets held by Black-led nonprofits are 76% smaller than those for White-led nonprofits. White-led nonprofits are also more likely (71%) to receive corporate donations than BIPOC-led nonprofits (58%).
The BackBlack campaign is supported by Bonterra, Charity Navigator, Charityvest, Deed, Endaoment.org, Every.org, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Give 8/28 Day, Givebutter, Giving Compass Network, Giving Gap, GlobalGiving, Grapevine, HERitage Giving Fund, Lightful, MightyCause, Network for Good DAF, PayPal and Philanthropy Together. The organizations support the campaign in a variety of ways, including making straight-up donations, providing matching funds for Giving Circles and other donation efforts and hosting information sessions for fundraisers.
Several of the supporting organizations are also part of The Giving Platform Collaborative, which was created during the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s 2023 Greater Giving Summit. The Collaborative seeks to promote everyday generosity and advocate for greater inclusivity across the funding community. BackBlack is the Collaborative first major effort.
“We’ve built the Giving Platform Collaborative to address and work together on disparities in philanthropy, including racial inequities,” Floyd Jones, the director of community & partnerships for nonprofit fundraising platform Givebutter and lead coordinator of the BackBlack campaign said via a statement. “With BackBlack, we aim to support and uplift Black-led nonprofits, connecting these organizations with resources and funding to achieve their goals. This is just the beginning — with the Giving Platform Collaborative and our partners coming together to BackBlack, we can close the gap.”
