In a July sit down with NY Times writer Lulu Garcia-Navarro, Melinda French Gates talked about her growing shift toward trust-based philanthropy, saying, “I do believe that there are many, many partners on the ground who do incredible work but don’t often get funded.”
An August 6th Chronicle of Philanthropy article on MacKenzie Scott’s generosity, notes of her giving practices, that two themes run through her grant making; “getting as much money out the door as possible, and giving money to organizations that in the past haven’t been the kind of organizations that get big grants,” according to Benjamin Soskis at the Center for Nonprofits and Philanthropy at the Urban Institute.
Both of these women are making huge waves in the philanthropic world and creating greater stability for hundreds of socially minded efforts around the globe. A group of four women in the Pacific Northwest are making big waves as well. Even though they do not bring a personal largess of wealth to the work they are doing, the Black Future CoOp Fund is steeped in trust-based philanthropy and turning the tide for organizations not normally in receipt of large grants.
Founded by four Black women with decades of public service and leadership under their belts, their mission, to ignite generational wealth, health, and well being with Black Washingtonians through Black-led community-led philanthropy, is illustrative of a vision and the necessary determination to shift the tide for Black giving. The Black Future CoOp Fund is shifting old paradigms in favor of elevating Black genius and sharing power with Black people to increase the resources flowing into Black communities across the state.
Each year, the Black Future CoOp Fund brings regional notice to Black Philanthropy Month, founded in 2011 by Dr. Jackie Bouvier Copeland and the Pan-African Women’s Philanthropy Network. An impressive group of local sponsors join Black Future CoOp Fund again this year to push forward meaningful narratives for Black giving, now and in the future.
The 2024 Black Philanthropy Month theme, Afro-Futures of Giving is grounded in the ideal that Black Philanthropy is tomorrow’s solutions today. A panel discussion on August 27th, from 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM hosted by Black Future CoOp Fund, will explore the past, present, and future of Black giving and social finance to promote wealth, well being, and justice through an Afro-Futuristic lens.
For the past three years, the Black Future Co-Op Fund has generously supported ARTE NOIR. Without their support, our vision for the future of support to Black arts and culture would not have been as clear as it is currently. Where other philanthropic efforts often bypass smaller community-based nonprofit work, the Black Future CoOp Fund is bridging the gap and keeping a close view on ways to seed a future for Black liberation.
Join ME, along with Toya Randall, Curator and Catalyst for Voice. Vision, Values, Luc Jasmin, Board Member of The Black Lens, and Marcus Trufant, Founder of Trufant Family Foundation as we explore notions of Black identity,agency, and freedom through art, creative works, and activism that envision liberated futures.
Registration and additional information available on the Black Future CoOp website.
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