why we do it
The Black Equity Collective believes in the power of Black possibilities and in a vision rooted in Black permanency.
Throughout American history, Black people have served as the country’s moral conscience. We do so out of deep love for our community and because we have a rich spiritual tradition as a people guided by our faith that compels us to act in the face of injustice.
We know that our vision of healthy, joyous, thriving Black communities cannot happen without investing in the long-term sustainability of Black-led and Black-empowering organizations, who often serve as our community's first responders. Black-led organizations have an average revenue that is 24% less than that of White-led organizations, and their unrestricted net assets are 76% smaller. We know that much of this disparity is driven by inequitable funding practices. That’s why we not only serve BLOs but we also partner with philanthropy to reimagine a sector that centers equity in grantmaking. Therefore, we do this work because we are called to be repairers of the breach.
The Collective fills this need by focusing,
first, on the three-county region of:
To build an interconnected ecosystem of black-led and black-empowering organizations across issue areas.
Less than
2%
of funding by the nation’s largest foundations is specifically
targeted to the Black community
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Calling investment in Black-led social change a “moral imperative,” ABFE leadership recommended at least a 25 percent increase in giving by the nation’s largest foundations over the next five years, with an emphasis on strengthening the infrastructure for Black-led social change.
– The Case for Funding Black-led Social Change, Association of Black Foundation Executives (ABFE), 2017
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The proportion of annual grant money for African Americans decreased by 4.3% between 2005-2014, the highest decrease of any POC group
(Latinos, -0.1%; API +0.2%, Indigenous Peoples -1.6% over the same time period).
– Philanthropic Initiative for Racial Equity, 2017
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Average revenue is 24% smaller and unrestricted net assets among Black-led organizations are 76% smaller than White-led organizations.
– Racial Equity and Philanthropy, Bridgespan Group and Echoing Green, 2020
"There is nothing more exhilarating to have the Black Equity Collective to support and bring other Black leaders and Black-led organizations to learn, develop and grow our work in a space that celebrates our greatness."
-Charisse Bremond, President & CEO, Brotherhood Crusade