Centering the Margins: The future of philanthropy
Photo by Gayatri Malhotra on Unsplash
Each August, we observe Black Philanthropy Month, a special opportunity to celebrate the ingenuity and generosity of Black people across the country. This year’s theme, “Afro-futures in Giving” harnesses the power of our traditions to radically re-imagine how our past speaks to our future to elevate the roles Black people play in creating new worlds.
Removing barriers to realize the future we want
At the Black Future Co-op Fund, we envision a future where Black people are in control of their destinies and work collaboratively to design solutions to the challenges faced by our communities. However, the leaders and organizations best positioned to understand who we are and what we need are often overlooked and underfunded. According to ABFE, only 1.8% of philanthropic dollars are invested in Black-led organizations.
Worse still, organizations like Fearless Fund, established to bridge the gap in venture capital funding for women of color, are under concerted attack. Historic underinvestment and renewed attacks on reparative action have caused fissures between individuals, organizations, and funders as folks are forced to fight for a relatively small slice of the pie.
Embracing an Afrofuturist mindset in philanthropy
This scarcity mindset is a fundamental misunderstanding of where the future really lies. For too long, philanthropy has dictated approaches; offered limited, restricted resources; and attempted to engage with communities whom society has marginalized — all while operating from the comfort of the center of power. This method is not empathetic, empowering, or effective. Guided by an Afrofuturist mindset, we turn that approach on its head. We re-align philanthropy around Black people — our strength, creativity and brilliance. By centering voices currently on the margins, we tap into community wisdom that leads to shared abundance.
The Black Future Co-op Fund, in partnership with community, is dedicated to shifting the philanthropic paradigm. Through our commitment to low-barrier, multi-year funding, we practice relationship-based philanthropy and center Blackness, Black people, and Black-led organizations in conversations around community solutions.
Including key holders of our destinies
We stand alongside Black women and gender-expansive people who operate on the forefront of philanthropic and societal change. A recent report on the state of Black nonprofits found that of the 168 Black-founded organizations surveyed, 60% were founded by Black women. And across the country, queer Black leaders have broadened our understanding of what is possible.
The concept of Afrofuturism is based on imagining a future where Black people are self-determined, well resourced, and thriving in deep relationship and collective power. Through this lens, we center the wisdom of Black women and our gender expansive siblings as key holders of our destinies.
As August shifts into September, and Black Philanthropy Month comes to a close, we invite our peers in philanthropy to center the margins each and every day. Revolutionary thought and action are never born from the centers of power. We must look to the margins, knowing that in centering their success and thriving, we ensure the same for us all.
