The ultimate list of Black philanthropists, grants, and more

Giving is built into the fabric of Black communities. In fact, despite an enormous wealth gap from systemic inequality, Black Americans give the biggest share of their wealth to charity compared to all other racial or economic groups in the U.S. 

Black families donate 25% more of their annual income than white households.

Givebutter celebrates this rich past and present during Black Philanthropy Month and beyond by lifting up leaders in Black-led nonprofits funded by philanthropy and the vibrant communities they serve. In this article, we’ll introduce you to some of the top foundations, grant opportunities, and other philanthropic resources by and for Black-led nonprofits.

Famous Black philanthropists 💫

Every day, countless Black entrepreneurs and philanthropists are creating a positive impact in their communities in both big and small ways—and we’re guessing you’ve probably heard of some of them! 

Oprah Winfrey 

The Oprah Winfrey Charitable Foundation has donated over $400M to help educate, support, and care for Black communities.

Denzel Washington 

Denzel has been a longtime supporter and spokesperson of Boys & Girls Clubs of America, which is dedicated to raising money to create safe spaces and opportunities for young people.

Beyoncé

Beyonce’s nonprofit, BeyGOOD supports economic equity through educational scholarships, internships, and more.

LeBron James 

The LeBron James Family Foundation focuses on education and community development, providing resources and support to historically marginalized children and their families.

Robert F. Smith 

Robert F. Smith, Vista Equity Partners CEO, recently made headlines by paying off the student loan debt of an entire graduating class at Morehouse College—$34M!

Jay-Z 

Jay-Z founded the Shawn Carter Foundation, which aims to help students advance their education and successfully finish college on time. 

Black foundations serving Black communities 💛

Did you know the United States is home to over 100k foundations with combined assets hovering around $1.5 trillion? Unfortunately, 90% of foundations don't have websites, so it can be nearly impossible for some organizations to find new funding opportunities

That's why we've done some digging for you. The following are foundations loudly and proudly funding Black-led organizations.

The Fund for Black-Led Change

The Meyer Foundation houses this fund, which has committed $20M to strengthening the infrastructure and sustainability of Black-led and Black-centered organizations.

The Libra Foundation

This Black-led foundation's guiding principle is that "those closest to the issues understand those issues the best." Their Democracy Frontlines Fund seeks to disrupt traditional practices and deepen the conversation about antiracism within philanthropy.

The Power Fund

As an initiative from Robin Hood, this fund is explicitly designed to support nonprofit leaders of color working on solutions to end poverty in New York City.

The California Black Freedom Fund

Dozens of foundations back this state-wide fund. The California Black Freedom Fund has committed $100M over five years to bolster Black-led organizations working to end systemic racism across California.

Vida Afro Latina Fund

Vida Afro Latina Fund is an international women's fund that facilitates participatory grant-making with Black women-led organizations working to address sexual violence in Latin America.

Goldman Sachs

The Goldman Sachs Foundation invests in a number of racial equity funding initiatives, including the One Million Black Women Fund. 

Black Art Futures Fund

A Red Olive Culture Commons project, the Black Arts Futures Fund has successfully granted $115K to 12 Black-led cultural organizations across eight states.

Brooklyn Org

Formerly the Brooklyn Community Foundation, Brooklyn Org is committed to moving foundation money and individual donations to BIPOC-led organizations historically underfunded by philanthropy. People of color lead more than 70% of their Community Fund portfolio grantees.

More to explore

Discover 25 Black-led organizations that should be on your radar →

Grant programs for Black nonprofits 💸

Like foundations, grants come in all shapes and sizes, from local, state, and federal government grants to those from massive corporate foundations like Coke, Walmart, and Google. It can be challenging to sort through to find the Black grants you're eligible for.

Grant Watch lists nearly 2k grants for nonprofits, Black-owned small businesses, and schools led by or serving BIPOC communities. And tools like GrantStation, Candid, and Instrumentl can help you navigate this massive landscape. 

Keep reading for more fantastic grants that prioritize Black-led organizations and funding for Black projects.

Wellbeing for All

A Power of She Fund project of the Women's Sports Foundation, Wellbeing for All is a $10K grant for women of color entrepreneurs and nonprofit leaders working to make fitness and wellness more accessible to and inclusive of female BIPOC communities. Alicia Keys is even on board as an advisor to grant recipients.

Chicago Beyond's Rapid Response Fund

Trust and flexibility drive this unrestricted fund for hyperlocal Black and Brown-led Chicago organizations that respond directly to their communities' needs.

Mobilize Power Fund

Another rapid response grant, this one from the Third Wave Fund, supports grassroots gender justice groups (no 501(c)(3) status required) facing time-sensitive projects. Prioritized grantees are lower-budget organizations whose leadership identifies as young, BIPOC women or gender nonconforming, intersex, or queer people.

Black Equity & Excellence Grant

This grant from the Central New York Community Foundation has funding levels from $10K to $75K per year for community-based projects benefiting Black communities in this geographic region.

Arts Program

The Scherman Foundation houses this rolling application grant, which awards an average of $30K over two years to performing arts-based organizations led by and serving BIPOC communities in New York City.

Did you know?

Givebutter is giving away $10K to Black-led nonprofits this August! Learn more and apply →

Giving circles empowering Black philanthropic leaders 🚀

A lesser-known form of philanthropy, giving circles are groups of people that pool their financial resources and determine which causes to collectively support. Approximately 2,000 giving circles exist across the U.S. Many build on the legacy of Black giving circles that support under-funded organizations and programs in their communities.

A few such circles are listed here. You can find many more, as well as resources for starting your own giving circle, over at the Triangle Foundation or through Givebutter Expert, Philanthropy Together.

Black Giving Circle Fund

The Hartford Foundation created this fund out of a shared desire to celebrate Black philanthropy in the greater Hartford, CT community. The Black Giving Circle Fund is committed to creating sustainable change through collaborative giving.

Philadelphia Black Giving Circle

The Philadelphia Black Giving Circle cultivates charitable giving by leveraging community resources to build strong Black-led organizations. This giving circle continues to address the discrepancy in funding between Black and white-led nonprofits in Philly.

New Generation of African American Philanthropists

This started as a 15-person giving circle in Charlotte, NC. Now, the New Generation of African American Philanthropists has become a powerhouse of Black giving history, resources, and community initiatives committed to "disrupting conventional philanthropy."

African-American Women's Giving and Empowerment Circle

Since 2008, the Arizona Community Foundation has endowed this giving circle, which is committed to empowering Arizona's Black women and girls. 

Even more Black funds and resources for Black giving 🎁

Giving Gap

GivingGap is an extensive, searchable database of Black-led nonprofit organizations. It is an invaluable resource and movement-building organization that should be on every changemaker’s radar. 

BackBlack

Co-founded by Floyd Jones, Givebutter’s beloved Director of Community and Partnerships, BackBlack brings together philanthropic institutions, fundraising platforms, donors, and businesses to redirect capital and spread awareness about racial inequity in nonprofit funding.

Philanthropic Initiative for Racial Equity

Philanthropic Initiative for Racial Equity is a project of the Tides Center that works with foundations to make racial equity an absolute priority. They also create critical resources like "What does philanthropy need to know to prioritize racial justice?" and a recent report titled "Mismatched: Philanthropy's Response to the Call for Racial Justice."

Give 8/28

"Black Giving is Magic!" proclaims Give 8/28, the only giving day in the U.S. dedicated to Black grassroots nonprofits. The Young, Black, & Giving Back Institute spearheads this project which is a capstone to Black Philanthropy Month each August.

Communitas Ventures Accelerator

From Communitas America, this business incubator supports a 4-month cohort of primarily BIPOC and women social entrepreneurs in New York City. This cohort boasts leaders of brilliant organizations like The Bronx is Reading and Black Women's Echo Chamber.

Abundance Movement

Chicago Beyond, Grand Victoria Foundation, and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation launched this platform for philanthropic institutions to join "a movement to free mindsets, dollars, policies, and practices to address anti-Blackness in philanthropy."

Investing in Black community funding all year long

The New Generation of African American Philanthropists wisely points out that the meaning of the word philanthropy is a love of humanity. We hope you'll join Givebutter and the Women Invested to Save Earth Fund (WISE) Fund as we celebrate the deep roots of giving and loving humanity within Black communities during Black Philanthropy Month and beyond.