Black Philanthropy Month 2024: Meet the Black-led nonprofits that blew us away

For the third year in a row, Givebutter’s community of changemakers made a massive impact during Black Philanthropy Month. We're full of pride as we reflect on the $375K raised in just one month to uplift and support Black communities. 

Black Philanthropy Month 2024 in review

Givebutter’s annual celebration of Black Philanthropy Month (BPM) this August was a huge success, thanks to the nonprofit organizations and partners that make up our vibrant Givebutter Fam. 

In addition to donating $10K to Black-led nonprofits, Givebutter shared resources to help changemakers learn about racial equity in charitable giving, gain insights from Black thought leaders, and find inspiration from successful campaigns led by Black-led organizations 

Black-led nonprofits submitted nearly 500 fundraising pages, events, and donation forms to be considered for the Most Engaging Campaign and a $1K donation from Givebutter. These inspiring organizations raised a total of $375K in August alone to uplift and support Black communities—all from more than 2,000 individual donors. 

Along with special Office Hour sessions throughout the month that included campaign reviews for BPM applicants, Givebutter’s newsletter and social media also lifted up helpful fundraising resources from Black leaders, including:  

• Updated list of Black philanthropists and grant opportunities
• Free “Raise $1K in 30 days” guide created in collaboration with Nonprofit for Newbies founder Gloria Lawrence
• Brand-new success story featuring one of the Most Creative Campaign donation recipients from our 2023 BPM initiative: God’s Secret Service Agents 

One of the most exciting new partnerships this year was with BackBlack, an initiative spearheaded by Givebutter’s Director of Community and Partnerships, Floyd Jones. BackBlack offered even more resources and thousands of dollars in direct grants for Black-led organizations. 

As always, our favorite part of BPM is lifting up inspiring campaigns from Black-led groups, and the ten organizations selected this year were no exception. 

Meet the 10 Most Engaging Campaigns

Of the 500 campaigns submitted from verified, Black-led nonprofits that support and uplift Black communities, members of Givebutter’s Brown Butter resource group selected ten campaigns that showed the most compelling storytelling, community engagement, and use of Givebutter’s fundraising features. Each organization received a $1K donation toward their fundraising efforts. 

🎓 Thrive USA 

To raise funds for their Girls & Boys With A Purpose College Fair, Thrive USA included custom donation descriptions to showcase the impact of every gift. The campaign also outlined clear benefits for corporate sponsors to join in the action to help bridge the information gap between historically disadvantaged Atlanta-area students and higher education institutions, including HBCUs. 

🌍 YE Foundation 

For its 2nd Annual Fundraising Awards Gala, the YE Foundation bolstered its glamorous fundraising event with an auction and a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign led by various corporate and philanthropic partners—all in support of its mission to drive innovative solutions to address environmental and waste management challenges in underserved countries, beginning with Haiti.

🦋 Gabrielle’s Wings

Another tremendous peer-to-peer fundraising effort, Gabrielle’s Wings’ Walk-A-Thon 2024 offered numerous ways for supporters to participate in their efforts to fund the organization’s educational and enrichment opportunities for elementary-aged children of color in vulnerable communities. Their campaign also made excellent use of video to tell the organization's story and share energizing campaign updates. 

🍷 The Roots Fund

Using engaging graphics and photos along with custom donation descriptions, The Roots Fund’s Back to School Campaign far surpassed its fundraising goal, with funds going to support pathways for people of color in the wine industry.

🤿 Black in Marine Science

Black in Marine Science launched Ride the Wave to further its mission of celebrating, educating, amplifying, and creating an inclusive community that addresses underrepresentation in the field. This campaign featured peer-to-peer fundraising, videos, and compelling graphics to build momentum toward BIMS’ goal.  

🏆 G.W.C. Brown Legacy Education Fund

G.W.C. Brown Legacy Education Fund’s 2024 Black & Gold Scholarship Ball event page sold not only tickets for this black-tie affair but also VIP opportunities, various corporate sponsorships, program ads, and more—all in one convenient place for their community of supporters. 

🤰🏿 Chicago Volunteer Doulas

To fund its 100 Doulas Rising Leadership Development Program, the Chicago Volunteer Doulas organized a team fundraising campaign. Each team was headed by one of CVD’s board members and was designed to address different facets of birth support, which they laid out in their story section, along with other information about their programs and impact. 

🩰 Ngoma Center for Dance

The Grow Together fundraising page featured a powerful video about the Ngoma Center for Dance and paints a clear picture of this Black-led arts nonprofit’s impact, vision, and needs, which include facility rental costs and scholarships to support DC's only professional dance company.

👻 H.O.P.E. for Sunny Skies

To ensure a safe and fun Halloween experience for CPS-involved families in their Texas community, H.O.P.E. for Sunny Skies created Halloween at Home 2024. In addition to informative, Halloween-themed graphics, the campaign used team fundraising with a leaderboard to encourage friendly competition to reach their goal. 

🪘 Traveling Nunk

New Orleans’ first Black-led and centered Buddhist temple, Sangha House is a project of Traveling Nunk. The organization launched its Sit with Sangha campaign to raise money for its grand opening, offering memberships, sponsorships, and donations through a team fundraising campaign.  

Keep the movement moving with Givebutter

Givebutter is proud to support the efforts of Black changemakers during Black Philanthropy Month and beyond. Be sure to join us next year, and sign up for your free Givebutter account to stay in the know about other opportunities and resources throughout the year.