3 Ways to Activate Allyship in Black History Month

Posted on by Anna Cai

By Brenda Asare, President & CEO

Black History Month is a time to celebrate the achievements and contributions of Black Americans. It’s a time to acknowledge and disrupt bias while fostering a more equitable and inclusive society. It is also an opportunity for individuals and organizations to reflect on their role in supporting the Black community and to become more active allies. This includes engaging donors of color and making meaningful investments in Black-led organizations and initiatives.

Why does philanthropy matter during Black History Month?

Philanthropy plays a pivotal role in supporting the Black community and advancing racial justice. It provides resources to the nonprofit community to fuel initiatives that are working to address systemic barriers facing the Black community such as poverty, health care and education. Philanthropy also helps to amplify Black voices and perspectives and to build a broader appreciation of the Black experience.

1. Engage donors of color.

To effectively engage donors of color, nonprofits must first understand the unique experiences and perspectives of these donors. This includes understanding their motivations for giving, their philanthropic values and the challenges they face as donors.

A major step in building trust with Black donors is to create a welcoming and inclusive environment and cultivate a culture where donors feel valued, heard and respected.  It also means being intentional and proactive with communication: reaching out to potential donors and providing opportunities for them to bond with your organization and other like-minded givers.

Another critical step is to provide numerous and meaningful avenues for donors to get involved and to make a difference.  It’s important to engage these donors in meaningful dialogue and invite them to share feedback on the organization’s work.  Engagement also means connecting donors directly to the organization: serving on committees and inviting them to observe team members in action.

Ultimately, meaningful and sustainable engagement of Black donors is built around trust. This trust is only achieved when an organization builds its cultural competency: showing up in places that matter, reading and listening to materials that provide insights into Black culture and activating relationships with high touch and consistent engagement.  As highlighted in recent research conducted by the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy and The Mays Family Institute on Diverse Philanthropy,  Blacks are not new to being generous and employ a broad range of funding vehicles to give back to their community as well as to others.

2. Invest in Black-led organizations and initiatives.

Another important aspect of philanthropy during Black History month is making meaningful investments in Black-led organizations. Research shows that Black-led organizations are 24% smaller in their revenue base compared to their white-led counterparts. Not to mention the same organizations have net-assets that are 74% smaller than those of their white-led counterparts. These organizations play a life-changing role in addressing issues facing the Black community and bring unique perspectives and solutions to the challenges that they face.

In their report on the Power of Black Social Innovation, Echoing Green highlights the possibilities of our collective future when we affirm and support the work of Black social innovators and leaders. This is especially true in the nonprofit world. When acting in allyship, consider prioritizing long-term funding and support to these Black-led organizations over reactionary giving.

Not sure where to begin? Here is a list of Black-led initiatives to consider investing in:

Black-led nonprofit organizations in Chicago

Association of Black Foundation Executives

Chicago African Americans in Philanthropy

Foundation for Black Philanthropy

3. Be an active ally.

Undergirding the intersection of Black History Month and Philanthropy is the role that non-Black people play in the continued oppression of Black communities both individually and systemically. One way this oppression can begin to dissolve is by defining and participating in active allyship.

Allyship is the intentional effort to work in solidarity and partnership with marginalized groups, challenging assumptions, attitudes and beliefs and bringing implicit bias to the forefront. Active allyship takes this to the next level. It acknowledges that we are each an enabler of inclusivity in every moment of our day. It recognizes that curiosity, self-education, and regular application are required to uphold our responsibilities to one another.

Alford Group offers an extensive DEI toolkit that provides techniques and resources for how to implement active allyship. Through all these methods and more, active allyship is a commitment to transforming the dominant narrative of whom we call a philanthropist and how we define philanthropy as a whole.

Learning is continuous.

Active allyship is a continuous process of learning and sharing that can be uncomfortable for some. However, for the world of philanthropy to truly overcome these biases, it is critical that we exercise these conversations and practices consistently, collectively, and expansively across identity groups.

Giving Back: The Soul of Philanthropy Reframed and Exhibited is one rich opportunity to learn more and support the reframing narratives around philanthropy. Since its beginning in 2015, the exhibition has captivated visitors across the country with its comprehensive, multimedia presentation of stories of centuries-old generosity among Americans of African descent. It currently runs from February through April 2023 at the Chicago Cultural Center. Visit their website for more information on panel discussions, and public forums accompanying the exhibition.

Below are additional resources to learn more about the history of Black philanthropy, and to plug into more dialogues about how to transform the narrative moving forward:

A Generosity of Spirit: The Legacy of Black Philanthropy

Engaging Donors of Color

Everyday Donors of Color: Diverse Philanthropy During Times of Change

Madam C.J. Walker: 3 Myths About Black Philanthropy Debunked

Let’s keep our commitment to advancing equity and inclusivity beyond Black History Month. Our collective lives depend on it.

The Case for Equity-Centered Philanthropy: How to Collect and Utilize Demographic Data

Posted on by Anna Cai

By Mary Hackett, Vice President

Fundraisers often don’t believe that they can have a significant impact on their organization’s journey toward diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Here’s the truth: development professionals play a critical role! You have a unique superpower that can play the role of disruptor: your donor data.

As connectors, spokespeople, and communicators, both internally and externally, you have a variety of impactful ways to further your organization’s DEI efforts through data.

What is Equity-Centered Philanthropy?

Before we dig in, let’s calibrate exactly what equity-centered philanthropy means. Alford Group defines it as intentional action toward changing structures, roles, processes, representation, and practices that perpetuate inequities in the nonprofit community and world at large

Every organization, including Alford Group, is on its own journey when it comes to the work of DEI. Many of our clients fall somewhere on the spectrum below.

How Data Informs Donor Engagement and Fuels Disruptive Change

One of the greatest tools that you have in your fundraising toolkit is the years of giving histories and donors that are in your fundraising database. It is important to understand how to use data to inform knowledge, strategy and intentional action in creating a set of practices for your organization. 

Having this data allows you to step into the critical role of a disruptor by:

  • Connecting and centering community voices
  • Deepening organizational cultural competencies to better understand donors’ motivations and practices
  • Ensuring an expanded, more inclusive definition of who is a philanthropist
  • Increasing and sustaining collaboration and trust with donors by offering different giving levels and ways to support and invest

Often, we are worried about putting “sensitive” information into our databases, but we have to collect data to measure where we are and where we want to go. I often hear, “we won’t track gender” or “we won’t track age” and “we won’t track religious affiliation.” The APRA Ethics and Compliance Committee on DEI Data Collection said it best:

“DEI data can be considered sensitive, due to histories of discrimination, persecution, and lack of access. DEI data represents how we determine who is seen and who is erased, who counts and who does not.”

How we collect DEI data reflects our organization’s values. Methods can either perpetuate inequity, bias, and harmful stereotypes. It stands to reason that this information enables greater inclusivity in our constituencies.

How to Collect Demographic Data

The best way to collect demographic data is to allow your constituents to self-identify. There are many ways to collect this type of data: surveys, event registrations, solicitation reply devices, online giving forms, and direct contact.

After I made a recent online donation, I was taken to this online survey. I took a screen-shot because it was such a great way to allow people to opt in and share how they’d like to be addressed.

You’ll see that every question allows people to type in a specific answer or prefer not to answer. After I filled out this survey, the organization captured that data and began addressing me as I had indicated that I’d like to be addressed.

When collecting demographic data:

  • Only collect data that has business use. Don’t collect more data than exactly what you plan to use.
  • Always include a free-form text box if none of the options you provide fit.
  • Provide self-disclosure on surveys, event registrations, profile updates through the portal and in discussions with gift officers.
  • Be transparent about why you’re collecting and tracking this data.

How to Use Demographic Data

As your collection of demographic data grows, you’ll begin to understand the composition of your donor pool. We urge clients to look at the following demographics to better understand their current pool. Once you have visibility, you can begin to implement strategies and tactics to further diversify. Consider the following:

  • Age
  • Ethnicity
  • Disability and impairment
  • Gender Identity
  • Level of Education

We specifically chose these five demographics because they encourage us to be inclusive with our communications. As you examine the makeup of your constituents, here are some best practices:

  1. Use strength-based language when speaking about clients served
  2. Record, store and use data in ways that are inclusive and reflect their choices
  3. Move from an “opt out” model of data usage to a “permission based” model
  4. Identify and test message resonance with donor segments
  5. Engage donors at all levels
  6. Personalize your communications and use real individuals by incorporating their voice

Demographic Data is key to an equitable future.

While it may not seem obvious at first, as development professionals, we play an important role in our organizations’ DEI journey. Data is empowering.

Our use and understanding of data can be a major influence on our organization’s ability to forge radically authentic relationships internally and externally with board, staff, partners and donors alike.

Data can help our teams build the confidence to establish the brace spaces required to recognize scarcity mindsets, white-centered norms and deficit-based communications.

By focusing our strategies and systems on our donors’ self-identification and visibility, we can make necessary changes to be a more inclusive, diverse, and equitable nonprofit community.