What Every Board Should Know About Black Philanthropy

August is my favorite month. Yes, it is my birthday month—but it is also Black Philanthropy Month, a time to recognize, celebrate and invest in the generosity and leadership of Black communities.

Founded in 2011 by Dr. Jacqueline “Jackie” Bouvier Copeland, Black Philanthropy Month has grown into a global movement that brings together donors, nonprofit leaders, foundations, businesses and communities. Its purpose is not simply to celebrate giving. It is to amplify Black philanthropic leadership and move more resources toward Black-led change.

The 2026 theme, “Many Voices. One Movement,” reminds us that philanthropy takes many forms. It includes charitable donations, but it also includes volunteering, mentoring, advocating, investing, organizing, sharing knowledge and caring for one another.

Learn more about this year’s movement at BackBlack Movement.

What Does This Have to Do With Nonprofit Boards?

Everything!

In my work with nonprofit boards, I continue to see how limited cultural awareness affects board recruitment, community engagement and fundraising. Some boards say they want to become more diverse or reach new donors, but they have not examined the beliefs and assumptions shaping whom they view as a leader, connector or philanthropist.

One of the most persistent misconceptions is that Black people are primarily recipients of charity—not donors, investors, volunteers and philanthropic decision-makers.

That belief is not only inaccurate; it can also cause boards to overlook relationships, resources and leadership already present within the communities they serve.

Black philanthropy did not begin with foundations, corporations or formal fundraising campaigns. It has deep roots in mutual aid, faith communities, giving circles, benevolent societies, cooperatives, civic organizations, family networks and collective action.

Long before the word philanthropy was commonly used in our communities, Black people were pooling money, sharing food, caring for children, supporting churches, educating students, helping families bury loved ones and organizing for freedom.

Black philanthropy has always been about more than money. It is an expression of love, resistance, responsibility and collective care.

The Awareness Gap Is Real

Legal desegregation did not automatically produce cultural understanding. Many of us may work in diverse environments while still living, worshipping and socializing in largely separate communities.

As Heather McGhee explores in The Sum of Us, segregation and systemic racism have harmed everyone by limiting our relationships, perspectives and understanding of one another.

This separation leaves room for stereotypes and incomplete narratives to flourish. Media coverage has often portrayed Black communities through the narrow lenses of poverty, struggle and need. Those realities may exist, but they do not tell the full story.

The full story also includes generosity, wealth, entrepreneurship, volunteerism, faith, community leadership and generations of people investing in one another.

Board members who do not recognize this broader story may unknowingly carry those incomplete narratives into conversations about donor prospects, board recruitment and community partnerships.

Black Communities Are Givers

Black donors are not a monolith. Our giving is shaped by our individual experiences, values, relationships and priorities.

For many Black donors, however, faith, family, cultural tradition and personal connection are powerful influences. Giving frequently happens through churches, alumni groups, fraternities and sororities, giving circles, civic associations, mutual-aid networks and direct support of individuals and families.

Trust matters too.

Many donors are more likely to support an organization when they are invited by someone they know, when they see people from their community in leadership and when they believe the organization genuinely respects the people it serves.

That means a board cannot simply decide that it wants to “reach Black donors” and begin making asks.

Relationships must come before requests.

Organizations must demonstrate that Black people are valued as leaders, partners and decision-makers—not simply approached when the organization needs money or wants to diversify a photograph.

Representation Strengthens Relationships

A board that reflects the community it serves is more likely to understand that community’s strengths, needs, networks and priorities.

But representation alone is not enough.

Recruiting one or two Black board members will not automatically make a board inclusive or culturally responsive. Those board members must also have influence, access to information and meaningful opportunities to help shape decisions.

Boards should ask:

• Do Black board members and community leaders have a real voice here?

• Whose relationships and lived experiences are treated as valuable?

• Who is included when fundraising strategies are developed?

• Do our materials reflect Black donors as contributors and leaders?

• Are we building relationships in Black communities throughout the year—or only when we want something?

• Have we created a culture in which people can challenge assumptions without being dismissed or penalized?

An inclusive board does more than invite different people into the room. It respects their knowledge, listens to their perspectives and shares power with them.

Black-Led Organizations Remain Underfunded

While Black communities continue to give, Black-led and Black-founded nonprofits still face significant funding inequities.

Giving Gap’s State of Black Nonprofits Report found that Black nonprofit leaders often bring direct lived experience to their missions and lead organizations deeply connected to their communities. Yet many leaders must supplement their nonprofit income with other employment because of limited resources. The report identified general operating support as one of these organizations’ greatest needs.

Giving Gap also reported that the nation’s largest foundations continued to direct only about 2% of their funding to Black communities.

That gap is not a reflection of a lack of capable leadership, strong programs or community impact. It reflects longstanding disparities in access, relationships, visibility and institutional trust.

Learn more from the Giving Gap State of Black Nonprofits Report.

Black Philanthropy Month provides an opportunity to confront these inequities while celebrating the people and organizations already producing meaningful change. According to the BackBlack Movement, more than $11.5 million was mobilized for Black-led organizations during the previous year’s campaign. In 2026, the campaign is offering more than $100,000 in additional funding opportunities.

That is what it looks like when celebration is connected to investment.

What Is Give 8/28?

Give 8/28 is a national day of giving dedicated to Black-led and Black-benefiting nonprofit organizations. It takes place annually on August 28 during Black Philanthropy Month.

The date carries deep historical significance. Several pivotal moments in Black history occurred on August 28, including Emmett Till’s murder in 1955, the 1963 March on Washington and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, and Barack Obama’s acceptance of the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008.

In 2026, Give 8/28 will take place from 8:00 a.m. through 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Donors can explore participating organizations and give directly to causes aligned with their interests.

Learn more at Give 8/28.

What Can Your Board Do?

Black Philanthropy Month should lead to more than a social media post. It should inspire boards to learn, reflect, build relationships and act.

Here are several ways your board can begin:

1. Add Black philanthropy to the board agenda

Devote time during an August board meeting to discussing the history and impact of Black giving. Do not assume every board member already understands it.

2. Examine your assumptions about donors

Ask board members to describe the image that comes to mind when they hear the word philanthropist. If that image is always a wealthy white person writing a large check, the board’s understanding of philanthropy is too narrow.

3. Recognize Black philanthropic leaders

Learn about leaders such as Madam C.J. Walker, Mary McLeod Bethune, Oseola McCarty, LeBron James, Oprah Winfrey and Robert F. Smith. Do not overlook the countless unnamed Black people who have sustained schools, churches, movements and families through everyday generosity.

4. Support Black-led organizations

Identify Black-led nonprofits in your community. Volunteer, attend their events, share their work, introduce them to potential partners and make unrestricted financial contributions.

5. Review your fundraising practices

Look at your donor communications, events and cultivation strategies. Do Black donors see themselves represented as partners and investors? Are your approaches relational and culturally aware, or are you relying on assumptions?

6. Build relationships before making an ask

Attend community events. Listen to local leaders. Support Black organizations without expecting an immediate benefit in return. Trust is built through consistency, transparency and mutual respect.

7. Continue the work beyond August

Black communities deserve more than one month of recognition. The learning, relationship-building and investment should continue throughout the year.

From Awareness to Action

Boards have an important role in determining whose leadership is recognized, whose generosity is celebrated and where resources are directed.

Understanding Black philanthropy can help boards become better fundraisers, more thoughtful community partners and more responsible stewards of their missions. But the goal should not be to treat Black donors as an untapped market.

The goal is to replace outdated assumptions with genuine understanding, and then build relationships grounded in trust, respect and shared purpose.

Black philanthropy is not a trend. It is not new. It is not confined to August.

Black philanthropy is philanthropy.

Should your board know more about Black Philanthropy Month or how to build authentic relationships and raise funds from Black donors? If so, let’s talk.

Email me at hello@theboardpro.com.