New York (AP) – The BackBlack campaign is rolling out a nationwide fundraising push this August, encouraging ordinary donors to support Black‑led nonprofit organizations. Founded by Floyd Jones, the effort has already directed more than $12 million to such groups over the past three years.
Focus on small‑donor power
BackBlack operates like a GivingTuesday event, inviting online giving platforms to highlight underfunded Black‑led charities. Last year the campaign attracted over 130,000 unique donors, most of whom contributed less than $100. This year, the organizers are adding a new element: partnering with social‑media creators who reach Black Generation Z audiences.
“Our people have always taken care of our people,” Jones said. “I want people to feel empowered.” The message is clear – philanthropy belongs to everyday citizens, not just wealthy, predominantly white institutions.
Addressing funding gaps
Research released earlier this year showed that many Black‑led nonprofits saw little change in funding after the 2020 racial reckoning, with only a few larger organizations experiencing temporary boosts. BackBlack hopes to reverse that trend by highlighting the historic tradition of mutual aid, citing examples such as the Free African Society founded in 1787 and the charitable work of Madam C.J. Walker.
“We’ve always had to pool our money and resources to help each other,” said Ernest Crim III, a former teacher who posts Black‑history videos to his 118,000 Instagram followers. Crim urges both Black donors and allies to contribute, especially in communities that lack a sustainable market for consistent giving.
Platform partners and matching funds
For Good, a charitable‑giving platform that moves money from donor‑advised funds to nonprofits filtered by ZIP code, will match up to $6,000 in donations. GivingTuesday is handling the campaign’s data, while additional partners include GiveButter, Every.org, Bonterra and Fundraise Up. For Good also supports backend infrastructure for large‑scale creator‑driven fundraisers, such as YouTube’s fundraising pages and Patagonia’s point‑of‑sale donations.
Interim president Tamara Mahal of For Good noted that wealth concentration has increased the share of high‑net‑worth donors, but emphasized that modern tools make it easier than ever to give locally from the bottom up. “The cause is important in and of itself. Find a nonprofit that’s doing work in your community,” she said.
Community‑based philanthropy
Kaci Patterson, founder of Social Good Solutions, described Black Philanthropy Month in August as a reminder that charitable giving extends beyond “institutional” walls of wealth and power. She recalled how fish fries and chicken dinners helped fund alternative transportation during the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and how her own family received community‑provided groceries during hard times.
“That was philanthropy. That was someone else looking at us and investing in us and wanting us to be whole,” Patterson said. “We’ve always had this kind of ‘we‑got‑us’ philanthropy. Let’s step into that role more confidently.”
The campaign’s goal is to flip the narrative from one of deficit to one of abundance, encouraging small‑dollar givers to support a broad range of causes, from youth employment and sports access to health outcomes and civil‑rights work.
Original reporting: Alexandria, VA News – WTOP News — read the source article.
