BFCF AnnualReport DONE - Flipbook - Page 14
• Recognize that healing is essential. People
talked about the role of healing and, in
particular, prioritizing mental health care and
youth support, as integral to the work of racial
and social justice.
• Increase multiyear, unrestricted funding.
Organizations need 昀氀exible funding over 昀椀ve
to 10 years to use as they see 昀椀t to advance
their missions. As funders, we must reimagine
our roles to work more collaboratively and
creatively with nonpro昀椀ts.
• Support capacity building. Foundations and
other funders ought to expand their roles to
help organizations raise money, as well as offer
assistance and tools to support grant writing,
昀椀nancial management, communications, policy
advocacy, human resources, and more.
• Invest in Black leadership. Black people want
to see other Black people in their workplaces
as peers, collaborators, mentors, and role
models. It’s past time we level the playing
昀椀eld and accelerate investment in education,
training, apprenticeship, and other professional
development. Employers must pay equitable
wages, while making their workplaces
welcoming and inclusive environments.
• Fund advocacy and systems change.To create
the change we want to see, we must fund policy
advocacy to change the systems and structures
that perpetuate racial disparities — moving us
toward an equitable world.11
LOOKING FORWARD
One of the clear messages that emerged from our 2023-24 listening sessions is that Black community
organizations around the state are engaged and activated — they’re not waiting for an external savior. Their
actions come from the conviction that we who are here today need to do this, so that future generations
will not have to be in the work in this way.
We are inspired by the powerful, indispensable work of Black-led organizations around the state. In these
昀椀rst 昀椀ve years, we have been grati昀椀ed to support so many wonderful Black-led organizations and leaders
while modeling our approach to Black philanthropy. We have made a difference, and there is so much more
to do.
We are heartened by the fact that most funders giving to the Black Future Co-op Fund are practicing trustbased philanthropy by offering multiyear support and trusting the Fund to direct disbursement of funds.
We steadily advance our grantmaking work, and we are actively developing new ways for our grantees
to gather, access resources, and grow stronger individually and together. We are also continuing our
collaboration and conversations with Black funds around the nation, such as the California Black Freedom
Fund, Minnesota Black Collective Foundation, and South Florida Racial Justice Table.
While we are still a small fund at this time, our goal is to raise $246M. This amount represents $1M for every
year of institutional slavery in this country. Reaching this goal will enable us to establish an endowment to
replenish and sustain the Fund’s work into the future.
We mark our 昀椀ve-year anniversary at a time of great uncertainty and danger in this nation. We don’t know
what lies ahead, but we know that Black people have struggled, persevered, and changed the world,
generation after generation. In times like these, we will not turn away, and we know we’re not alone. We
draw on the legacy and power of our ancestors as we work for our future descendants. We stand with those
who stand with us today, moving together toward justice.
Out of love for our people — the true heart of philanthropy — we will go on making a way.
