BFCF ListeningReport2024 r201 - Flipbook - Page 15
LISTENING TOUR REPORT 2023 - 2024
BLACK FUTURE CO-OP FUND
Investments and Opportunities
“Philanthropy should focus on addressing the root
causes of inequality, such as racism, economic
segregation, and lack of access to tables of power,
rather than only funding surface-level solutions.”
—Mya Douglas, Kent
How philanthropy and funders engage with communities
matters. Participants shared feedback and ideas to guide
community engagement.
•
Think and act relationally. Communities talked about
the importance of focusing on relationships 昀椀rst and
foremost. Showing up is huge. Taking a 昀氀ight to Spokane,
sharing a meal, paying for people’s time, providing
childcare are all parts to building relationships and
building trust with communities. People expressed
gratitude that the Black Future Co-op Fund made time to
visit folks in areas outside of Seattle-King County.
•
Foster inclusion. Collective power building needs to be
intergenerational. At our listening tour gatherings, trusted
elders interjected important histories and wisdom. We
also heard that more youth and young adults need to
be part of the conversations. As funders, we must pay
attention to societal and organizational hierarchies, and
ensure everyone feels welcome. At the 昀椀rst gathering, we
heard from participants that invitations should note when
gatherings are open to more folks from an organization,
as well as encourage extending invitations to a diversity of
community members. We need to intentionally outreach
to those missing from the conversation.
•
Support connection. There is a growing appetite among
people and organizations to learn from each other and
connect across the state. Communities appreciated the
opportunity to come together, and suggested funders
can help advance the work by investing in bringing
people together who are working on similar issues across
geographies, as well as those working within the same
geography across issues. Having an unaligned entity bring
all parties to the table and facilitate conversation across
Co-architect T’wina Nobles holds up a
brochure about a new aquatic center in
southeast Yakima for which Ms. Ester Huey
has been a long-time champion to build it.
differences can also be bene昀椀cial.
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