Giving Compass' Take:

• According to a recent study conducted by the Women’s Philanthropy Institute, Black women are redefining what it means to be philanthropists.

• How can donors build on this legacy of philanthropy? 

• Here are some black women-led organizations you should know about. 

“Women Give 2019,” the first study of its kind to explore the intersections of race, gender, and giving, found that women of color are engaging in more informal ways of giving back. Whether through crowdfunding, mobile apps, or creating new initiatives to directly impact their communities, Black women are successfully navigating nontraditional philanthropic efforts to work in their communities and create change.

The study highlighted the work of the South Side Giving Circle, the first initiative led by Black women to mobilize philanthropic resources to equip Black women-led organizations assisting Black girls and women on Chicago’s South Side. In its inaugural year, 34 women from various educational, professional, and socioeconomic experiences awarded $34,000 to five organizations focused on the key issues of health, economic empowerment, and freedom from violence. Now in its second year, the self-proclaimed “queen-makers” have doubled in size to 64 members and are set to invest $60,000 back into their community. “It was intentional,” says Nicole Robinson, Giving Circle founding member and vice president of community impact at the Chicago Food Bank. “They’re not what would be described as the traditional donor in the philanthropic space but they come to this work with the idea they can change the trajectory of women and girls in their community. It’s just a great example of how women are collectively coming together to do this work.”

Read the full article about black women in philanthropy by Candice Marie Benbow at Medium.