Meeting the Moment: Black Leaders in Philanthropy Reflect on How the Sector Is Evolving

Black lives matter protest, June 2020. Kevin RC Wilson/shutterstock

The philanthropic sector faced massive shifts over the past two years. The pandemic prompted some funders to increase payouts and loosen — or entirely lift — grant restrictions, while the racial reckoning forced many to confront the imminent need to shift power dynamics, increase internal diversity, and act with intention to support organizations led by and serving people of color. 

But what more can be done? Will these changes last? What have we learned? As someone who thinks about these questions daily because of my work at a foundation based in Baltimore, I sought the perspective and insight of other leaders in the sector.

While they are not the usual headline names, Aisha Alexander-Young, Gregg Bishop and Chuck Redmond serve in key roles at important institutions: chief executive of an organization working to get more funds to Black-founded organizations, director of a new fund focused on social justice and economic mobility in Brooklyn, and trustee of a place-based foundation, respectively. They are each, in their own unique way, actively working to make the philanthropic sector meet the moment and become more equitable and responsive. They also bring deep expertise to relatively new roles and are representative of the communities they serve. 

In the following Q&As, I asked each person to reflect on the moment and share how they are taking action to move the sector forward. They see promise in the changes happening in the sector, while recognizing the need for even greater intention. They are exemplars of what a more diverse leadership field in the sector can accomplish. (Responses were edited for length and clarity.)

Aisha Alexander-Young, CEO, Giving Gap

Photo by Lydia Kearney Carlis for C-Suite Pics

How did you come into this role, what motivated you, and what are your priorities? 

Throughout my career, I’ve worked closely with philanthropy to advance change in communities, and too often, there was an egregious difference in funding for organizations with Black leaders that are centered in Black communities. I came to philanthropy because there was not enough representation and advocacy for Black organizations that were addressing the root causes of inequity. Giving Gap is founded on the belief that increasing awareness about funding disparities and mobilizing resources to support Black communities is an integral piece to advancing racial equity.

Many funders have made changes to their practices such as reducing administrative burdens for grantees, increasing unrestricted funding, and undertaking new efforts to advance racial equity. What do you make of these changes? 

My optimism is cautious. I am encouraged by the shifts we have seen in the past two years to make philanthropy more equitable. Simultaneously, I am disturbed that it took a public lynching caught on video and global uprising, along with a pandemic that disproportionately impacted communities of color to usher in these changes. For over a decade, I acted in a development capacity for racial justice organizations, and we’ve seen these waves of support in the past — after Trayvon Martin, after Mike Brown, and during election cycles. And each time, as publicity began to wane, so did funding. I believe that Black communities and organizations deserve resources not only in response to our traumas, but consistently, so we may thrive. 

What do you hope to achieve in the coming years?  

Giving Gap hopes to raise $1 billion from 1 million people in support of Black-founded organizations. Achieving this goal would be evidence of the cultural and moral shift that is necessary to sustain change and ensure true progress beyond one-off initiatives and fleeting promises. Black-founded organizations are on the front lines of tackling systemic racism and are more likely to be grounded in the needs of Black people in the communities they serve. That’s why I’m squarely focused on the equitable funding of Black-founded organizations.

What changes do you hope to see in the philanthropic sector, and how do we get there? 

Philanthropy must democratize. It must also realize equitable investment in Black communities as part of its role in tackling systemic racism. There’s only one way to get there: the people working in the halls of philanthropy and sitting in its board rooms must have shared life experiences with, and be more reflective of, the people and communities it purports to serve. In addition, communities served must be deeply engaged by the sector and involved in the development of strategies and given decision-making power in how dollars are allocated.

Gregg Bishop, Executive Director, Social Justice Fund 

How did you come into this role, what motivated you, and what are your priorities?

During my 13 years in government, I’ve had the opportunity to work on economic mobility, workforce, and entrepreneurship programs – many powered by philanthropic organizations. In 2020, I had the opportunity to meet Clara Wu Tsai and learn about her focus on social justice and her commitment to Brooklyn. We talked a lot about her vision and the desire to take a different approach to philanthropy. Clara asked me to join the team the following spring and we immediately focused on disrupting systemic disparities seen in many sectors, including entrepreneurship, workforce and criminal justice.

Many funders have made changes to their practices, such as reducing administrative burdens for grantees, increasing unrestricted funding, and undertaking new efforts to advance racial equity. What do you make of these changes? 

I absolutely think the changes we have seen with funders are important and meaningful. It’s important that funders continue looking at ways to empower and build the capacity of their grantees, particularly organizations that operate in areas that need maximum flexibility. At the Social Justice Fund, we partnered with Black Voices for Black Justice to invest in leaders of color in local communities. I believe funders need to continue that kind of hyperlocal investment and have local leaders advise funders on where to make investments. Listening is so important.

What do you hope to achieve in the coming years?  

My hope is that over the next 10 years, we will disrupt systemic barriers to economic mobility. Clara and I have a vision of creating new initiatives, such as our Brooklyn EXCELerate Loan Fund, which helps BIPOC entrepreneurs impacted by the pandemic. So far, it has provided almost $1.6 million to businesses, with 75% of those businesses led by Black women, which certainly calls into question how the financial sector evaluates risk and whether segments of the population are not being served. Our overall goal is to see an increase in wages, new businesses created, and stronger local leaders who are more equipped to scale and sustain their work in Brooklyn.

Chuck Redmond, Trustee, Jessie Ball DuPont Fund

How did you come into this role, what motivated you, and what are your priorities? 

I joined the Jessie Ball DuPont Fund in 2021 because of its focus on place-making and promoting equity. My priority is to be a good steward of the fund’s resources and to support the staff in deploying them effectively in support of our mission. Long-term, I am excited about helping to shape how we deploy assets (from philanthropic grants to market-rate impact investments) to drive equitable advancement in the fund’s target communities.

Many funders have made changes to their practices, such as reducing administrative burdens for grantees, increasing unrestricted funding, and undertaking new efforts to advance racial equity. What do you make of these changes?

Flexible capital is important to any organization that is looking to scale. Unfortunately, access to this type of investment is rare for nonprofits, and even harder to access for nonprofits led by and/or serving Black people and communities. That’s just not right, and it is a missed opportunity to tap into the massive potential of often overlooked people, organizations and communities. To make the changes that took place over the pandemic last, we must continue to challenge the status quo and really focus on doing what delivers the best outcomes for nonprofit organizations and the populations they serve.

What do you hope to achieve in the coming years?

I hope the fund can be a catalyst for positive change in its target communities. What I think that could look like is redevelopment of multiple communities in a manner where the existing populations can not only continue to live in their communities, but also have increasing ownership and autonomy over their communities and their lives.

What changes do you hope to see in the philanthropic sector, and how do we get there?

I hope we see more and more unrestricted gifts to nonprofits who have demonstrated a track record of driving meaningful and measurable change. I would love to see funders take more risks and invest in people and organizations that may not have the big brands or polished messaging, but that do understand their communities and deliver results. I actually don’t think that strategy is risky at all, if we are truly trying to improve the lives of people and communities who have been too often overlooked and underinvested. 

Darius Graham is the program director for Baltimore at The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation