Four Things Philanthropy Should Do Differently This Black History Month

February is Black History Month, an annual celebration when we sharpen our focus on the achievements of Black people in the United States. Since its inception in the 1970s, Black History Month has also served as a reminder of the sacrifices made by Black people and the structural racism embedded in systems that drive disparate outcomes for people of color today.

As a Black woman in a position of privilege, I brace myself every February for a myriad of speaking invitations, corporate announcements and new initiatives. Though I do believe most of these are well-intentioned, Black History Month has traditionally served as a time when America attempts to repair centuries of harm with a mile-wide, inch-deep approach that does not disrupt systemic racism in a meaningful way.

This Black History Month, philanthropy has an opportunity to take a different way forward. Instead of doing more of the same — extra funding for education initiatives, a new scholarship program or a fleeting new community empowerment project — corporations, foundations and philanthropists can change their giving practice to better support Black leaders and begin to resource them with equitable dollars and respectful relationships. If we can remake philanthropy using this vision, we can change Black History Month from a month of acknowledgement and remembrance to a catalyst for disruption.

Here are four ways we can rethink how to give in a way that reimagines the relationship between funder and grantee and leaves old, antiquated or harmful ways of philanthropy behind.

1. Be courageous: Repair past harm to make way for strong working relationships

Despite our good intentions, philanthropy is working its way back from a long history of harmful dynamics that mirror the historic inequities within society at large.

Those of us on the giving end of philanthropic dollars must understand that we enter new relationships with grantees holding all of the power and privilege. Rooted in an age-old paradigm, philanthropy historically centered the perspectives of white, wealthy men who made their fortunes in business and went on to assume they had superior knowledge of how to improve society and prescribe solutions in line with their beliefs and view of the world.

Those of us seeking to change philanthropy for the better need to start by acknowledging that we are a part of this legacy and we have a responsibility to repair it. We cannot do this unless we invite in perspectives and solutions from the ground. That requires deep relationships grounded in respectful acknowledgement of privilege, and the need to dismantle the systems of oppression that have historically driven wealth-making.

2. Be proximate: Collaborate in the genuine sense of the term

In order to establish new dynamics and strong collaborative working relationships between funders and grantees, those with power in the relationship (the funders) have a responsibility to change this harmful paradigm. There is no better way to start than by acknowledging a simple truth: Those who are closest to a community are the ones best equipped with solutions to a community’s challenges.

We have seen this borne out time and time again in our work at the New Commonwealth Fund. Instead of prescribing grant metrics in a top-down way, we asked grantees how they would define success and designed metrics together. Some would argue that this strips away accountability and rigor. What we would say, unequivocally, is that accountability is amplified when the metric is identified by the person or organization who is responsible for the outcome. After going through this process, one grantee, who runs an arts organization in Lawrence, Massachusetts, said it gave him “unreasonable confidence” not to compromise his approach and values, no matter what a funder offers.

The people who work and volunteer at foundations must also be proximate. That goes for board members, leadership and staff. If your people can’t connect with nonprofit leaders on an authentic level, then they cannot effect change at the level that is necessary. The truly disruptive question to our field is: “What does philanthropy have to learn from the individuals we have never truly listened to?”

3. Invest in people and relationships even when they are unfamiliar: Get comfortable with the uncomfortable

It’s easy to be drawn in by clever new ideas brought by someone who looks, talks, thinks and moves like you do. It’s also easy to believe that only new solutions will address entrenched issues, because the old ways have not yielded the intended results at a fast enough pace.

But entrenched issues are complex and have taken decades if not centuries to evolve, so it stands to reason that it will take time, and adequate resources, to address them in all of their complexity.

When leaders tell you what they need to have the impact they envision, be a true partner and support their need for unrestricted funds. These are the dollars that keep lights on, support professional development, pay salaries and cover child care for evening meetings. Invest in leaders as people, and choose relationships over manufactured metrics that don’t say much of anything about real impact.

This emphasis on relationships will pay off over time, allowing leaders to run their programs and serve the most pressing needs of the community at a scale that matches the complexity of the challenge they have identified, while also solidifying a partnership with you as a funder that’s rooted in trust and respect.

4. Value people and the reality of their experience, especially regarding race: Foster safety

In order to make their greatest impact, Black and brown leaders cannot dilute their genius or stifle their experience as a people. We need the space to embrace us in order to be fully ourselves and thrive.

As funders, we must see the cultural assets of Black and brown leaders as strengths that are critical ingredients for our partnerships. The assumption that Black and brown nonprofit leaders don’t have what it takes to receive and manage large, monetary investments is racist at its core. These leaders deserve to be invested in at scale and are more than capable of meeting the required expectations. This is the luxury we afford white leaders of nonprofit organizations and start-ups and ventures — visionary nonprofit leaders of color deserve the same treatment.

As we begin Black History Month, it’s past time for philanthropy to ask some tough questions. What history do we need to learn? What harmful dynamics have we been upholding that we need to let go of? Which leaders do we need to reach to begin resetting the tone of our relationship starting in 2024? I would challenge all of us working in the business of giving to spend some time reflecting on these questions, and to use this month to take at least one tangible step to change our practice for the better.

Makeeba McCreary, Ed.D., serves as President of the New Commonwealth Racial Equity and Social Justice Fund (NCF).

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