August is Black Philanthropy Month

Black Philanthropy Month, founded by Dr. Jackie Bouvier Copeland with the support of Reunity, is a global celebration and concerted campaign to elevate African-descent giving and funding equity. This Black Philanthropy Month, we are contemplating how Groundswell Fund and Groundswell Action Fund can do more to ensure that Black organizers and movement leaders are seen, heard, and funded the way they deserve.

Thanks to the hard work of Black women and women of color organizers, we have been able to protect significant progressive policies over the last year, but there’s still so much on the line. Our communities are still reeling from the recent SCOTUS Dobbs decision and the continued attack on reproductive rights while fighting voter suppression laws, the threat of white supremacy and the police state, anti-trans legislation, and more. All of these issues live under the umbrella of reproductive justice.

Founded by Black women more than twenty years ago, reproductive justice centers the engagement and leadership of those who experience the greatest reproductive health disparities and face the greatest barriers to reproductive freedom: women of color, low-income women, and transgender and gender-expansive people.

As one of the largest funders of the Reproductive Justice Movement, we are committed to funding Black leadership and racial and gender justice. In 2021, over 42% of funding went to Black communities, with over 90% of our funding going to organizations led by people of color. We also incubate the Black Trans Fund, the first fund in the U.S. dedicated to uplifting and resourcing Black trans social justice leaders.

What gives us hope is that we know what is possible by investing in movement-building and listening to our grantee organizations that are led by and serve Black women, Indigenous women, and trans and gender-expansive people of color.

Our 2020-2025 Blueprint lays out what this impact looks like and how we’re working towards achieving a more liberated future for all of us. Our goal is to move $100 million to the field and put resources into the hands of those who will lead the way.

You can learn more about the incredible work of our grantees and our Blueprint progress by reviewing Groundswell’s 2021 Impact Report and our 2021 RJ Impact Evaluation.

For the Reproductive Justice Movement to win at this critical time in our country, we must counteract the billions of dollars of dark money poured into conservative efforts. In short, philanthropy must do more.

In our recent Reproductive Justice Impact survey of 80 organizations and grassroots groups, there was a resounding call for more support: 64% of organizations said that their work would be more powerful if they had the resources to adequately staff up and retain talent.

What if philanthropy funded what it takes to mobilize people power and build community relationships and trust?

By unlocking resources for grassroots RJ leaders and organizations doing the most liberatory work and moving money quickly and flexibly to the field, hard-fought victories would exponentially increase.

We are committed to advocating for all Black women, Indigenous women, and transgender and gender-expansive people of color to have the abundance of resources needed to succeed and thrive. Join us and share your commitments to inclusive giving and bold action!