New Reports Highlight Giving Habits of African American Millennials & Keys to Advance Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Philanthropy

Young professionals attend "Defining Young Black Philanthropy:  DC" hosted by Friends of Ebonie in February 2013

Discover how and why African American millennials give back in a new report released by Friends of Ebonie titled “African American Millennials: Discovering the Next Generation of Black Philanthropy for the Effective Communication and Engagement of Non-Profit Organizations.”

With this report, non-profit development officers and communication practitioners will learn how to better engage with diverse volunteers, donors and board members. The report’s goal is to provide insight that will help enable non-profits to become more sustainable by being inclusive and relevant.

Ebonie shares, “Giving back or philanthropy isn’t synonymous with young and black, unfortunately. But that doesn’t mean we don’t do it, like to do it or cannot do it. The findings in this report are just the beginning to uncovering giving habits that come almost naturally to young, black professionals across the country. I want these facts to raise awareness about what we intentionally do to give, why we give back and how we want to make our communities better. As non-profit organizations look to diversify their boards, donor and volunteer pools, I challenge them to not just look to black people but black people between 18 and 33 to help them grow and be impactful. Together we can change the face of philanthropy.”

Friends of Ebonie is a for-profit social impact organization focused on social responsibility and philanthropy for African American millennials.

To download the full-length report, visit theFriends of Eboniewebsite.


Scan of Philanthropy Identifies 5 Keys to Advancing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

CHICAGO, IL – A scan of philanthropy commissioned by the D5 Coalition has revealed emerging trends within the sector to successfully advance diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).  The comprehensive scan, which reviewed written and web-based resources from philanthropy, as well as the fields of organizational effectiveness and social justice, identified five key elements—the “5 Ms”—critical to advancing DEI: Mobilizers, Missions, Money, Moments and Movements.

“Advancing diversity, equity and inclusion is critical to advancing the common good, as well as increasing the effectiveness and enhancing the impact of philanthropy,” said Kelly Brown, director of the D5 Coalition. “This analysis provides philanthropic organizations with the recipe to help successfully advance DEI.  D5 will continue to be a resource for philanthropies to learn how other foundations are successfully advancing DEI and how they can do the same.”

The scan found that while foundations incorporate DEI in a wide range of ways, the “5 Ms” that frequently stimulate change are:

• Mobilizers – When a motivated board or staff member, or grantee speaks up and is heard, change happens. A person’s life experiences or diverse background could bring new perspectives to the table and could lead to change.
• Missions – When DEI is tied to the mission of a foundation, that foundation is more likely to work to advance DEI.
• Money– The changing demographics of communities encourages community foundations to diversify their donor base, while corporate foundations are leaders in personnel diversification because they understand that more diverse people bring in more diverse markets.
• Moments– Certain moments can prompt foundations to imagine how DEI impacts and improves its work.  Moments can be fueled by crises, such as hate crimes that receive national attention or a tragedy like Hurricane Katrina.  When moments arise, philanthropies work to build coalitions to engage their collective funds and lift their collective voice on behalf of a given issue.
• Movements– Unlike moments, movements are about sustained, organized case-making and action. For example, the civil rights movement framed issues and offered action steps for achieving civil rights. Many portfolios are now designed to advance civil rights because of the momentum of the movement.

The report offers specific action steps that individual foundations can take to capitalize on these opportunities for advancing DEI.  “These elements help foundations get the ball rolling,” said Paula Dressel of JustPartners, Inc., which produced the scan. “Once DEI work begins, what counts next are leadership, a shared language, openness to self-reflection and learning, and ways to anchor the commitment in everyday work.”

Visit the D5 Coalition website to read the report.

About the D5 Coalition
D5 envisions a philanthropic sector in which foundations draw on the power of diverse staffs and boards to achieve lasting impact, forge genuine partnerships with diverse communities, and increase access to opportunities for all people.  D5 represents the collective efforts of dozens of leading foundations, regional associations of grantmakers, joint affinity groups, and philanthropic infrastructure organizations.  D5 is a fiscally sponsored project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors.


Don’t forget to nominate your favorite celebrity philanthropist of 2013 for our 7th Annual Top Black Celebrity Philanthropists list! Visit here or use the hashtag #blackgivesback.