A Philanthropic Covenant with Black America

A Philanthropic Covenant will feature eight essays from several prominent African American grantmakers, scholars, activists and clergy that will examine critical elements of modern philanthropy and how they affect Black communities for good and for ill. Each chapter will include statistical documentation of the issues, strategic recommendations to improve the quality of Black life, and examples of outstanding models already being practiced throughout the country. A Philanthropic Covenant is intended to inform individuals, grantors, religious organizations, fundraisers and youth how philanthropy--time, talent and treasure--can be strategically mobilized to assist Black communities in dealing more effectively with the issues outlined in The Covenant with Black America. Throughout the book, emphasis will be placed on the role, responsibilities and potential of African Americans and African-American philanthropy, in particular, to affect positive change in their own communities.

Foreword xi
Tavis Smiley

Acknowledgments xiii

Introduction xv

Chapter 1 Empowering the African American Community through Strategic Grantmaking 1
Angela Glover Blackwell

Facts 1

Creating an Equitable Portfolio 5

Mobilizing Communities of Color 9

Jobs for a Sustainable Future 11

Building Power and Voice 12

What Foundations Can Do 15

Notes 17

Chapter 2 Philanthropy and Religion 19
Harold Dean Trulear

The State of Giving and Religion in the African American Community 19

African American Support for Their Houses of Worship 21

Religious Charities and African American Religion 25

Houses of Worship and Support for Social Causes 30

African American Religious Institutions as Objects of General Philanthropy 32

A Future for Religion and Philanthropy among African Americans 38

Recommendations 44

Notes 47

Chapter 3 Fundraising to Strengthen Black Communities 53
Birgit Smith Burton

The Facts 53

Introduction 54

Nonprofit Organizations in America 55

African American Support for Nonprofits: Credibility is the Bottom Line 57

Fundraising—Whose Job Is It? 59

Empowering the Effective Fundraiser 62

African American Fundraisers 63

African American Donors 66

Unrestricted Funds: The Lifeblood of the Nonprofit Organization 68

If You Fail to Plan, You Plan to Fail 69

Call to Action: Innovative Ways to Raise Money 70

Is Your Nonprofit’s Story One of Success? 72

When Our Nonprofits Are Successful, Our Community Benefits 73

Notes 73

Chapter 4 Youth in Philanthropy 77
Jeanette M. Davis-Loeb

The Facts on Youth in Philanthropy 77

What the Philanthropic Community Can Do 84

What the Larger Community Can Do 85

What Every Individual Can Do Now 87

What Works Now 88

Notes 90

Chapter 5 Civic Engagement in the African American Community 93
Stephanie Robinson and Charisse Carney-Nunes

Civic Engagement Defined 94

Philanthropy to the Rescue? 96

What’s Race Got to Do with It? Black Civic Philanthropy 101

Facts on Civic Engagement and Philanthropy 104

What the Philanthropic Community Can Do 107

What the Community Organizations and Local Faith Communities Can Do 109

What Every Individual Can Do Now 109

What Works Now 112

Democracy Alliance: Strategic Investments in Organizations as Agents of Change 114

Notes 117

Chapter 6 An African American Response to Natural Disasters: Reflecting on Hurricanes Katrina and Rita 121
Sherece Y. West and Kermit “K.C.” Burton

Preparing Before the Breaches: Readiness and Response and the Role of Black Institutions 125

Promoting the Covenants: Empowerment and Engagement and the Role of Black Social Capital 126

Supporting the Covenants: Revitalization and Transformation and the Role of Philanthropy 130

The Equity and Inclusion Campaign 134

The Japan Foundation 134

The Twenty-First Century Foundation 135

The New York Regional Associations of Grantmakers 135

References 136

Chapter 7 Families and Friends—The Power of Small Groups 139
Carol Brunson Day and Judith Gordon Samuel

African American Family Reunions 140

Giving Circles 145

Common Elements of African American Family Reunions and Giving Circles 156

Addendum Renaissance Women Symposiums 158

Notes 159

Chapter 8 Time and Talent: Volunteerism as a Resource for Black Communities 161
Rodney M. Jackson

National Statistics and Trends 161

African Americans 162

Origin of Volunteerism in the African American Community 163

Contemporary Volunteerism among African Americans 164

Recruiting and Retaining African American Volunteers 166

Final Notes 169

A Sample of Successful Volunteer Programs 170

Volunteer Opportunities of Note 175

Notes 177

References 179

Chapter 9 A Philanthropic Covenant with Black America 181
Rodney M. Jackson

The Covenant with Black America 182

Summary of Chapter Covenants 192

Notes 211

Reconciling King’s Dream, Obama’s Election, and the Imperative for a Black Philanthropic Covenant 213
Emmett D. Carson

About The National Center for Black Philanthropy, Inc. 221

About the Editor 223

About the Authors 225

Index 233

"Authors mostly from charitable organizations describe how the philanthropic sector can and does contribute to addressing the problems and fulfilling the potentials set out in the mother volume. Their topics include philanthropy and religion, youth in philanthropy, civic engagement in the African American coummunity, African American response to hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the power of small groups, and volunteerism as a resource for black communities." (Book News, August 2009)

RODNEY M. JACKSON is the founder, President, and CEO of the National Center for Black Philanthropy, Inc., incorporated in Washington, D.C. in November of 1999. Mr. Jackson is also founder of the National and Regional Conferences on Black Philanthropy that have been held biennially since March 1997. He was also editor of Moving the Agenda Forward, the Proceedings of the Second National Conference on Black Philanthropy; editor and contributing author to At the Crossroads, the Proceedings of the First National Conference on Black Philanthropy; Philanthropy and the Black Church: New Problems, New Visions; and Black Philanthropy, the Newsletter of the People, Programs and Issues in African-American Philanthropy.

Black philanthropy has been shaped by the real-ities of black life in North America since the eighteenth century. From churches to the Underground Railroad to abolitionist newspapers to colleges, Black America has been enriched with the actions of many individuals who have given of their time, their talents, and their money. Today, Black philanthropy has taken on a new face, one that requires intentionality and strategy in your use of time and talent, one that says, "I am willing to take risks with my treasure," and to which you can commit through actions that strengthen your community and its families by carrying out your own Covenant Commitment.

Starting with the Introduction by Tavis Smiley—author of The Covenant with Black America, which brilliantly advanced a plethora of bold strategies for addressing critical issues affecting the Black community today—A Philanthropic Covenant with Black America is one of the most authoritative collections of essays ever amassed on African-American philanthropy, written by an unprecedented compilation of professionals, including:

• Angela Glover Blackwell, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, PolicyLink

• Harold Dean Trulear, Associate Professor of Applied Theology, Howard University School of Divinity

• Birgit Smith Burton, Senior Director of Foundation Relations, Georgia Institute of Technology

• Jeanette Davis-Loeb, founder and CEO, Rising Oak Foundation

• Stephanie Robinson, President and CEO, The Jamestown Project

• Sherece West, President, Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation

• Kermit "KC" Burton, Deputy Director, Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility

• Charisse Carney-Nunes, Senior Vice President, The Jamestown Project

• Carol Brunson Day, President and CEO, National Black Child Development Institute

• Judith Gordon Samuel, Partner, Samuel Consulting LLC

• Emmett D. Carson, President and CEO, Silicon Valley Community Foundation

Edited by Rodney Jackson, a leading philanthropic professional, A Philanthropic Covenant with Black America picks up where The Covenant with Black America left off, assisting Black communities in dealing more effectively with the pressing issues discussed in that book and thoughtfully addressing how to mobilize people and resources to use time, talent, and treasure to greatest advantage.

This seminal guide reveals how you can become an influential resource for social action and social change and harness the power of Black philanthropy for effective giving.

Praise for A Philanthropic Covenant with Black America

"A long overdue call to action! These authors have written pieces that are rich in important detail and perspective; very appropriate for this historic and challenging time. They have addressed important topics on the uniquely American phenomenon of philanthropy." —Jeffrey A. Wolfman, Director of Institutional Advancement, Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art

"Through Covenant wisdom, we can leverage the rich [spiritual and intellectual] capital and historical philanthropic culture that already exists in the Black community to help unseat poverty, lack, and hopelessness. Black communities already know how to fish. The Covenant provides?bigger hooks,?better bait, and?stronger tackle to get the job done." —Kimberly Mullen-Jackson, Executive Director?&?CEO Wells Fargo Housing Foundation

"At the dawn of a new era in American politics, the essays in this volume offer a ringing call for social and racial justice. Part history, part philosophy, and part handbook, A Philanthropic Covenant with Black America covers a comprehensive range of subjects from the centrality of the prophetic giving tradition to the philanthropic response to Hurricane Katrina, and culminates with a challenge to build a $100 million Covenant Fund.?Along the way, it provides practical guidance on how to build Black social capital, and implement fundraising and wealth building strategies. This is an important contribution to the field, presenting a clear vision for the future of Black philanthropy." —Dr. Eugene D. Miller, Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society at The Graduate Center—The City University of New York