A close-up of two pairs of hands holding onto each other, one pair of hands belongs to a Black woman wearing a stethescope and blue scrubs. The other hand belongs to a Black man with a watch.
Credit: Jacob Wackerhausen on iStock

August is Black Philanthropy Month, a time to highlight the generosity and leadership of the African diaspora and elevate the need for giving and funding equity. In today’s political climate, these goals have never mattered more.

Across the nonprofit world, we are witnessing the dismantling of programs to improve the health and wellness of Black communities, immigrants, refugees, LGBTQ+ communities and other people of color. We are seeing a wave of nonprofits and funders that are surrendering to attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion—which are reinforcing unequal conditions, widening health gaps and endangering decades of progress in making our health systems work for everyone.

Throughout the history of the United States, Black-led community organizations have consistently led the fight for justice and health equity—identifying gaps, mobilizing communities, and advancing solutions that create healthier outcomes for all people. Yet we remain significantly underfunded, and our work is often constrained by project-specific grants that limit innovation and responsiveness.

What we need now is sustained investment in health equity infrastructure, not performative solidarity. Philanthropy must commit to long-term, unrestricted support for Black- and brown-led organizations that are laying the foundation for more equitable health systems and outcomes. Doing so will enable organizations to invest in leadership, relationships and movement-building to foster lasting change.

Retrenchment Amid an Already Strained Funding Landscape

Two recent reports from Candid and A Philanthropic Partnership for Black Communities (ABFE) uplift the essential role Black-led organizations play and the ongoing lack of investment that stands in the way. Between 2016 and 2023, Black-led organizations were 30 percent less likely to receive foundation funding, and those that did were 33 percent less likely to receive general operating support.

Black-led community organizations have consistently led the fight for justice and health equity—identifying gaps, mobilizing communities, and advancing solutions that create healthier outcomes for all people. Yet we remain significantly underfunded…

In the past year, legions of funders and nonprofits have scrubbed their websites and mission statements of language that could make them targets of anti-DEI propaganda. At the same time, philanthropic organizations have reduced the amount of funding dedicated to communities of color and racial equity.

Where those dollars haven’t fully disappeared, Black-led organizations have seen a reduction in multi-year general operating support; the emergency and “trust-based” funding that arose during the pandemic is just a memory. Funders are reverting to restricted, project-based grants that do not provide Black-led organizations with autonomy or the opportunity to progress.

As a nonprofit leader dedicated to cultivating Black leadership in the health sector, I’m not surprised by the lack of sustainable funding for Black-led organizations. These reports highlight long-standing patterns that have only been exacerbated in recent years. Faced with the threat of harassment and public attacks, many funders have stepped back from external commitments to racial justice, equity and support for Black communities.

Philanthropy, Restore Your Commitment to Black-led Health Equity Organizations

Philanthropy is a powerful lever for systems change. What foundations choose to fund and how they partner with communities matters, as those decisions fundamentally shape transformative change. Accordingly, creating real, lasting impact requires committed investment that is guided by the experiences, wisdom and leadership of the people most affected. Transformation cannot be imposed on a community, it must be built in partnership and sustained through justice.

To achieve meaningful progress towards this desired objective, funders can do these three things.

  1. Cultivate relationships rooted in trust with Black-led health equity organizations, so they can lead without micromanagement. That means acknowledging the expertise of the folks closest to the issues, providing flexible resources and making lasting commitments. It also means investing not just in the mission of organizations, but also in their staff and leadership, so they can create more sustainable impact over time.

The impact of this approach is well established, as we saw during the COVID-19 pandemic. Trust-based philanthropic support enabled Black-led organizations to increase vaccination rates in communities that held a strong mistrust of health systems. This investment connected residents to each other and lifesaving resources.

  1. Shift your practices towards a liberatory approach—one where philanthropy and Black-led organizations work together in a reciprocal partnership. One that acknowledges the lived experience, creative insight and knowledge of Black leaders while giving them the freedom to do their best work. This approach represents not just a shift in funding, but a commitment to building a future where quality health care is accessible to all.
  2. Stand firm against political pressure and sustainably invest in the work of Black-led health equity organizations as essential infrastructure to advance the movement toward health and wellbeing for all. Despite the current attacks and persistent lack of funding, Black-led health equity organizations are innovating and scaling, becoming sharper and more strategic in the face of opposition.

Black-led health equity organizations are shifting the narrative toward an abundance mindset, highlighting community strengths, fortifying resilience and creating solutions that are rooted in cultural wisdom and lived experience. With community expertise at the center, we are helping shape how philanthropy, healthcare systems and government agencies engage with Black communities and other communities of color

Building a future in which everyone can be healthy requires commitment, dedication, sustained investment—and courage. In and beyond Black Philanthropy Month, we invite funders and institutions to stand with us, support this vital work and amplify our practices and solutions.