Community Foundations Elevate the Generosity of Black Philanthropists Ahead of Give 8/28 Day
Each summer, Central Carolina Community Foundation marks Black Philanthropy Month by hosting a local day of giving to raise money to support Black-led or Black-benefiting nonprofits across 11 counties in South Carolina.
Black Philanthropy Month, observed every August, is a national, coordinated effort to celebrate Black giving. Give 8/28 Day is a corresponding national day of giving to support Black-led and Black- benefiting nonprofits. Give 8/28 day falls annually on Aug. 28 — a date that serves as the anniversary of several seminal events in Black history in the U.S., including the murder of Emmett Till and Martin Luther King Jr.’s delivery of his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech in Washington, D.C.
For Central Carolina Community Foundation Give 8/28 Day offers an opportunity to help build relationships with Black donors and forge stronger connections with nonprofits in its community.
More importantly, it provides a jolt of funding to nonprofits during a time of year that is typically quiet.
“It gives us an intentional opportunity to get the Community Foundation out to the community, not as an ask for us, but to highlight giving,” said Erin Johnson, the Foundation’s vice president of community investment.
And its local community has responded. The annual day of giving has grown steadily each year — building momentum and adding new partners as it has evolved. During its first year in 2018, the effort raised money for 40 Black-led or Black-benefiting nonprofits. That number has quadrupled since — with 160 nonprofits taking part.
This year, the foundation has also attracted its first corporate sponsors for the effort, including a Black-led bank, and it expects to engage more donors than ever before.
The foundation has partnered with a storytelling agency, As Told By, to develop videos and has augmented its storytelling with a thoughtful social media and media relations strategy that engages potential partners and donors across its 11-county footprint.
And it is tapping relationships with local churches, NAACP chapters, and board members to reach donors and community partners where they are.
Building Stronger Relationships
CCCF’s Give 8/28 campaign is a companion to the foundation’s longstanding giving day campaign, Midland Gives. But while the foundation uses the same technology and some of the same communications tactics to promote Give 8/28, its team is deliberate to make sure it has a distinct brand, message, and call-to-action.
The foundation is also intentional in saying that it is for Black-led and Black-benefiting nonprofits — and has set clear definitions for what it means for a nonprofit to fit either of those qualifiers.
“Being intentional has opened the door for people to say ‘Oh, you’re actually trying to serve me and my community,’” Johnson said. “Our phone rings a lot more now throughout the year from nonprofits that typically do not reach out to us because they didn’t think we were accessible before.”
A Growing Movement to Highlight Black Giving
Give 8/28 caps a busy Black Philanthropy Month for community foundations that are working to uplift the work of Black-led and Black-serving nonprofits, call attention to the unsung legacy of Black philanthropists in their communities and build stronger connections with donors. The Cleveland Foundation, for instance, used Black Philanthropy Month to spotlight the work of its African-American Philanthropy Committee, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary.
The Committee, which earned national headlines this month in Essence Magazine, has raised and granted millions to support nonprofits in Cleveland and has been showcased the deep tradition of philanthropy among Black Clevelanders.
In Connecticut, Fairfield County’s Community Foundation has been elevating the stories of Black donors on its blog throughout the month. The Foundation’s CEO, Mendi Blue Paca, also penned a heartfelt opinion piece about the history and power of Black philanthropy that appeared in newspapers statewide.