Supporting Black Leadership in Philanthropy

In 2025, Borealis Philanthropy’s Spark Justice Fund (SJF) will launch the BlackPrint Fellowship—a bold, unapologetic investment in supporting Black leadership in philanthropy by directly impacted Black leaders. This isn’t your typical leadership program. It’s a radical commitment to wellness, community, and self-determined resources. It’s a declaration: we invest in what we cherish. And our most cherished leaders deserve to thrive, to be well, and to lead as their whole, unapologetic selves.

We sat down with SJF Program Director, Sade Dumas, a visionary force in philanthropy, to dive into the inspiration behind the Fellowship, its participatory design, and why this moment demands a reimagining of how we support movement leaders.

The Spark Behind BlackPrint: Supporting Black Leadership

What inspired you to create this Fellowship?

Black leaders receive less than 1% of philanthropic funding, and that slice shrinks even more for those impacted by the carceral system. I’ve lived this reality as a former executive director, and I hear it echoed in the experiences of our grantee partners. They’re not just underfunded—they’re left without critical resources: technical assistance, capacity-building support, and access to power networks.

The BlackPrint Fellowship is our answer to that. We’re stepping up to invest in the brilliance of Black leaders working at the intersection of racial equity, decarceration, and anti-criminalization. It’s about giving them the tools, the space, and the care to sustain themselves and their movements.

A Blueprint for Sustainability

What’s the ultimate goal of the Fellowship?

Movement sustainability, plain and simple. Right now, 71% of racial justice activists report feeling isolated or depressed, leading to burnout and, too often, an early exit from the work. And we’ve seen far too many Black leaders dying prematurely, further underscoring the need for supporting Black leadership in philanthropy.

For our movements to thrive, we must start with the wellness and sustainability of the people leading them. We can’t win without them, and we can’t expect them to pour from an empty cup.