From the disproportionate effects of COVID-19 on people of color to the unconscionable brutality against Black people by the police, the past several months have laid bare the systemic racism that is deeply entrenched in the United States. Since the pandemic began, funders have reached out to The Bridgespan Group for guidance on how to invest in the pandemic response and recovery efforts, and, most recently, how to invest in efforts that directly combat anti-Black racism.

We in turn collaborated with ABFE to co-author "Guiding a Giving Response to Anti-Black Injustice," with additional input from proximate leaders. The memo below offers philanthropy potential paths to invest in organizations and movements within the Black-led racial justice ecosystem. It provides principles for giving that can help funders make investments with sustained change in mind, and highlights priority investment areas and example organizations within those areas that represent tangible opportunities. Our list is not exhaustive, but rather a starting place for funders who seek to support Black-led organizations and movements committed to anti-racist social change.

Contents
  • Letter from Susan Taylor Batten, President and CEO, ABFE
  • Letter from Jeffrey L. Bradach, Managing Partner and Co-founder, The Bridgespan Group
  • Principles When Investing in Black-Led Social Change and Racial Justice Work
  • A View of the Black-Led and Black-Centered US Racial Justice Ecosystem
  • ABFE Framework for Long-Term Investment in Black-Led InfrastructureCivic Engagement and Political Power
  • Community Organizing and People Power
  • Policy Advocacy and Systems Reform
    • Economic Development and Economic Power
    • Research and Intellectual Power
    • Communications Narrative and Social Power
    • Leadership Development and Strategic Convenings
  • Additional Lenses to Consider
    • Safety
    • Health
    • Education

Access the full anti-Black injustice resource hub for donors at The Bridgespan Group.