The eighth biennial African American Philanthropy Summit convened leaders from across the country who believe in the power that philanthropy holds to create transformative change within the Black community.
The Summit was hosted by the African American Philanthropy Committee (AAPC) of the Cleveland Foundation, which has been serving “as a national model in community engagement” since 1993. The organization launched the summit as a signature event in 2010, “to engage the African American community on charitable giving and honor African American philanthropists in the region.”
This year’s Summit was held on April 13 at Tri-C Corporate College East in Northeast Ohio. There, philanthropic visionaries met to drive the conversation forward and increase visibility around why it’s so important for Black people to be active philanthropic participants. The 2024 theme was “Philanthropy and the Black Family: Elevating from Moment to Movement.” Per the press release, sessions included “leaders from across the region and culminated with a keynote from distinguished professor, author, preacher, and media personality Dr. Michael Eric Dyson.”
According to a study from W.K. Kellogg Foundation and Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, “nearly two-thirds of Black households donate to community-based organizations and causes, to about $11 billion each year. Black households tend to give more of their discretionary income – as much as 25 percent more – to charitable causes than other segments of society. In addition to large gifts, Black donors provide substantial small gifts, collective giving to Black families, churches, civic organizations and are making a broad impact.”
These numbers show that Black people have incredible philanthropic power on top of our spending property, it shows that Black people have incredible philanthropic power on top our spending power. As such Black families can be leveraged, and their donations directed in ways that move our communities forward.
“The biennial African American Philanthropy Summit celebrates the deep legacy of Black philanthropy that has fueled movements and sustained communities for generations,” Cleveland Foundation Board of Directors Chair, Constance Hill-Johnson told ESSENCE. “Since 2010, the event has grown to become a premier gathering of leaders and changemakers, with a focus on generating critical conversations and inspiring action across our community.”
“Black philanthropy has shaped the Cleveland Foundation’s history and continues to fuel our work today,” continued Lillian Kuri, President & CEO, Cleveland Foundation. “The African American Philanthropy Committee’s model for collective community impact is central to our future and to sustaining the movement for equity and inclusion. The Summit provides the space to elevate this important work, and we are excited to bring together leaders and voices from across Cleveland and beyond.”
“This year’s theme, Philanthropy and the Black Family: Elevating from Moment to Movement, explores how philanthropy can have a profound impact on empowering and uplifting Black families – and, in turn, our communities,” added Terri Bradford Eason, Senior Director, Philanthropy Equity Initiatives. “Black families in particular have strong traditions of giving that often span generations. It is our hope that this moment sparks a movement of generosity and community change that continues in the months and years ahead.”
Philanthropy has a deep-rooted history for Black people. As historian Dr. Tyrone McKinley Freeman notes,“traditions of caring and sharing are rooted in the way families were structured within communities in West Africa…‘These traditions were carried across the Atlantic by enslaved people, and they survived that passage. We see evidence of this as enslaved people created community on southern plantations.’”
“During slavery, these traditions bonded African Americans together out of necessity. Their response to the horrific evils they experienced was to care for each other. ‘This gives rise to notions of others as your people, that you are all close,” said Freeman.
For more than 100 years, the Cleveland Foundation has built upon this legacy of giving back within the Black community. Under the foundation, since 1993, the AAPC has been promoting awareness and learning about how philanthropy can benefit and introduce wealth. Every two years, the committee convenes this Summit to heighten the visibility of Black philanthropy and the people behind the scenes of this important work, the philanthropists.