What better time than Black History Month to chat with Chari Chester Anderson? She’s the gracious and thoughtful staff liaison for the Black Giving Circle Fund at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, and I caught up with her about the history of Black philanthropy and how to engage more Black philanthropists.
Chester Anderson, a prospect management and development officer at the Foundation, has reflected that “Black philanthropy in America has been a collective effort deeply rooted in survival and hope…against all odds.”
She cites scholars including Dr. Tyrone McKinley Freeman and Dr. Jackie Copeland-Carson who’ve documented centuries of Black philanthropic endeavors. Author Valaida Fullwood’s reminder that the word “philanthropy”—a Greek term which directly translated means “love of mankind”—particularly resonated for Chester Anderson.
Did you know of the philanthropic role of Black slaves during the catastrophic Irish potato famine? Watch Chester Anderson:
Indeed, key findings from the 2016 U.S. Trust Study® of High Net Worth Philanthropy suggest that the generosity of African Americans is still strong —and likely to grow.
What can this mean for fundraisers seeking to engage Black philanthropists in their causes? A few ideas:
- Create more opportunities for giving together for greater impact. Chester Anderson cites the many benefits of strategizing and “giving as a collective” as part of groups such as Black Giving Circles.
- Include family members in conversations about giving opportunities. Gasby Brown, in The Future of African-American Philanthropy, says that “The findings of the U.S Trust study suggest that organizations seeking to fundraise in the African-American community should pay special attention to those with a family tradition of giving…African-Americans are more likely, according to the study, to encourage younger relatives to get involved in charitable causes and giving campaigns.” So…community foundations take note: Communicating to Black philanthropists about opportunities for creating charitable funds as a family may be especially meaningful.
- Ask! Both Chester Anderson and Gasby Brown suggest that fundraisers need to check their biases at the door. Said Chester Anderson, “We may need to rethink who our ‘expected’ donors are. Despite the wealth gap between the white and Black communities, we still see that Black people are generous donors and a resource for nonprofit organizations.” Concludes Gasby Brown, “If African Americans in the past weren’t a fixture on nonprofits’ donor rolls, maybe it’s because no one thought to ask. Isn’t it time we do something about that?
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Learn more about Carol Buckheit, the author of this post and the principal consultant at Just Giving Communications.