The Black Fund: Austin’s newest philanthropic innovation.
In 2020, three Black female leaders in Austin wondered aloud why there wasn’t a fund for Black-led organizations. Then, they built it.
On August 31, 2022, two years after Meme Styles, Dr. Colette Pierce-Burnette, and Kendra Garrett set their vision in motion and partnered with Austin Community Foundation to conceptualize an initiative that invested in Black-led organizations, The Black Fund launched. In two short (but also long) years, these brilliant women recruited a band of community leaders to develop the fund. How lucky I was to be a part of the effort.
I can remember my first call with then HT President, Dr. Burnette about the Black Fund. I had very little information about the fund, but I heard that she was creating a philanthropic response to the reality that very little funds were given to Black-led and Black serving organizations. I knew enough about Dr. Burnette’s leadership to know that if she was leading something, that I wanted to be in the room. I wanted to be at the table. I wanted to play a role. I was invited to join the Steering Committee by Kendra and accepted humbly and enthusiastically.
Over time, my involvement grew and deepened. I joined the Grantmaking Committee and worked to develop the fund’s application and selection process. The committee started from an understanding that all barriers had to be removed from the process if we were going to reach the people doing the work in the community.
Organizations didn’t have to be non-profits to apply. We designated fiscal sponsors to work with individuals and projects so they could be eligible for funding.
The application was short and used as little industry jargon as possible.
Attachments were limited to project budgets and timelines (templates were provided).
Information sessions on the grant application process happened in the community - at barber shops and beauty salons, churches, and schools. Many members also met with applicants individually.
The Selection Committee was perhaps my most favorite post in my tenure of service with the Black Fund. I reviewed 29 applications in total, and was reminded of the intellectual might and capacity to love within Black people.
In its inaugural year of grant making, The Black Fund received 91 applications and $335,000 were awarded to 16 organizations! If you ever get the chance to be on the grant making side of philanthropy, take it. You won’t regret it.
