WHY GIVE BLACK RICHMOND?

Give Black Richmond is a database designed to make finding and supporting Black community organizations in the metro Richmond area easier. We seek to remove the barriers that exist between Black-owned & Black-led community organizations and the people that want to support them.

All of the organizations listed are committed to doing community-focused work that impacts a variety of spaces to include Arts & Culture, Food Justice, Education, Whole-body Health & Wellness, Criminal Justice Reform, LGBTQIA+ Affairs, Environmental Justice, and more.  

One thing that differentiates Give Black Richmond from some other sites is that not every organization listed holds a 501(c)3 designation. We are aware that obtaining an IRS non-profit designation is often the first funding hurdle that smaller organizations encounter due to the upfront and ongoing administrative costs associated with the status. Acknowledging that this often disqualifies Black-led organizations from attaining institutional grants and foundation-led donor funding, we deemed it imperative to include organizations that operate under fiscal sponsorship, as well as those that currently operate as LLC’s, Corporations, and Sole Proprietorships. Our focus is on the work - not the designation - and if the work is rooted in helping people and causes in the Richmond community, the organization is welcome. 

We do this in hopes of breaking discriminatory cycles and view this as our contribution to dismantling and redefining the way these systems work. We want to allow donors to see an organization’s mission and impact and choose to support their growth because of it.

For years Black organizations have tried to raise awareness around the discrepancies in grant-funding and philanthropic support between their organization and that of their White counterparts. Over the last decade, there have been various reports that validate those claims; some, such as Building Movement’s report, Nonprofit Executives and the Racial Leadership Gap: A Race to Lead Brief show that Black organizations are funded up to 70% less than their White counterparts who service the same communities. While Echoing Green and Bridgespan’s recent report on Black non-profit funding points out a host of factors contributing to these disparities including, lack of access to social networks that connect leaders with foundation staff; trouble building rapport with funders and foundation staff because of interpersonal biases; and trouble sustaining funding relationships once they are formed. Give Black Richmond acknowledges that progress is being made by intentional spaces working to correct course, but we also acknowledge that these discrepancies are deeply rooted in institutional racism and require a multi-faceted approach for systemic change to take root.

We understand that these issues are pervasive and affect organizations across the country, but Richmond is in the midst of a true reckoning and stands at a pivotal apex. A moment long overdue, but one that if handled with care and clear purpose can act as a model for cities across the country and generations to come. 

Donating to the orgs on this site is one way to act with purpose and can help level the playing field by supporting an equitable and accessible pipeline to resources. This helps ensure that these organizations are not only sustainable but become profitable and scalable, opening doors to new possibilities for our community and building a more vibrant Richmond.