As California’s First Statewide Black Community Foundation, Black Freedom Fund Becomes An Enduring Home for Racial Justice Rooted in Black Communities
CALIFORNIA — The California Black Freedom Fund (CBFF), a transformative initiative formed in 2020, today announced a historic milestone: its evolution into a permanent, independent institution. This milestone establishes what is now the Black Freedom Fund (BFF) as California’s first statewide Black community foundation and largest pooled fund in the U.S. for Black-serving organizations.
“The Black Freedom Fund is now an enduring home for Black freedom that is shaping a just future for everyone,” said Marc Philpart, President & CEO of the Black Freedom Fund. “There’s great power in longstanding funding, which will allow us to hold our vision of providing support for enduring solutions to enduring inequities–far beyond the reactive, short-term support philanthropy is designed to give. We are dedicated to resourcing and sustaining the movement for Black freedom for generations to come.”
Philanthropic organizations and organizers joined together to launch the California Black Freedom Fund in the summer of 2020 after the murder of George Floyd. This first-of-its-kind fund was created to ensure that California’s growing ecosystem of organizations building power in the Black community have the sustained investments and resources they need to eradicate systemic and institutional racism.
“We planted a seed five years ago that has grown into a durable and enduring institution that our futures can depend on,” says Congresswoman Lateefah Simon, US Representative for California’s 12th Congressional District, one of its initial founders. “To push back against backlash and push toward liberation and self-determination for our communities, we need institutions steeped in trust, abundance and endurance. The Black Freedom Fund is a testament to what can happen when philanthropy, policy and community join forces to win, and I encourage funders and donors to continue to support this pioneering effort.”
Black Freedom Fund began exploring its path to permanence as a statewide funder committed to Black communities in 2022, when Philpart became Executive Director. The Black Freedom Fund’s mission remains unchanged: to invest in leaders and organizations at the center of Black communities, advancing people-led solutions to secure a just future for all.
“When California Black Freedom Fund was first established in the summer of 2020, it was an inflection point for racial justice grantmaking,” said Richard Tate, President and CEO of the Wellness Foundation. “As a permanent institution, the Fund is poised to serve as a lasting pillar for racial justice – and we are proud to be a partner. Community well-being requires sustained investments that benefit people and places for generations. Black Freedom Fund represents a significant shift in philanthropic and community collaboration, embodying the power, permanence, and possibility of Black-serving organizations.”
Since its inception, the California Black Freedom Fund has demonstrated significant impact across the state. Supported by more than 75 institutional donors, it has distributed over $45 million to 206 Black-serving and power-building organizations, working across 17 issue areas. Of those grants, 95 percent have been unrestricted, providing organizations with flexibility to innovate and adapt; 65 percent of grantees are led by Black women; and 66 percent of organizations funded operate on budgets under $1 million.
“Durable movements are not carried by a single organization – they are powered by dynamic networks that adapt and evolve,” says Darren Isom, a partner of Bridgespan Group who advises philanthropic foundations who support equity and justice. “The Black Freedom Fund serves as a best-practice example of what’s possible when strategies are rooted in community and designed for lasting impact.”
Reflections from grantees:
“True power building is about ownership, decision-making, and collective action that transforms policies, institutions, and opportunities for future generations,” says Maebel Gebremedhin of United Women of the Horn, a Black women-led organization dedicated to advancing the rights, safety, and leadership of Black immigrant women and girls through advocacy, community healing, and grassroots mobilization. “The Black Freedom Fund is funding resilience in action, turning struggle into strategy and hope into lasting impact.”
“Black power building, to me, represents the process of empowering Black communities to take control of their social, political, and economic destinies,” says Areva Martin, Civil Rights Attorney and President & CEO of Special Needs Network, which links underserved communities of Los Angeles with developmental disability organizations and government services, who often overlook these communities. “The Black Freedom Fund is allowing for collective self-determination, leadership, and influence over decisions that affect our community – of consequential importance in rebuilding after the Eaton Fire. ”
“America cannot achieve inclusion with, let alone equality, without addressing 400 years of injustice toward Black and Indigenous communities,” says Lisa Holder of the Equal Justice Society, who is advancing reparations advocacy in California. “Funding from the Black Freedom Fund was a tipping point for the harm repair movement, we have increased our support from institutional funders by over 60 percent.”
“As the initial home of CBFF, Silicon Valley Community Foundation (SVCF) is honored to have supported this groundbreaking work from day one,” says Nicole Taylor, President and CEO of SVCF. “CBFF’s journey to becoming a stand-alone institution is a powerful testament to the impact of philanthropy working together with community leaders, and the extraordinary outcomes that arise when passionate, committed individuals unite with conviction. We are proud to have played a role in this milestone—and excited for what comes next.”
Black Freedom Fund’s investments have reached communities across the state, with significant funding distributed to the Central Valley, San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles County, the Inland Empire, and the Central Coast. In addition, California Black Freedom Fund has pioneered several initiatives to address and strengthen gaps within the Black movement ecosystem, including:
- Black LA Relief & Recovery Fund: A disaster relief initiative launched in the aftermath of the Los Angeles fires that distributed $2.3M in grants to 30 organizations, with a number of different focus areas, including housing, civic engagement, and youth development.
- LEAD for Racial Justice: An innovative initiative providing legal training and tools to support race-conscious programs, benefiting over 175 community organizations and foundations. LEAD is now being replicated in Minnesota, Washington state, and Oregon.
- Chinedu Valentine Okobi Sabbatical Program: A three-year pilot program offering rest and rejuvenation for leaders of Black-serving organizations; this year’s participants are community leaders who have been directly impacted by the Eaton fire.
- State of Black California: In collaboration with the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC), the State of Black California is a townhall series of community conversations with policymakers and stakeholders who shape policy and influence the laws that govern Black Californians’ lives. The series traveled to San Diego, Santa Barbara, Fresno, Sacramento, Inland Empire, and Oakland. In June, the Black Freedom Fund released a comprehensive report that serves as a blueprint for repair, justice and equity for over 2.1 million Black Californians. The State of Black California assembles insights collected from town halls held as well as location-specific demographic data compiled by USC Dornsife Equity Research Institute.
About the Black Freedom Fund:
Launched in 2020, the Black Freedom Fund invests in the leaders and organizations at the center of Black communities, advancing people-led solutions to secure the future all communities deserve. Learn more: fundblackfreedom.org
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