Black Philanthropy: Our Stories

Learn how in-kind giving can help nonprofits solve real-world challenges. Travon Jackson , National Planning Director   of the Black Planning Institute (BPI), shares his approach to philanthropy through in-kind services and offers guidance on incorporating donor-advised funds into nonprofit fundraising plans. More resources at blackphilanthropypodcast.com . Social Media Follow  @ blackphilanthropy...

Should funding be awarded based on community impact and mission alignment, or on an organization's ability to navigate complex grant applications and reporting demands?  Michael Romy Greer , President and CEO of ArtsFund , challenges cumbersome funding processes by sharing strategies that make grant funding easier to apply for, receive, and steward. Meanwhile, artists learn why their work is worth...

You don't have to control capital to create change. You can advise the people who do. In this episode, Dr. Nicole Bates , Senior Advisor of Executive Strategy & Initiatives at Pivotal , shares how to impact philanthropy through trust, relationship building, and strategic connection. Learn how to center women, lead with love, and drive collaborative, high-impact transformation. More resources at bl...

In this Father's Day Season 2 premiere, Season 1 and Season 2 guests and listeners ask one other candid questions on fatherhood, philanthropy, equity, and strengthening Black communities giving you real strategies to lead, serve, and create impact around the world.  More resources at  blackphilanthropypodcast.com . Social Media Follow  @ blackphilanthropyourstories   &  @ michelle.renee.jackson  (...

In this Season 1 finale, released the week of Juneteenth, discover how the urgency to preserve Black history is as old as American history, and why philanthropy plays a critical role in protecting Black history.  As funding for Black-led initiatives declines, Brent Leggs , Executive Director of the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund , shares how he and his team have raised over $200 mi...

While it's trendy (or was) to talk about creating safe spaces of belonging in philanthropy, too often the needs of Black men in philanthropy are forgotten. Pressure from community, family, career, or sudden unemployment to be everything to everybody at all times is exhausting. Where can they go to breathe and be themselves? Damion Wilson , co-facilitator of The Collective, a community created for...

As the New Generation of African American Philanthropists (NGAAP) celebrates its 20th anniversary, co-founder Valaida Fullwood helps you understand how to reclaim the practice of "Giving Black," however you identify. Gain insights from her work as an author and exhibit creator. Learn from her expertise in Black philanthropy and collective giving and discover why starting your own giving circle can...

When no one around you gets it, everything feels harder. Birgit Smith Burton founded the African American Development Officers Network (AADO) in 1999 to change that, growing from 25 members to nearly 7,000 fundraising professionals of color. No matter how you identify, there's a place for you at AADO. In this episode, learn how building a strong fundraising network can reduce isolation and help yo...

Declining local news not only weakens access to reliable information and community accountability, it also threatens democracy.  Dale Anglin , Executive Director of Press Forward , shares how she's helped move $400M in philanthropic funding to support local journalism through non-partisan funder collaboration. Learn why new funding models and your philanthropy are needed to sustain trusted news an...

The biggest generational wealth transfer in history is happening now and traditional fundraising strategies will fail you. Are you ready? Dr. Kevin Thompson , an advancement leader at the University of Washington and Seattle University, explains how donor trends are shifting and how you can engage next-generation donors who prioritize impact, accountability, and purpose so you and your community d...

As arts and culture funding is increasingly labeled risky and continues to decline nationwide, the Mellon Foundation remains the largest funder of arts and humanities in the U.S., allocating $500m+ annually under the leadership of its president, Dr.  Elizabeth Alexander . Feminist, mother, poet, and scholar, Dr. Alexander discusses the relationship between philanthropy and artists, the people and...

Not sure how to land a nonprofit board role or whether it's the right one when you land it?  Christal Cherry , founder of Board Pro and Fabulous Female Fundraisers (F3), shares how you find values-aligned boards, position yourself to serve, and lead with equity using best-practices grounded in Black philanthropic traditions. More resources at  blackphilanthropypodcast.com . Social Media Follow   @...

Any venture capitalist worth-a-damn understands that intellectual investments must accompany financial investments. Nic Brathwaite , co-managing partner of Celesta Capital and co-founder of The PETNA Foundation, shows you how applying intellectual capital alongside philanthropic capital, from building wells to funding scholarships to championing Olympians, transforms communities worldwide. More re...

Don't let your nonprofit stay in survival mode.  Chevelle Dixon , of Pan‑African Solutions Consulting , shows you how to shift from scarcity thinking to strategic action, using an abundance audit and in‑kind giving to secure real resources, stabilize operations, and move your mission forward without chasing more cash. More resources at  blackphilanthropypodcast.com . Follow   @ blackphilanthropyou...

We often assume if an NBA player isn't giving publicly, he isn't giving at all. False. As Executive Director of the NBPA Foundation, Erika Swilley advises NBA players on their philanthropy, turning their fines into philanthropy and one-day giving patterns into long-term community impact. She shares how she guides them on charitable instruments and nonprofit partnerships and why she recommends play...

LaDainian "LT" Tomlinson , NFL Hall of Famer and Founder of Tomlinson's Touching Lives Foundation, explains why he gives and how you can help pro athletes level up their giving. LT breaks down trust gaps, what NIL athletes must know to be effective philanthropists, and how an encounter with Emmitt Smith changed his life. More tools and goodies at  blackphilanthropypodcast.com . Follow   @ blackphi...

If you feel devalued in transactional philanthropy, you're facing a real threat to your purpose‑driven work. You need a new model now. Using Black giving traditions, Heather Infantry , CEO of Giving Gap , shows you how to reclaim your joy, dignity, and worth so you and your nonprofit can create meaningful, purpose‑driven change without sacrificing yourselves. More resources at  blackphilanthropypo...

If you believe you're powerless politically, you're not alone. This episode reveals how your giving can impact upcoming elections.  Ludovic Blain , Director of the California Donor Table, explains how the wealthiest donors use non‑tax‑deductible political giving to influence campaigns while nonprofits and most voters remain unaware. Discover how your philanthropy is political power, before it's to...

On the eve of his last day with the Hewlett Foundation , Marcus McGrew shows you how to stop running yourself into the ground in philanthropy . Through his story, you learn to spot burnout, interrupt perfectionism, and rebuild healthier habits. This episode helps you claim work-life balance, protect your well‑being, and choose sustainability over self‑sacrifice. More resources at  blackphilanthrop...

Dr. Kimberlin Butler, Founder & Chief Possibility Catalyst of The L.E.A.D Agency, certified impact philanthropy advisor, and creator of Youth-Possible Philanthropy® shares why young people are essential partners in systems change, philanthropic leadership, and community investment, and how intentional listening strengthens equitable grantmaking. Butler challenges the youth as tokens model prevalen...

In this episode, host  Michelle Renee Jackson , MDiv speaks with Karen Isble , Vice President for College Advancement at Kalamazoo College about her work with the Collaborative for Respectful Workplaces in Higher Education Advancement.   Karen shares her journey from opera singer and prospect researcher to frontline fundraising executive, offering insight into the often‑unspoken challenges frontli...

In this episode with host, Michelle Renee Jackson , MDiv, Jessyca Dudley, CEO of Bold Ventures , shares why understanding reparative philanthropy's role in our increasingly disconnected and inequitable world is no longer optional. This is obligatory work. We gain an understanding of how we can shift toward repair‑centered practices in philanthropy that address historic and ongoing harms impacting...

When foundation and nonprofit board members stay an average of 3 to 5+ years longer than paid staff, their influence becomes decisive, undeniable, and lasting. They are the structural pillars on which nonprofits and foundations depend. In this episode of Black Philanthropy: Our Stories , host Michelle Renee Jackson, MDiv sits down with foundation and nonprofit board leader, Morris Price , for a ma...

In this solo episode, Michelle Renee Jackson , MDiv host of Black Philanthropy: Our Stories reflects on the last 7 months since BPOS premiered on Father's Day 2025. In order to guide the direction of BPOS moving forward, Michelle examines the wins, challenges, and hard lessons learned in the last 7 months.  As a podcast in conversation with black leaders leading in a more than half‑trillion‑dollar...

  Art Taylor , leads an organization of 25,000+ fundraising professionals globally as the CEO of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP).  He joins host,  Michelle Renee Jackson , MDiv to discuss Black fundraising leadership, diversity in philanthropy, and equity in donor engagement. He reflects on being one of the few Black men in the nonprofit fundraising sector, the isolation many fu...