Meeting the Moment: Black Leaders in Philanthropy Reflect on How the Sector Is Evolving

The philanthropic sector faced massive shifts over the past two years. The pandemic prompted some funders to increase payouts and loosen — or entirely lift — grant restrictions, while the racial reckoning forced many to confront the imminent need to shift power dynamics, increase internal diversity, and act with intention to support organizations led by and serving people of color. 

But what more can be done? Will these changes last? What have we learned? As someone who thinks about these questions daily because of my work at a foundation based in Baltimore, I sought the perspective and insight of other leaders in the sector.

While they are not the usual headline names, Aisha Alexander-Young, Gregg Bishop and Chuck Redmond serve in key roles at important institutions: chief executive of an organization working to get more funds to Black-founded organizations, director of a new fund focused on social justice and economic mobility in Brooklyn, and trustee of a place-based foundation, respectively. They are each, in their own unique way, actively working to make the philanthropic sector meet the moment and become more equitable and responsive. They also bring deep expertise to relatively new roles and are representative of the communities they serve. 

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Source: Inside Philanthropy

Written by MPN member Darius Graham, program director for Baltimore at The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation.