By Edward Henderson, California Black Media
The California Black Freedom Fund (CBFF), previously a 5-year-$100-million initiative to ensure that Black power-building and movement-based organizations have the sustained investments and resources they need, announced its evolution into a permanent, independent institution on June 27.
The organization will now be known as the Black Freedom Fund (BFF).
BFF began exploring its future as a statewide fund committed to Black communities in 2022, when Executive Director Marc Philpart took the helm. Despite the change, the BFF’s mission remains unchanged: to invest in leaders and organizations at the center of Black communities in California, advancing people-led solutions to secure a more equitable society for all.
“The question that I had was, are we implementing a spin-down strategy or are we spinning off so that we can sustain the work and keep the momentum going?” Philpart told California Black Media. “As we got closer to our goal, it was clear that we would meet the goal and exceed it. And that really constituted the foundation for us to be able to spin off and become an independent organization, which everybody embraced because they felt like there was a void that we were filling.”
Since its inception, BFF has made significant impact across the state. Supported by 83 institutional donors, it has distributed over $45 million to 205 Black-serving and power-building organizations, working across 17 issue areas in California.
Joanna Jackson, CEO of The Weingart Foundation, represents one of those earliest donors to the fund. She believes it is important to support and establish an enduring institution that is committed to funding Black led work throughout California.
“As a Black woman, this is this is personal and important to me, but I’m not leading a non-profit, I’m not organizing folks in community,” said Jackson. “I think the goal of the fund is to fund with trust and an understanding that Black communities know what they need. It’s about moving resources to those communities that have been historically under resourced so they could lead the change.”
Of those grants, 95% of them have been unrestricted, Philpart says, providing organizations with the flexibility to prioritize, innovate and adapt. He also said 65% of grantees are led by Black women; and 66% of BFF fund recipients operate on budgets under $1 million.
Noni Session is the Executive Director of the East Bay Permanent Real Estate Cooperative (EB PREC) based in Oakland. The organization removes land and housing from the speculative market to create permanently affordable, community-controlled homes. EB PREC received $50,000 to help aid their organizational operations. ‘
Session said she values BFF selecting EB PREC as a grantee.
“To be affirmed by a nascent fund that our work is in alignment for building a pathway to freedom for Black folks feels really important to me,” said Session. “I don’t think that small foundations really are just throwing their money at any old nonprofit superstar like some of the larger SF Foundations would be. So, when folks give me their hard-earned philanthropic dollars that I know for a fact they had to shake every hand for, it means a lot to me. And it means that I’m not just doing this this performative pantomime for the nonprofit field, but really moving, demonstrating and creating concrete results for people that I mean the most to me, and mean the most of my organization.”
Examples of other recipients of funds from the BFF include:
The 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 33 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 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.
Philpart believes that the work the BFF, donors and recipients are doing is pivotal during a time when some public and private funds that were previously allocated to minority-centered initiatives are being pulled.
“Our work is needed now more than ever. And I think the actions of the federal government are a reminder of that, and a reminder of the importance of not just having an institution like this for a short time, but for a long time.”
