How are Black people working in foundations and philanthropic-oriented organizations stepping into their power?

[Cherrelle Swain of the Washington Informer] asked Edward Jones, VP of Programs at the Association of Black Foundation Executives how he sees Black philanthropic professionals reimagining philanthropy. As he puts it, “Black people who are working in philanthropy, whether as program officers or trustees, have more power than often times they want to wield. Anyone who is in a position of power should lean into that power they hold.”

A group of more than 30 nonprofits – led by the Kendeda Fund and the Annie E. Casey Foundation – are working to change Atlanta’s reputation as the worst major city for income inequality.

Kindred Futures (KF), which originated at the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, has now been repurposed to tackle Atlanta’s income inequality – especially in the African-American communities.

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation has made a $1 million grant to Kindred Futures to support pathways to business ownership for African Americans in metro Atlanta. The goal is to help owners achieve success while providing financial security to employees and help strengthen neighborhoods as a way to close the racial wealth gap in Atlanta.

Money talks. But can it listen?

That’s the question philanthropy needs to be asking itself as we seek to address the defining challenge in America’s socioeconomic landscape today: gaping inequality, especially in our great cities.

Take Atlanta, for instance. At its surface, the city is faring a lot better than many others in the South. It’s even one of two US cities where African Americans are doing the best economically.

When you peel back the layers, though, you see that Atlanta also leads the nation in income inequality. Too many people of color are being left behind. Good isn’t good enough.

Kindred Futures (KF) has received a $1 million grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to support pathways to business ownership for African Americans in metropolitan Atlanta with a focus on improving owner outcomes and financial security for employees, neighborhoods and the broader economy in order to become a platform designed to close the racial wealth gap.

The grant from the Kellogg Foundation, along with support from Annie E. Casey Foundation and The Kendeda Fund, will strengthen KF’s ability to address wealth disparity in Atlanta. Kindred Futures holds a unique position among Atlanta nonprofits, as the only organization to focus on the creation of an ecosystem that intentionally promotes the democratization of the local economy and the ownership of wealth in all Atlanta communities. While Atlanta has the 10th largest Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the nation, it is also ranked as the worst city for income inequality (Brookings, 2018), which particularly impacts systemically disenfranchised communities, including communities of color.