Advancing Impact Donor Breakfast: Black Impact Houston
In June, Greater Houston Community Foundation hosted an event for its partners and fundholders to elevate the work of Black Impact Houston. Black Impact Houston is an alliance of nonprofit organizations led by Black people and/or with a mission that primarily benefits Black communities.
The primary focus of Black Impact Houston is to support and strengthen the Black nonprofit ecosystem through belonging, education, advocacy, mentorship, and leadership. Through its member organizations, Black Impact Houston serves thousands of Greater Houston’s most vulnerable residents and provides a range of services and offerings, including out-of-school time, workforce development, community development and affordable housing, arts and culture, criminal justice reform, public health, and a host of other services. Black Impact Houston empowers its nonprofit members to become integral partners in building vibrant, equitable communities.
The program was kicked off by Brandi Brown, the Executive Director of Hype Freedom School, who is also the founder and leader of this member-based alliance. Brown developed Black Impact Houston after seeing a much-needed space for leaders of Black-led organizations to convene after the shift and conversations following the inequities seen through the pandemic and the racial injustices highlighted by George Floyd’s death. In March of 2021, this group of nonprofit leaders formalized their partnership under the name Black Impact Houston. Black Impact Houston exists to help members have just experiences working with funders, strengthen the capacity for members to prospect and build relationships to leverage funding, and enhance members’ ability to get funding even if they have small budgets or are affiliated with small organizations.
Black Impact Houston’s theory of change:
Shared Vision
Houston can become a region of vibrant, equitable Black communities.
Shared Purpose
Supporting Black-led organizations to grow their capacity to serve their communities.
Shared Resources
Learning and growing together benefits both organizations and the leaders working in them.
After Brown’s introduction, she handed it over to Cheronda Bryan, Executive Director and Founder of Intertwined. Intertwined equips young people to reach their full potential by becoming their most capable, authentic, and empathetic selves. Before jumping into the panel discussion, Bryan shared an exercise she has done with various groups. The exercise involves listing the top five people you rely on in times of crisis, known as your “inner circle.” Then, you write down five names of people who would rely on you.
The exercise reveals that people tend to surround themselves with those who are similar to them, such as those from the same gender, age, race, or socioeconomic group. This phenomenon is particularly true for funders, who often support organizations with staff who share their own demographics. Bryan encouraged the audience to keep this framework in mind during the discussion that followed.
Panelists
Michelle Bonton, Founder and Executive Director, Anderson Center for the Arts
Tiffany Echevarria, Executive Director, Collective Action for Youth (CA4Y)
Felicia Pichon, Executive Director, Sisters Thrive
Assata Richards, Director, Sankofa Research Institute
Key Takeaways: Why Black Impact Houston Is Essential for Our Community
Open Doors, Open Mind
Black Impact Houston is a space where all members are welcome, with minimal barriers to joining. This community-led coalition has a different vibe, as each member gives their time, talent, and treasure to keep it fueled. The level of experience in the nonprofit landscape varies by member, with some organizations being very grassroots, but Black Impact Houston helps these leaders build their skills.
Healing
Black Impact Houston was formed in the midst of the pandemic and in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd. Many members of Black Impact Houston expressed this as a lonely time but found this coalition a safe space to heal while continuing to serve the community.
Courage
Black Impact Houston has helped members find the courage to have hard, bold conversations with funders, helping them see things through a different lens. In addition, it empowers members to understand the value of their work and how it deserves to be supported.
Support
Monthly touchpoints to workshop challenges and forecast future trends are energizing. This network creates synergy, propelling leaders to positively impact the community. Members collaborate, sharing resources, knowledge, and connections, fostering collective progress over competition.
Break-out Discussion Themes:
Embrace Discomfort
The comfort level found through this discussion about Black Impact Houston needs to grow. It can be uncomfortable having hard conversations, but Black Impact Houston members facilitated these discussions productively.
Storytelling
An effective storytelling strategy takes time, but it is an effective way to build a larger base of funders. Each storytelling strategy must be connected to an organization’s financial story; this is what translates community impact to the funders who can offer support.
Network of Trusted Advisors
Resources help multiply impact, and ensuring you have trusted advisors in place is critical. The conversations do not always have to be about money, but sometimes sharing knowledge to help someone build scaffolding around a strategy.
How can we uplift the work of Black Impact Houston?
Support Second Annual Black Impact Houston Giving Day – June 19, 2024
This giving day is unique in that it is a collective giving day! Support from this day helps make Black Impact Houston more sustainable. Twenty percent of funds raised on this day go to building Black Impact Houston’s infrastructure, while eighty percent will be donated equally amongst all member organizations. Click here to support.
Become a Member
Click here to learn more about membership criteria and how to join.
Greater Houston Community Foundation’s Donor Programming is designed to ignite insightful discussions, provide more profound education on specific topics, and foster peer connections. In partnership with our donors, we help make high-impact philanthropy happen. Reach out to learn more about how you can make a difference.
More Helpful Articles by Greater Houston Community Foundation:
- The Future is Now: What is Next-Gen Philanthropy?
- Advancing Impact Donor Breakfast: Cradle-to-Career Systems
- Celebrating Community Resiliency: Our Disaster Response Journey
- Giving Circles: Bringing like-minded donors together for the greater good.
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