Black Philanthropy Month (BPM) illustration by AI
Every August, the world is invited to pause and reflect on a simple but urgent question: who gets to shape the future of philanthropy?
Black Philanthropy Month (BPM), celebrated globally since 2011, provides the space to ask and begin answering that question.
What began as a U.S.-based campaign has grown into an international movement, calling for equity in giving and highlighting the ways Black communities everywhere contribute to solving some of the world’s most pressing challenges.
Origins Rooted in History
Black Philanthropy Month was founded by Dr. Jackie Bouvier Copeland, an international scholar and social impact strategist, alongside the Pan-African Women’s Philanthropy Network (PAWPNet).
Its launch in 2011 coincided with the United Nations’ declaration of that year as the International Year for People of African Descent.
This alignment was deliberate: BPM’s mission has always been tied to the recognition, celebration, and advancement of the philanthropic traditions of people of African descent across the globe.
For centuries, Black communities have practiced mutual aid, collective care, and resource-sharing often outside formal philanthropic institutions.
BPM was created to validate and amplify these traditions, while also pushing mainstream philanthropy to acknowledge the inequities in who funds, who decides, and who benefits.
Black Giving as Legacy
The traditions of Black philanthropy are older than the formalized structures we often associate with the word. Enslaved Africans pooled resources to buy each other’s freedom.
Faith-based giving has long served as a lifeline for communities.
In the modern era, Black families and communities continue to support education, healthcare, entrepreneurship, and social justice, often at higher rates of personal sacrifice compared to wealthier demographics.
BPM reframes these practices not as marginal or supplementary, but as central to understanding philanthropy itself.
By spotlighting the impact of everyday giving, it challenges stereotypes that philanthropy is only about billionaires or large institutions.
Shifting Power in Philanthropy
At its heart, BPM is about power: who controls resources, who makes decisions, and whose voices matter.
Traditional philanthropy has often sidelined Black-led organizations, with data consistently showing that these groups receive disproportionately less funding.
BPM pushes for a redistribution of resources and decision-making power, advocating for community-led solutions and equitable partnerships.
This framing has resonated with both local movements and global institutions.
Foundations, corporations, and policymakers are increasingly recognizing that without equity at the center, philanthropy risks reinforcing the very inequalities it seeks to address.
A Global Platform
What makes BPM stand out is its intentional global reach.
Observed in more than 60 countries, it has become a platform for cross-continental dialogue and action.
Through virtual summits, policy conversations, and community events, BPM connects grassroots organizers, large institutions, and individual givers.
Each year’s theme anchors these conversations in a timely context.
Past years have highlighted racial equity, reparative funding, and the role of African-descended people in shaping sustainable futures.
These themes are not abstract; they are rooted in the lived realities of underfunded communities and the call for systemic change.
The 2025 Theme: Sankofa Now! Remember. Reclaim. Rise.
This year’s theme, “Sankofa Now! Remember. Reclaim. Rise.”, draws from the West African concept of Sankofa, meaning “to go back and get it.”
It calls communities to honor and reclaim their philanthropic roots, learn from the past, and rise together toward a future shaped by Black vision, leadership, and community care.
- Remember urges reflection on longstanding traditions of collective giving.
- Reclaim emphasizes taking ownership of those traditions and ensuring Black-led efforts are recognized.
- Rise points to moving forward with purpose, leveraging that legacy for equity and justice.
Since 2025, BPM has formally merged into the BackBlack initiative, dedicated to directing capital, growing capacity, and building community for Black-led nonprofits worldwide.
This ensures BPM’s reach continues to expand while staying true to its founding mission.
Challenges and Opportunities
Celebrating Black Philanthropy Month annually risks symbolism without structural change, and there is the danger of co-optation by large institutions for visibility rather than genuine resource shifts.
Advocates argue that BPM’s power lies in its visibility and convening capacity.
It forces institutions to confront inequities and allows ordinary people to see themselves as philanthropists, even at a small scale.
Why It Matters
Black Philanthropy Month is more than a celebration; it is an intervention
In a global philanthropic landscape still shaped by histories of colonialism and inequality, BPM demands recognition of the value, agency, and leadership of Black communities.
It reminds the world that philanthropy cannot be truly transformative if it overlooks those who have long practiced it in everyday, often unseen ways.
Historically, Black giving has also been a form of resistance and survival, providing resources for education, health, and political advocacy when institutional support was denied.
By celebrating these practices, BPM recognizes the power of self-reliance and community-led solutions.
BPM also addresses equity in global philanthropy.
While Africa and other Black-majority regions are often recipients of donor funds, decision-making power largely lies with institutions in the Global North.
Black Philanthropy Month advocates for shifting power to local actors, ensuring funding reflects community priorities rather than external agendas.
The call is clear: philanthropy must be equitable, inclusive, and accountable. It must recognize that the future of giving is not only about resources, but also about who decides how they are used.
Looking Ahead
As BPM marks its 14th year in 2025, it continues to grow as a movement for justice and transformation.
The month’s strength lies in its ability to convene diverse actors from grassroots activists to institutional leaders around a shared vision of equity.
The conversations and actions sparked each August ripple beyond the month itself.
They shape funding agendas, influence policies, and inspire individuals to rethink how they give.
By elevating Black voices in philanthropy, BPM charts a path toward a more just and inclusive global giving ecosystem.
