Black Philanthropy Conference Taps into the Collective Wealth Of the Black Middle Class in New England.

Business Editors

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 22, 2000

"As a group, Black people have always been philanthropic. Today, there is significant economic strength in the Black community to give more than ever before. This Black Philanthropy Conference represents an excellent opportunity for convenors to strategize how to use this power to make a strong impact on our community investments," said Michele Courton Brown, President of the FleetBoston Financial Foundation, in explaining the reasons for the historic gathering from June 4-6 at the Boston Marriott at Copley Place.

Titled Building on the Legacy of Black Giving, the first New England Conference on Black Philanthropy aims to increase giving by Black Americans, highlight benefits of investing in community-based Black institutions and programs and encourage Black professionals to become more involved in the field of philanthropy as donors, grant makers, board members and fund raisers.

The New England conference stems from a national movement meant to encourage and cultivate Black philanthropy. Like its national predecessors in Philadelphia in 1997 and Oakland in 1999, the New England conference is designed to attract individual donors, fund raisers, grant makers, nonprofit organization executives and church leaders.

A New Wealth Among African-Americans

While black giving is not new, the wealth in New England's emerging Black middle-class community is a recent phenomenon. In metropolitan Boston, household income for Blacks rose 40.2 percent during the decade, the fastest growing urban Black population in the United States, according to a report released by economist Barry Bluestone.

"The challenge for social service agencies and community foundations is to develop fund raising strategies to identify and cultivate this new wealth among Blacks," said Ron Ancrum, Senior Consultant with Third Sector New England, a co-convenor of the conference.

Groups such as the African American Federation of Greater Boston and the United Black & Brown Fund of Rhode Island are working to meet this challenge through self-help and community capacity building efforts and by promoting equity access and board participation of minorities in philanthropy.

New Ways of Giving

Another challenge is to encourage Black people with more discretionary income to go beyond traditional giving through churches or to civic and social organizations and look to trusts, foundations, funds, and financial and estate planning as vehicles for more effective giving.

For example, in 1969 community activist Ruth Batson of Boston founded the Ruth M. Batson Educational Foundation "to help improve the quality of education and to expand educational opportunities for those who have been relegated to a disadvantaged category because of discrimination." In its first 20 years the Foundation made over 160 grants totaling nearly $130,000 to Black college students and Black institutions and community groups.

The former Red Sox player Mo Vaughn has established a foundation and regularly contributes to the youth center bearing his name on Blue Hill Avenue in Dorchester, and Donna Harris Lewis heads the foundation named for her late husband and Celtics player Reggie Lewis.

A Rich History of Caring and Sharing

Nationally, Black philanthropy dates back to 1787 with the first recorded African-American mutual aid organization called the Free African Society. Organized in Philadelphia by Richard Allen, founder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church and Absalom Jones, founder of the African Protestant Episcopal Church, its mission was to improve social and economic conditions in the Black community.

In Boston, groups formed in the 1700s and 1800s such as the Prince Hall African Masonic Lodge, the African Society for Mutual Aid and Charity and United Daughters of Zion built the foundation of philanthropic giving.

"Here in Boston, African-American philanthropy has been addressing the basic needs of Black families for more than 200 years. They've done this through mutual support organizations created and run by African-Americans, through hundreds of churches with missions broader than many social service agencies, and through the thousands of families that have raised other people's children as their own - and who have always had a little something to give to the people next door, " said Anna Faith Jones, President and CEO of the Boston Foundation.

Giving an historical perspective she explains, "Since its founding in 1915, The Boston Foundation has supported the struggle for freedom and equality in Boston, funding organizations like Freedom House, the Urban League, the Black Church Project and the Partnership, always drawing on the Black community for leadership. In recent years, the Boston Foundation has become a repository as well for funds established by Black Bostonians such as Joan Wallace Benjamin and the Muriel and Otto Snowden Fund for Freedom House."

Special Free Sunday Session for Youth

To help attract young Black professionals to the field of philanthropy, the Sunday, June 4 seminar "Avocations and Vocations for Young Professionals" from 3:30-5:30 p.m. and the following reception will be free of charge. Klare Shaw, Executive Director of the Boston Globe Foundation, will moderate.

Building on the Legacy of Black Giving

To register for the New England Conference on Black Philanthropy, log onto: ww w.blackgiving.org, call 617-523-6565 or 617-523-2841. E-mail to neconf_blackph [e-mail].

"Building on the Legacy of Black Giving"

The New England Conference on Black Philanthropy

June 4-6, 2000

Boston Marriott, Copley Place

Speakers & Moderators: The conference will feature key decision makers including Anna Faith Jones, President of the Boston Foundation; Michele Courton Brown, President of the FleetBoston Financial Foundation; Hugh B. Price, President of the National Urban League; Doctor Emmett Carson, President of the Minneapolis Foundation; Dr. Robert M. Franklin, President Interdenominational Theological Center; Rodney Jackson, President, National Center for Black Philanthropy; and Ricardo Millet, Ph.D., Director of Evaluation, The Kellogg Foundation.

Convenors: The conference stems from a successful and unique regional partnership that brings together corporations, foundations, donors, non-profits, community-based and grass roots organizations.

The gathering is presented by the African American Federation Of Greater Boston, Dimock Community Health Center, Giving New England, Third Sector New England and the United Black & Brown Fund of Rhode Island in association with the National Center for Black Philanthropy.

Sponsors To Date: "Building on the Legacy of Black Giving" is sponsored by The Boston Foundation, Fleet Boston Financial, Fidelity Investments, Bell Atlantic, The Hyams Foundation, Phoenix Home Life Mutual Insurance Company, Rhode Island Community Foundation, the Hartford Foundation For Public Giving State Street Global Advisors, The Boston Globe Foundation, John Hancock Financial Services, Mellon New England, The United Way of Massachusetts Bay, The Ruth Batson Educational Fund, Blue Cross Blue Shield Of Massachusetts Women in Development, National Society of Fund Raising Executives, Massachusetts Chapter, Maine Community Fund, Haymarket People's Fund, The Philanthropic Initiative, the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, and the Foley, Hoag & Eliot Foundation.