As America’s Anti-DEI Push Grows, California’s Black Orgs Find Critical Support From Black Freedom Fund

By Solomon O. Smith, California Black Media 

Over the last six years, the Black Freedom Fund (BFF) has expanded its reach as a support system for California’s Black-serving organizations, providing a boost to many groups that could be locked out of funding as federal government and corporate diversity spending has dried up. 

The BFF, originally founded as a five-year initiative, is now a permanent organization and benefactor to over 150 organizations this year, according to the organization’s website. 

Marc Philpart, president and CEO of the BFF told California Black Media (CBM) that the organization exceeded $100 million in funding within the first two years of its original five-year goal. 

Philanthropic partners, community leaders and others saw the need for this type of fund, said Philpart, which led to the permanent establishment of the BFF in 2022. 

Philpart was the BFF’s first full-time employee. 

Currently, the BFF receives about 80% of its funding from philanthropic institutions, according to Philpart, many of which are private or Donor-Advised Funds.  

“It’s a wide array of different types of entities in the sector, but the important point is that you know we have support from the majority of foundations in the state,” he said. “And especially those that consider themselves to be focused on racial justice and social justice more broadly — they’re all investors and partners in our work.” 

This year, the BFF has invested $4.6 million in 119 organizations, according to the organization’s website. 

“Our investments reflect a deliberate strategy to strengthen the broader ecosystem of Black-serving organizations across communities and regions throughout California during a challenging moment for the field,” the website reads.  

In South Los Angeles, one organization, Strategic Concepts in Organizing and Policy Education (SCOPE), has received funding from the BFF this year. SCOPE intends to use the funding to train its members and community to combat the harms of gentrification and improve health outcomes for Black and Brown communities in South Los Angeles, according to the development director for SCOPE, Naomi Boas. 

Boas describes SCOPE as a “membership-based organization” which trains its members to work as leaders in the community, observe L.A. city council meetings and organize. 

SCOPE also facilitates training to enable members to work with other aligned organizations. Currently the organization is fighting oil drilling and gentrification in Black and Brown communities in Los Angeles. 

The executive director of SCOPE, Marcus McKinney, told CBM via email that funding from organizations like BFF is critical. 

“The Black Freedom Fund is helping to shift philanthropy from funding programs to funding power. Black communities have the vision and leadership to solve the challenges they face; yet Black-led organizations and leaders have historically received only a fraction of philanthropic dollars, leaving their efforts chronically under-resourced,” wrote McKinney. “That’s why this kind of funding matters.” 

Since 2020, the BFF has supported about 240 separate organizations across the state that have the same goals of BFF—empowerment of Black communities. 

This includes a wide range of organizations, including Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice (CURYJ), Covenant House California, the Coalition for Humane Immigration Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA), among others. 

Although BFF has increased its funding of Black serving groups, Philpart says there is a rigorous process for who gets funding. The main focus is on organizations “centered on Black communities,” he said. Organizations working toward Black empowerment and liberation are encouraged to apply but that is no guarantee of funding. Many of these entities are vetted by a diligent process that ensures that they are in good standing with the state and community.  

“We reviewed those applications based on set of criteria related to the strategy that I just described,” said Philpart. “They were scored and assessed, and from there we made determinations.” 

Specialized programs like the Black LA Relief and Recovery Fund, an emergency program created to “meet the immediate and long-term needs of Black communities impacted by the devastating Eaton wildfire in Altadena and Pasadena, are also funded by BFF.  

Right now, the BFF says it is focused on the state of California, but it has not written off any future opportunities to work with national partners if the opportunity presents itself.

In addition, the BFF has created the Legal Education Advocacy and Defense for Racial Justice, or LEAD initiative. The initiative seeks to educate local groups on the legal landscape amid Trump’s rollback of civil rights and is already operating in several states. 

Since President Donald Trump’s Executive Order 14398, titled “Addressing DEI Discrimination by Federal Contractors,” issued in March this year, Philpart said concerns among philanthropic organizations seeking to support Black communities have intensified.

Philpart acknowledged the current administration’s attacks on civil rights and said that they affect Black communities. 

“It has impacted us, but it hasn’t stopped the important work we’re doing,” said Philpart. “These dynamics that we all face in this country are challenges for fundraising for racial justice work in this environment, but they are not the kind of things that prevent us from existing.”