Association of Black Foundation Executives

Annual conference and james joseph lectureabfe's annual conference is a gathering of philanthropic and non-profit professionals for networking and engagement around shared interest in supporting Black communities through philanthropy. The target audience is abfe's members and partners; Foundation trustees, executive staff and program officers, grant making entities including private foundations, corporate giving programs, donor-advised funds and giving circles. In 2022, abfe focused on five of the 10 imperatives included in its call to action; issue areas that are not only at the heart of needed investment and change, but area critical to the organization's commitment to responsive philanthropy in Black communities (rpbc) framework. These priority areas included: (1) a push for structural change, (2) engaging Black business, (3) lifting up gender, (4) reaching the diaspora, and (5) addressing disparities in prisons. The 2022 annual conference brought together 791 participants (720 in-person, 71 virtual). 64% of the participants were abfe members, and nearly 100 registrants were Foundation board trustees.we also celebrated what has been a signature program for abfe for over 30 years, the james a. joseph lecture and awards, which celebrated the important accomplishments of leaders in the field.

Membership servicesabfe equips its members and partners with tools and resources to respond more effectively to the needs of Black communities and to address anti-black racism. Abfe uses its position and networks in the field to share information for the express purpose of influencing policies and practices in the field that may hinder the success of Black professionals or communities. Our responsive philanthropy in Black communities (rpbc) framework for grantmaking supports the dignity of communities and optimizes inherent strengths to ensure better outcomes for Black communities. Abfe also offers a variety of opportunities for members and other professionals in the field to exchange information and ideas, and to cultivate productive relationships that often result in learning, co-investment, and expanded social and professional opportunities and communities. Our professional and leadership development primarily focuses on members' interests. Abfe provides information and other resources that inform grantmaking strategies and support career and leadership development for Black professionals in the field.

Philanthropic advisingabfe brings a new framework on rpbc to realize its mission of promoting effective and responsive philanthropy in Black communities. This new template builds upon grantmaking with a racial equity lens but is tailored specifically to grantmaking in and for Black communities. As a result, abfe has designed a set of defining characteristics of philanthropy that is more likely to reduce gaps in racial disparities facing blacks in the united states. We have been partnering with grant makers around the country to apply this framework to their investments. In 2022, abfe engaged 17 foundations, corporations, and philanthropy serving organizations to deliver racial equity training.

Black community funders network (bscfn)black community funders network leaders focused on strengthening infrastructure for change in Black communities.

Leverage the trust - caleverage the trust - California is a network of about 40 Black Foundation trustees committed to addressing impacts of anti-black racism in California. In 2022 the network launched a public sign on to engage more trustees, hosted policy briefings with state and federal policy makers, and hosted regional meet-ups in los angeles and oakland to engage Black trustees and ceos in the state.

Connecting leaders fellowship (clfp)clfp is a year-long experience designed to sharpen the skills and strengthen the leadership capacity of Foundation staff, donors, and trustees who are committed to assisting Black communities through philanthropy. Fellows get the opportunity to learn from seasoned grantmakers and peers on a regular basis, understand how to be more effective agents for change within their institutions, and participate in a network that focuses on innovative solutions to community challenges. The fellowship begins with a week-long leadership summit. In addition, fellows conduct a 360-degree evaluation and are assigned a leadership coach. Each fellow is required to complete a community-based learning project during the fellowship year, which can be volunteer work or a research project on a topic of interest. Abfe added 10 new clfp fellows in 2022, boosting our numbers to 197. We brought the cohort together for our annual clfp summit which was held in atlanta, ga.

Black women in philanthropy (bwip)in 2022 abfe marked the 9th annual Black women in philanthropy leadership (bwip) retreat, a gathering of 134 ceo and "mid-level managers/sisters rising" in foundations. The event was designed to create both peer-group and "cross-generation" opportunities to support the full diversity of participating women. The retreat creates the space to share triumphs, challenges and lessons learned. In addition, opportunities for participants to build and create community were established. Bwip is part of abfe's effort to amplify the unique leadership and roles that various stakeholder groups play in the sector. The 2022 annual bwip retreat took place august 25th 27, 2022 at paradise point resort in san diego, California.

Other programsother programs include engagements with abfe's partnerships and networks in the Black communities. One of these networks is smart investing which is a network of investment officers and asset managers committed to diverse and inclusive investment management practices in philanthropy. In 2022 the network convened a 3-day retreat with over 30 investment officers across the field to discuss ways to address racial bias, engage more diverse asset managers, and build relationships with stakeholders that can impact change in the sector. Another network is the umoja circle, a national network of Black Foundation ceos that come together regularly to discuss philanthropy's role in addressing the social and economic inequities impacting the Black community. In 2022 the network collaborated to create "a spirit of unity: how Black Foundation ceos are advancing the call to action to anti-black racism for philanthropy" a publication that illustrates the impacts this network made on addressing anti-black racism in their communities.