Give Black, Give Back Initiative Celebrates Black Philanthropy, Connects with Area Nonprofit Organizations
Give Black, Give Back Co-Chairs Kia Jarmon (left) and Lisa Swift-Young.
On a sunny late afternoon in August 2019, the idea for The Community Foundation’s newest initiative began at an invitationonly mixer hosted at the Nashville Business Incubation Center in Germantown. Our guests gathered to celebrate Black Philanthropy Month — a global recognition and concerted campaign to elevate African-descent giving. The ingredients for any successful mixer — food and drink, donors and community leaders, staff members, name tags to help facilitate conversation amid the mingling, and inspirational speakers to cap the event — were present. The consensus afterward: THAT went well. Followed quickly by: We need to build from this.
Through the years, CFMT has been a valuable resource to celebrate Black philanthropists and connect with nonprofit organizations that are led by and serve the Black community, as well as those organizations that serve to advance the Black experience in the broader community. Thus, the Give Black, Give Back initiative was formed to engage and encourage Black philanthropists to continue enhancing the vibrancy of our community.
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We do this by: • Helping to establish strategies for collaboration between fundholders affiliated with CFMT; • Helping foster new partnerships among Black philanthropists and nonprofit organizations with similar aspirations for serving the community; • Seeking collaborations with corporate, civic/social organizations for greater visibility and awareness of funds established by Black philanthropists for the Black community. Give Black, Give Back has had a fruitful beginning, led by Audra Cox, CFMT’s development manager for donor services, co-chairs Lisa Swift-Young and Kia Jarmon, and its founding advisory committee that is comprised of some of the most dedicated people who have a heart and passion to do the necessary work as ambassadors for “sage wisdom” and “new ideas.” Founding advisory members include Eric Brown, Ron Corbin, Barbara Gray, Brandon Hill, Jennifer Oldham, and Antonio Young. Since its establishment, Give Black, Give Back has already succeeded at using its platform to lift up Black-led funds at the Foundation.
