History and Impact

In 2006, The Boston Foundation convened Black philanthropists and community leaders to discuss the results of the Boston Indicators Project. It pointed out that although Blacks had made significant gains there were still persistent inequities. For example, in Boston between 1998 and 2004, the percentage of Blacks lacking health coverage was cut in half but there had been an increase in infant mortality, which is a key indicator of a community’s well-being.

During the dialogue, several guests remarked on the importance of developing a shared and common objective moving forward. The diversity reflected in the Black community was consistently seen as a positive characteristic. “Our diversity can either be a curse, as we disintegrate into isolated Balkanized communities,” said the Reverend Ray Hammond, then Chair of the Foundation’s Board, or, he added “it can be an asset, as we mobilize, develop and share the richness of our linguistic, cultural and experimental assets.”

In response to that bleak and sobering report and the increasing course of isolation from grantmakers, the attending foundation board members and philanthropists established New England Blacks in Philanthropy in late 2007. The primary goal was to challenge Black philanthropists and funders of Black communities to intensify their efforts to serve Black children, families and communities. In 2024, the organization rebranded and became Give Black Alliance (GBA) in an effort to focus on the power of Black philanthropy and the assets of the Black community nationwide. 

Far too many Blacks continue to struggle economically and relationally within and outside of their own community. The “path of poverty” for disenfranchised Blacks is too often confused as the “permanent” Black culture and/or identity. GBA proposes to greet this belief system with defiance and will engage in the work of uncovering and activating our strengths which we are certain will lead to a different and more powerful paradigm. As we embark upon this journey we are hopeful that our dialogue does not relegate this to the narrow sphere of “giving back” and “community investment” from solely the Black community.

GBA seeks to create a strong Black community capable of advocating on its own behalf and identifying the necessary resources to support its vitality. We are shining a light on Black philanthropy in order to move forward on a path toward self-sufficiency. We seek to grow the social consciousness of philanthropy so that the individual, the direct service provider, the independent philanthropist and the traditional foundation officer and trustee establish better partnerships to create a balanced, holistic approach to funding successful, impactful endeavors.