By Monique Jones | For the Birmingham Times
The word “philanthropist” may call to mind images of billionaire business owners or generous celebrities, but charitable organizations in Birmingham and the people who power them are proving that anyone can give back.
August is Black Philanthropy Month, a time to celebrate the efforts Black nonprofits have made to help their communities.
Created by Dr. Jacqueline Bouvier Copeland in 2011, this year’s Black Philanthropy Month theme is “Many Voices, One Movement.” The theme highlights how philanthropy involves collective giving and community support.
Sharing the responsibility of community service is certainly the case in Birmingham, where several organizations, such as the Birmingham Change Fund and The Brilliant Black Girl Collective, focus primarily on giving back to the city’s Black population.
The Birmingham Change Fund
Started in 2003, the Birmingham Change Fund (BCF) developed through conversations led by Hindsight Consulting’s Darryl Lester. Sponsored by the Ford Foundation’s Linetta Gilbert, the conversations focused specifically on helping young Black people share their talents and skills with their communities.
The fund is composed of Black professionals who address community issues through three different funnels — healthcare, economics and education. The group takes time to conduct research in the community on issues within these three areas, then addresses those needs through tailored grants, such as the group’s 3-year, $30,000 grant to W.J. Christian Middle School and the McWane Science Center in 2011. The grant, which funded trips and outreach programs between the school and the science center, positively impacted 810 students and resulted in students not only exceeding test-score standards but also winning several awards at the 2013 district-wide science fair.
Marsha Morgan, a founding member of the BCF, said she believes the group has enabled members to learn even more about themselves while giving back to the community.
“I think when we all joined BCF, what we came to understand is a lot of times folks have this notion that you must be a millionaire or billionaire to be a philanthropist, and that’s not the case. Being a part of BCF has taught all of us that really the true meaning of the word ‘philanthropy’ is love of humankind.”
She continued, “From that understanding and in that context, it shapes how we engage and show up with our community. So it’s not just about giving dollars…It’s so important for us to do that collectively, but it’s also about leveraging our time, talents, treasure, as well as testimony to move the needle and change things.”
The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham sponsors the fund. Charles Lewis, also a BCF founding member, said that working with the foundation has been “a great partnership” when it came to getting young Black professionals involved in philanthropy.
“It was really [important] to prepare those young professionals to take a more active role in board leadership, whether it be corporate or, especially, not-for-profit. So the Community Foundation had a desire to increase participation from younger African American professionals,” he said, adding that young professionals who worked with the foundation were able to have a “learning experience” within the nonprofit world.
The BCF is also a founding organization of the Community Investment Network, a network of 14 giving circles across the South, including BCF’s sister fund in Raleigh, NC. Morgan said that the network has inspired other giving circles in other parts of the nation, including Denver, CO; New Orleans, LA; and South Carolina.
“I think it…speaks volumes to how we’re able to leverage what we learned here in Birmingham and to allow it to spread further,” she said.
The Brilliant Black Girl Collective
Another group, The Brilliant Black Girl Collective, also helps the next generations of leaders in Birmingham. Created in 2021 by Black women professionals who grew up in the city, The Brilliant Black Girl Collective aims to provide access and opportunities for young Black and Brown girls through college scholarships, employment pathways and community support.
According to the Women’s Foundation of Alabama, scholarships range from $ 1,000 to $7,500 for high school seniors with a minimum GPA of 2.8 who demonstrate community involvement and leadership. So far, the Collective has awarded scholarships to 55 students.
Kristina Bridgeman, one of the group’s founding members, described the group as composed of “very driven” Black professionals who knew they wanted to give back to the city that gave them their voice. She said that she and the women live by the ideal that “if you give back, you can pull forward.”
“We are all very like-minded women and understand the importance of continuing to see young women in Birmingham not just survive, but thrive,” she said.
are part of the Brilliant Black Girl Collective.
The group aims to provide access and opportunities for young Black and Brown girls through college scholarships, employment pathways and community support. (Amarr Croskey, For The Birmingham Times)
Bridgeman, who moved to Birmingham from Detroit when she was in high school, became part of the city’s fabric thanks to her mother, who worked in the Birmingham City Schools system for over 20 years. Bridgeman moved away to live in Chicago for 10 years, but came back and soon after joined the Brilliant Black Girl Collective through the suggestion of fellow founding member and friend, Daagye Hendricks.
“It was no hesitation [to join] because I have personal experience with Birmingham and the school system, but more importantly for myself as a female engineer, I know it’s important to give back,” she said. “That is what really inspired me to want to be involved in this philanthropic effort due to my own education and the lack of women that I see in the area of engineering. I want to continue to pour into our young ladies and help them achieve their goals and their dreams.”
Catrina Jackson, another founding member, also felt that the time was right to give back to other young women in the city.
“What compelled me to help found this organization was the realization that talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not,” she wrote in an emailed interview. “I have spent much of my life serving others and working in communities where I met brilliant young women who had the intelligence, determination and dreams to change the world, but often lacked the resources, networks, or support systems to help them get there.”
She continued, “I wanted to be part of creating something that would not only invest in their education but also affirm their worth. The Collective was born out of a belief that when Black women come together with purpose, we can create pathways for the next generation that many of us had to navigate on our own.”
Creating an Impact
As the non-profit organization BackBlack reports, Black-led nonprofits are largely underfunded by donors as opposed to their white counterparts.
Still, despite the systemic disparities facing Black non-profits, The Brilliant Black Girl Collective and the Birmingham Change Fund have been able to create significant change in the city.
“We’re doing it because, deep down in our soul, in our heart of hearts, we want to do it,” said Bridgeman. “It’s important, and we don’t want money to be a limiting factor for these young ladies to be able to achieve their dreams and their goals.”
Fellow Brilliant Black Girl Collective founding member Jametta White also spoke about why she felt called to be part of the group, reiterating her desire to give back to the city that helped shape who she is.
“I was very fortunate to have an opportunity to go away to college, and I know how much that changed my perspective on how I view the world and my perspective of things I could accomplish myself. So I always believe that to whom much is given, much is required,” she said. “Who am I to not honor the blessings and benefits of the experiences that the Lord has blessed me with? I can’t find a better opportunity or a way to show my gratitude and to reap what I’ve sowed by sowing into the dreams and aspirations of others.”
So far, the collective has raised and given out $158,000 in scholarships to deserving students. Jackson wrote that for her, the scholarships mean more than just money.
“Every scholarship represents a story, a dream, and a possibility. At the same time, the impact reminds me that our work is not finished,” she wrote. “There are still so many deserving students who need support. So while I celebrate the [$158,000] we have awarded, I also see it as motivation to do more, reach more, and invest even deeper into the lives of young women across our community.”
Jackson believes education is about more than a degree.
“If we can help one young woman believe in herself, pursue her education, and step boldly into her purpose, the impact extends far beyond her. It reaches her family, her community and eventually the next generation,” she said. “That is why education remains at the center of what we do. Because when you educate a young woman, you don’t just change one life, you help change an entire legacy.”
Investing in Education
The Birmingham Change Fund also helps young students find their pathways in life. Since its inception in 2003, the BCF has awarded nearly $70,000 in education grants and has supported education through partnerships such as the one between the McWane Science Center and W.J. Christian School. Morgan said that the students were allowed to come to the center and learn about how they can use their interests to better their world.
“I think [it] speaks volumes to how investing in education really matters. Because while we thought initially, yes, it’s great to be able to have test scores increase, and that did happen, what we came to also learn and see is that students saw themselves in careers they never thought of,” she said. “They never thought of themselves as scientists or veterinarians or other roles. They would go on their own and volunteer at the center. So I think that’s just the power of education. Investing in education really is transformative because it not only allows you to do the immediate work as it relates to academic skills, but it also helps provide life skills [and] exposure that can really transform only an individual, but ultimately an entire community.”
Fellow BCF founding member Lyord Watson tied his philanthropy to his personal upbringing.
“I’m the son of an educator, and my aunts and uncles were educators. So, when you think about thriving communities, education is a part of that,” he said. “It’s interesting that [with this] group of young professionals, we were all educated. We were all out of college or recently out of college in our early careers. And so we understood that taking the time to prepare for that next phase in life was important.”
He said the BCF wanted to make sure that “other people in our communities all had that same success” they had. As he put it, he and the other founding members wanted to plan for others to have “the same type of opportunities we had throughout the educational process.”
Changing the City’s Professional Landscape
Lewis added how the fund has helped change Birmingham’s professional landscape in its 23-year existence.
“When you start thinking about the Change Fund, early members of the Change Fund are now leaders of this community,” he said “All of that’s happened… and several City of Birmingham school board members have [joined] the Change Fund. You’ve got executives in banks and other corporations around [town]. You’ve got business owners and nonprofit leadership. All have cut their teeth in the early part of the Change Fund. So that’s really exciting.”
As a result of the members’ work in the community, the Birmingham Change Fund received the Outstanding Charitable Organization recognition at the 2015 National Philanthropy Day Awards.
Watson summed up the group’s feelings about the recognition by noting that the group focuses primarily on doing the work necessary to help future generations.
“When you start this work, you really don’t know if it’s going to work out or not. You’re learning,” he said. “So what [the recognition] showed was we continued to learn, we continued to grow, and we continued to understand and basically just continued to do the work. So we’re grateful and excited to be recognized for our work, not just here but around the nation.”
How to Support
Community support is part of the lifeblood of philanthropic initiatives like the Birmingham Change Fund and The Brilliant Black Girl Collective.
Watson said that the Birmingham Change Fund wouldn’t have received its national recognition if it weren’t for the community’s backing.
“Our logo is a swatch of fabric. We recognize that the fabric doesn’t just appear. That fabric is made up of a lot of different strings that are woven together into a tapestry,” he said. “And so we just consider ourselves to be the tapestry of Birmingham. I believe that Birmingham has been a leader, and so we are just grateful to be a part of that fabric.”
White also said that the community, particularly the men of Birmingham, have given back to help the Brilliant Black Girl Collective raise the next generations of Black women professionals.
“It’s been great…to see a community of gentlemen [support] the Brilliant Black Girl Collective and [create] some opportunities for us financially to be able to pour into these young women,” she said. “That has been so exciting to see them walk alongside us to do the things that we are doing. It’s been amazing to see the support from the men in the community that we have had in supporting our efforts.”
Bridgeman said that donating is an immediate way to support the collective’s endeavors, but you don’t have to be a big spender. As she said, “Any amount helps.” If your donation comes from a good place and is within your budget, that’s all that’s required.
Donors can also fundraise on behalf of the BCF or connect with the group to learn how to develop their own giving circle.
“If you want to host a fundraiser, reach out to us,” she said, adding that volunteering is also a way to give back to the collective. “We can share with you how to get that set up.”
Lewis also added that the community can donate in community service.
“We really want to spur folks to give up their time and talent to help lift up the greater community,” he said. “[Such as] getting involved on a local board and helping provide guidance and leadership to strengthen and make more capacity for some of the fledgling, but purposeful, nonprofits around town. That’s what we really want to spur, and that’s how you can help. …We would love to hear the ways [people] are helping to impact the community through their individual time and talent, [and] how they have used that to make Birmingham a better place.”
To learn more about and donate to the Birmingham Change Fund and The Brilliant Black Girl Collective, visit www.cfbham.org/grants/bcf, https://bbgcollective.com/, and https://wfalabama.org/join-a-giving-circle-2/brilliant-black-girl-collective/.
