# Lack of information for donors & nonprofits hindering Black philanthropy, study finds

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2022/08/23/lack-of-information-for-donors-nonprofits-hindering-black-philanthropy-study-finds/
- Published: 2022-08-23T09:55:00+01:00
- Author: Melanie May

**More research as well as a new foundation for Black philanthropy are needed to
support Black giving in the UK, with donors keen to give but lack of information
creating barriers, a study has found.**

[‘Valuing the Black Philanthropic Pound’](https://usercontent.one/wp/www.giveblackuk.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/GiveBLACK-Report-2022.pdf)
was produced by [GiveBLACK ](https://www.giveblackuk.org/)in partnership with UCL
to examine the motivation, aims and patterns of Black giving in the UK. It draws
on an evidence base of focus groups and interviews held with Black donors, including
high net worth individuals (HNWI), and Black-led charitable organisations.

The study set out to learn how HNWIs define Black philanthropy, what motivates Black
HNWIs to give, the patterns of giving among Black donors, and how Black giving can
be galvanised in the UK.

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#### Key findings

Overall, it found that there is very little data available on Black giving in the
UK, with a clear need for better tracking of racial data on donors and beneficiaries
and for more research to map Black philanthropy and shine a spotlight on it.

GiveBLACK’s donor research found a strong desire to ‘give back’, empower the Black
community and create opportunities, but that some HNWIs face barriers to giving 
with the fear of slipping back into poverty is common. As a result, trust is often
a key factor in giving decisions meaning Black-led organisations must ensure they
demonstrate strong governance and provide clear messaging about their purpose and
outcomes. Highlighting a lack of information for donors, the study also uncovered
frustration among HNWIs at having to rely on their own networks to identify worthy
Black causes.

Questioning Black-led charitable organisations, GiveBLACK found that they are often
overlooked or excluded from applying for large pots of funding. In addition, although
they are keen to receive donations from Black HNWIs, there is a lack of understanding
about who those HNWIs are, how best to approach them or what they require in order
to give. This, the study says, highlights an urgent need for Black-led organisations
to have better access to information about how to engage with affluent Black donors,
build trust and communicate about the way their programmes are run and the outcomes
they achieve.

#### Recommendations

The report makes a number of recommendations for donors, funders, and charitable
organisations.

 * For donors, these include making a commitment to engage and network with other
   donors, and identifying the spheres of influence they can use to promote Black
   causes.
 * For funders, it recommends ensuring Black causes have fair access to funding,
   ring-fencing money for Black-led organisations responding to a proven need, and
   publicly recognising the success of Black-led organisations and generosity of
   Black donors so to make Black philanthropy more visible.
 * Charitable organisations, it recommends, need to identify and engage with Black
   HNWIs more effectively based on their specific interests, values and expertise,
   be more transparent about how they operate and learn how to articulate their 
   impact more efficiently.

It concludes that donors need a reliable vehicle for Black philanthropy that will
help them connect with worthy Black causes and network with each other to increase
their impact, recommending further research, and the creation of a foundation for
Black philanthropy.

 * **[More guidance from financial advisors could mean extra £1.4bn a year for charities](https://fundraising.co.uk/2022/11/24/more-guidance-financial-advisors-could-mean-extra-1-4bn-charities/)**(
   24 November 2022)
 * **[People favour those from own social group when helping others, research suggests](https://fundraising.co.uk/2023/03/16/people-favour-those-from-own-social-group-when-helping-others-research-suggests/)**(
   16 March 2023)
 * **[Individuals & organisations donated $70 billion in cross-border giving globally in 2020](https://fundraising.co.uk/2023/08/24/2020-saw-70bn-in-cross-border-philanthropic-giving-globally-tracker-shows/)**(
   24 August 2023)