Invest in the Black Funders Network of the Bay Area

Black Funders Network of the Bay Area

LXCL:The Black Funders Network of the Bay Area empowers Black people in philanthropy and mission-aligned individuals to connect, grow, and align efforts to support Black communities.

Join Black Funders Network of the Bay Area (BFN) for an afternoon of connection and celebration as we gather the day before Juneteenth! We&rsquo;re coming together to celebrate Black leadership, excellence, and our collective community impact that leverages philanthropic tools. On Thursday, June 18th, come for good food, good music, and belly laughs with good company. Meet new people, reconnect with old friends and colleagues, or just unwind in the BFN community. Space is limited, so if you&#39;re thinking about joining us, register today!&nbsp; Who May Attend?&nbsp;Attendance is open to the BFN member community. We invite our new and returning members to join us. <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.blackfundersnetwork.org/membership" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">Click here to learn more about BFN membership.</a> If you have questions, email info@blackfundersnetwork.org! By registering, you consent to being photographed and/or recorded. We look forward to capturing special moments during this gathering and sharing these moments in our future community communications.

Summer Celebration with BBQ

Black Funders Network of the Bay Area (BFN) is bringing members together for a Connection Circle meetup in Downtown Oakland on May 21, 2026, from 5:00 to 6:30 PM.&nbsp;Come unwind and share space with the BFN community as we transition from Spring to Summer season.&nbsp;<p fr-original-style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: 100%; color: rgb(54, 54, 54); width: 552px; margin-inline: 0px !important; font-family: Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0.25px; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; margin: 0px; line-height: 1.5;" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: 100%; color: rgb(54, 54, 54); width: 552px; font-family: Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0.25px; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; line-height: 1.5; margin-inline: 0px !important; margin: 0px;"> Light appetizers and finger foods will be provided. Non-alcoholic beverages and happy hour drinks will be available for purchase.&nbsp;<p fr-original-style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: 100%; color: rgb(54, 54, 54); width: 552px; margin-inline: 0px !important; font-family: Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0.25px; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; margin: 0px; line-height: 1.5;" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: 100%; color: rgb(54, 54, 54); width: 552px; font-family: Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0.25px; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; line-height: 1.5; margin-inline: 0px !important; margin: 0px;"> Who May Attend?Attendance is open to the BFN member community. We invite our new and returning members. Registration will close on Wednesday, May 20. About BFN Connection CirclesBFN hosts Connection Circles to provide a low-pressure, welcoming space for Black people in philanthropy to connect, recharge, and engage in meaningful dialogue. Designed as informal &quot;come-as-you-are&quot; gatherings, these sessions foster community and mutual support while offering opportunities for private conversations and breakout discussions on topics of shared interest.&nbsp;<p dir="ltr" fr-original-style="line-height:1.2;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;padding:0pt 0pt 8pt 0pt;" style="line-height: 1.2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0px; padding: 0pt 0pt 8pt; width: 100%; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> This initiative aligns with BFN&rsquo;s mission to create supportive and re-energizing spaces, ensuring members feel seen, heard, and valued in their professional journeys.

Connection Circle Meetup in Downtown Oakland

We invite you to join us for a conversation highlighting lessons learned and strategies to improve health outcomes for Black Communities.&nbsp; The annual Pearls of Wisdom program uplifts the lived experiences of Black women and encourages intergenerational discussion on timely topics affecting the philanthropic sector, fostering community learning, professional development, strategy sharing, and connection. The Pearls of Wisdom Program is a signature event hosted each March in celebration of Women&rsquo;s History Month.&nbsp; Program Goals:<ol fr-original-style="" style="width: 100%; box-sizing: inherit;"><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Surface lessons learned from health initiatives and policy strategies</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Identify grantmaking models addressing the root causes of disparities</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Connect Black health outcomes to broader population health systems</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Build relationships across philanthropy, healthcare, and community leadership</li></ol>Lunch will be provided.&nbsp; If you&#39;re interested in attending, register today! Registration for all attendees will close on Tuesday, March 24, 2026.&nbsp; Who May Attend:&nbsp;Attendance is open to the BFN member community. We invite our new and returning members, those ready to renew, &nbsp;as well as the allies and prospective partners who are interested in joining the network. <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.blackfundersnetwork.org/membership" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-color: initial; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">Click here to learn more about BFN membership.</a> &nbsp;Speakers &amp; Thought Partners<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/hxn9dbuhd/image/upload/v1773187572/wysiwyg/itxqeawb3sxryxi2x2ga.jpg" style="width: 226px; display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; position: relative; max-width: 100%; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; user-select: none; box-sizing: inherit;" fr-original-style="width: 226px; display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable">Katherine HaynesCalifornia Health Care Foundation Katherine Haynes is a senior program officer in CHCF&rsquo;s Improving Access team, which works to ensure that Californians &mdash; particularly those enrolled in Medi-Cal &mdash; receive responsive, comprehensive, and coordinated care that supports their health and well-being. She uses research, strategy, organizational design, futurism, and design thinking to create scalable, sustainable programs. Before joining CHCF, Katherine worked as program director at Institute for the Future in Palo Alto, where she led systematic thinking about health and health care futures among executives of public and private organizations. Previously, Katherine built Kaiser Permanente Northern California&rsquo;s diversity department &mdash; with the mission to advance language access and health equity &mdash; and served as its executive director. In this role, she directed a program that deployed design research and systems thinking to improve member experience to build accountability in the language program, and funded disparities-reduction projects in the health care delivery system. She also served as the founding director of the technology and information exchange core at the UCSF Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, where she fostered collaboration among epidemiologists, psychologists, substance use researchers, population specialists, and community-based AIDS service organizations to pioneer a community collaborative research program that was replicated by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the state of California. Katherine received a bachelor&rsquo;s degree in humanities from the University of California, Berkeley, and a master&rsquo;s degree in business administration from the Anderson School of Management at the University of California, Los Angeles. She currently serves as the chair of the board of the American Jewish World Service and is an instructor for the Institute for the Future. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/hxn9dbuhd/image/upload/v1773427308/wysiwyg/qsujtcxibb8i1eo1riil.jpg" style="width: 210px; display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; position: relative; max-width: 100%; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; user-select: none; box-sizing: inherit;" fr-original-style="width: 210px; display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable">Dr. Shakari ByerlyEVITARUS Shakari Byerly, Ph.D., is Managing Partner of Evitarus. Dr. Byerly has more than 20 years of experience designing and conducting survey and focus group research. Dr. Byerly has served as a pollster for a host of businesses, foundations, non-profits, cities, counties, special districts, local school districts, community college districts, colleges and universities, special initiatives, campaigns, and research institutes across the country. Her research has encompassed multi-lingual and mixed-methods studies related to health care, policy, and equity, mental health, homelessness, and housing, resident attitudes, perceptions, and preferences, conservation and climate, community safety, criminal justice reform, marketing, outreach and education, ballot measure campaigns, transportation, and voter mobilization and turnout. Dr. Byerly is an active member of the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) and Founding Chair of BAAPOR, an AAPOR affinity group that serves as a network of public opinion researchers, scholars, and professionals focused on research and best practices for conducting research, among Black, African American, and African diaspora populations. She also serves on AAPOR&rsquo;s Strategic Planning Committee and the Inclusion &amp; Equity Committee. Dr. Byerly regularly presents academic research and leads polling-industry dialogue on the importance of methodologically rigorous sampling of diverse populations and of community participatory research. She is also a member of the American Political Science Association (APSA) and the National Conference of Black Political Scientists (NCOBPS). Prior to EVITARUS, Dr. Byerly was a Senior Vice President at FM3 Research, Manager of the California Governance Project at the Center for Governmental Studies (CGS), and a Policy Consultant to members of the California State Legislature, among other roles in policy, education, and campaigns. Dr. Byerly earned a Ph.D. in Political Science, along with a Master&rsquo;s degree, from UCLA&rsquo;s Political Science Department, a Master&rsquo;s degree in Public Policy from the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, and a Bachelor&rsquo;s degree in Government from Dartmouth College. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/hxn9dbuhd/image/upload/v1773187593/wysiwyg/mpe6gwi4zkfc4i6fkopl.jpg" style="width: 219px; display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; position: relative; max-width: 100%; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; user-select: none; box-sizing: inherit;" fr-original-style="width: 219px; display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable">Dr. Melanie TervalonMelanie Tervalon Consulting Dr. Melanie Tervalon is a nationally and internationally renowned physician, educator, community activist, and thought leader. Her broad expertise in medical and social sciences, public health, and public policy is informed not only by her stellar academic training and professional experience but also by the connections she has forged with the streets where everyday people and their triumphs and challenges reside. As a practicing Pediatrician at the Children&rsquo;s Hospital in Oakland, CA, she founded the Multicultural Curriculum Program. &ldquo;Cultural humility&rdquo; was the moniker that described her efforts to train doctors to set aside the pre-conceived notions about patients that substituted for their own lack of knowledge about the diverse and culturally complex communities they served. For more than two decades since the inception of this program, Dr. Tervalon has demonstrated, in myriad ways, how cultural humility can make the difference between sickness and health in the treatment of individuals and communities. In her current role as a consultant, Dr. Tervalon crafts strategic plans for program and funding initiatives, provides expert knowledge in the field of culture, race, ethnicity and identity in health and health services, guides leaders or teams from ideas to implementation while modeling participatory processes, synthesizing large amounts of often disparate information for use in organizational planning or redirection, facilitates meetings for large and small groups, and provides individual coaching.&nbsp;Dr. Tervalon has a reputation for building constructive, participatory relationships inside and outside of institutions, modeling respect for divergent points of view. Dr. Tervalon received her MD from the University of California, San Francisco, and an MPH and BS from the University of California, Berkeley. She is a highly acclaimed public speaker.

Pearls of Wisdom: Women Advancing Public Health in Black Communities

Join the Black Funders Network of the Bay Area for an action-oriented conversation about how Bay Area grantmakers are directly supporting Black arts and culture ecosystems and as part of broader strategies.&nbsp; This space allows grantmakers to analyze funding models and gain the peer-driven insights necessary to refine their 2026 investment approaches.&nbsp; Lunch from a local Black-owned business will be provided. By the end of this program, attendees will be able to:<ol fr-original-style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;padding-inline-start:48px;" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px; width: 100%; box-sizing: inherit;"><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="list-style-type: decimal; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Montserrat, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;" style="list-style-type: decimal; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Montserrat, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre; box-sizing: inherit;">Celebrate and map explicit connections between Black arts and cross-sector goals like civic power, health outcomes, economic mobility, and rejuvenation</li><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="list-style-type: decimal; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Montserrat, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;" style="list-style-type: decimal; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Montserrat, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre; box-sizing: inherit;">Identify and describe community infrastructures and grantmaking models that have helped to build a strong Black arts and cultural ecosystems</li><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="list-style-type:decimal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Montserrat,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;" style="list-style-type: decimal; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Montserrat, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre; box-sizing: inherit;">Cultivate peer-to-peer relationships to facilitate future resource-sharing and investment opportunities among funders</li></ol> Who May Attend:&nbsp;Attendance is open to the BFN member community. We invite our new and returning members, those ready to renew, and the allies and prospective partners who are interested in joining. Speakers<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/hxn9dbuhd/image/upload/v1770751748/wysiwyg/or993ku95h5ojkemrnge.jpg" style="width: 114px; display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto 5px 0px; text-align: left; position: relative; max-width: 100%; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; user-select: none; box-sizing: inherit; border-radius: 10px; background-clip: padding-box;" fr-original-style="width: 114px; display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto 5px 0px; text-align: left;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable fr-rounded">Esailama Artry-Diouf, San Francisco Foundation Esailama Artry-Diouf, PhD, is a Senior Program Officer at the San Francisco Foundation. Esailama began her professional career as a performing artist in 1989 in Oakland. As an artist and scholar, she has lectured on dance, performing arts history, and activism throughout the United States and conducted long&ndash;term teaching and performance residencies in South and West Africa, India, and the Caribbean. Esailama has extensive experience in cultural and nonprofit work, having served in both public and private philanthropy for over 15 years. She also spent over 25 years advising on and coordinating community arts and social justice projects with various stakeholders, including government officials, dignitaries, influencers, and grassroots organizers. Among her recent publications are an edited volume titled Hot Feet and Social Change with the University of Chicago Press (2019) and a recently published article, &quot;Le Festival Mondial des Art Negres,&quot; in The Oxford Handbook of Black Dance (2025). <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/hxn9dbuhd/image/upload/v1770923128/wysiwyg/jztkh4opd06zputia2sk.jpg" style="width: 132px; display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto 5px 0px; text-align: left; position: relative; max-width: 100%; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; user-select: none; box-sizing: inherit;" fr-original-style="width: 132px; display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto 5px 0px; text-align: left;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable">Demetria Huntsman, Akonadi Foundation Demetria Huntsman is a Senior Program Officer at Akonadi Foundation, where she oversees the foundation&rsquo;s arts and culture grantmaking and community engagement, including the So Love Can Win fund. Born and raised in Oakland, Demetria started her career in youth development, building programs, organizing youth, and developing communities. Her restorative justice-based work became a model for resolving conflict and was selected by State Senate Pro Tem Don Perata and then Mayor Ron Dellums as Oakland&rsquo;s first community street-based outreach program. Prior to joining Akonadi Foundation, she served as Chief Operating Officer at YR Media, an award-winning media, technology, and music training center and platform for emerging BIPOC content creators who use their voices to change the world. As Senior Director of Operations and Finance at Black Futures Lab, her leadership was invaluable to the success of the Black Census Project, the largest national survey of Black people in more than 150 years. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political, Legal, and Economic Analysis and a Master of Business Administration from Mills College.&nbsp; Demetria remains inspired and centers her joy on maintaining healthy boundaries, using her voice, seeing the best in others, and making room for belly laughs. She enjoys raising her beautiful son in Oakland, honoring all who came before, and sunset walks with her dog. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/hxn9dbuhd/image/upload/v1771022656/wysiwyg/tzliiktwpbr9sslfgsfq.jpg" style="width: 190px; display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto 5px 0px; text-align: left; position: relative; max-width: 100%; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; user-select: none; box-sizing: inherit;" fr-original-style="width: 190px; display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto 5px 0px; text-align: left;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable"> Debrah Giles, East Bay Community FoundationDebrah Giles is a philanthropic and non-profit management professional who serves as a Program Director for the East Bay Community Foundation in Oakland, CA. She specializes in supporting EBCF initiatives that foster education, youth development, and the arts and culture. In her role, she leads the foundation&rsquo;s program strategy and grantmaking focused on arts and culture for social and racial justice, serves as the Senior Program Officer for the Clorox Company Foundation&rsquo;s Responsive Grantmaking Program, and continues to lead the work that focuses on boys &amp; men of color. Before joining the East Bay Community Foundation, for nearly 15 years, Debrah worked for Sun Microsystems in their Global Community Development Group (Foundation). At Sun Microsystems, she managed all aspects of their national and regional grant-making programs and developed strategies to improve their grant-making procedures. During her tenure with Sun, she also developed and guided major funding programs, including their international disaster relief program, multi-year educational grants, and global gift-matching programs.Debrah received her bachelor&rsquo;s degree in Business Management from St. Mary&rsquo;s College. She is a native of Oakland. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/hxn9dbuhd/image/upload/v1770751810/wysiwyg/bqjbenhyke1yrgrzpkhb.jpg" style="width: 190px; display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto 5px 0px; text-align: left; position: relative; max-width: 100%; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; user-select: none; box-sizing: inherit;" fr-original-style="width: 190px; display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto 5px 0px; text-align: left;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable">Chantel Walker, Black Funders Network of the Bay Area (Moderator) Chantel Walker is the Managing Director of the Black Funders Network of the Bay Area. She is the Vice Mayor of San Anselmo, California, an experienced executive leader, and a dedicated community volunteer. ------Become a member of an intentional space to build a strong community of support for career growth and navigation, collaborative partnerships and Black community impact, and promote effectiveness in the field of philanthropy at <a fr-original-style="" href="//www.blackfundersnetwork.org" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-color: initial; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">www.blackfundersnetwork.org</a>.

Black Arts and Cultural Ecosystems: Interconnected Strategies and Stand-Alone Strength (Hybrid)

Join us on&nbsp;Thursday, January 15, 2026, for the Black Funders Network&rsquo;s Annual Membership Meeting from 3:30 to 5:00 PM&nbsp;(hybrid: in-person in Oakland and via Zoom).&nbsp; Attendance is open to the BFN member community. We invite our current membership alongside our returning members, those ready to renew for 2026, and the allies and prospective partners interested in joining.&nbsp; The Black Funders Network of the Bay Area (BFN) supports and guides Black people in philanthropy to connect, grow, (re)energize, and align to best support Black communities as well as organizations. BFN is a space in the Bay Area for the philanthropic community to connect in support of Black Communities across the Bay Area. Refreshments will be served. Registration to attend in person has closed. If you would like to attend in person, email info@blackfundersnetwork.org.

Black Funders Network of the Bay Area Annual Membership Meeting (Hybrid)

Black Funders Network of the Bay Area (BFN) is the space in the Bay Area for Black philanthropic professionals to connect, grow, and align their efforts to best support Black communities and organizations.&nbsp; On November 14th, 2025, join us at <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.kisseloakland.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-color: initial; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">Kissel Hotel Uptown Oakland</a> (2455 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612) for a pivotal evening as the Black Funders Network of the Bay Area celebrates five years of impact in philanthropy.&nbsp; This year&#39;s theme, Rooted in Legacy, Rising in Power: Black Philanthropy in Action, is a powerful testament to our collective journey,&nbsp;honoring our roots and inspiring our future. This anniversary is a moment to reflect on how far we&#39;ve come and to ignite the path towards our ambitious goals for future giving practices. <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.blackfundersnetwork.org/fifth-anniversary-celebration" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-color: initial; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">Visit our website</a> for more information about the event.&nbsp; The last day to register is Wednesday, November 12th at 11:59 PM! <p fr-original-style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: 100%; color: rgb(93, 46, 14); width: 784px; margin-inline: 0px !important; font-family: Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0.25px; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; margin: 0px; line-height: 1.5; text-align: center;" id="isPasted" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: 100%; color: rgb(93, 46, 14); width: 784px; font-family: Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0.25px; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; line-height: 1.5; text-align: center; margin-inline: 0px !important; margin: 0px;">About the Black Funders Network of the Bay Area<p fr-original-style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: 100%; color: rgb(93, 46, 14); width: 784px; margin-inline: 0px !important; font-family: Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0.25px; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; margin: 0px; line-height: 1.5;" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: 100%; color: rgb(93, 46, 14); width: 784px; font-family: Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0.25px; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; line-height: 1.5; margin-inline: 0px !important; margin: 0px;">The Black Funders Network of the Bay Area is the only space in the Bay Area for Black philanthropic professionals to connect. We:<ol fr-original-style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: 100%; color: rgb(93, 46, 14); font-family: Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0.25px; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: 100%; color: rgb(93, 46, 14); font-family: Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0.25px; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><li fr-original-style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: 100%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: 100%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><p fr-original-style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: 100%; color: inherit !important; width: auto !important; margin-inline: 0px !important; margin: 0px; line-height: 1.5;" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: 100%; line-height: 1.5; color: inherit !important; width: auto !important; margin-inline: 0px !important; margin: 0px;">Create&nbsp;safe, supportive, Black positive, (Re) energizing spaces for Black philanthropic professionals</li><li fr-original-style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: 100%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: 100%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><p fr-original-style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: 100%; color: inherit !important; width: auto !important; margin-inline: 0px !important; margin: 0px; line-height: 1.5;" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: 100%; line-height: 1.5; color: inherit !important; width: auto !important; margin-inline: 0px !important; margin: 0px;">Serve as strong advocates in philanthropy for Black communities</li><li fr-original-style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: 100%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: 100%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><p fr-original-style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: 100%; color: inherit !important; width: auto !important; margin-inline: 0px !important; margin: 0px; line-height: 1.5;" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: 100%; line-height: 1.5; color: inherit !important; width: auto !important; margin-inline: 0px !important; margin: 0px;">Support&nbsp;Black professional talent to enter and advance in the field of philanthropy</li><li fr-original-style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: 100%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: 100%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><p fr-original-style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: 100%; color: inherit !important; width: auto !important; margin-inline: 0px !important; margin: 0px; line-height: 1.5;" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: 100%; line-height: 1.5; color: inherit !important; width: auto !important; margin-inline: 0px !important; margin: 0px;">Align Black funders and accomplices to maximize resource support of Black Led Organizations (BLOs) and strengthen the capacity of BLOS.</li></ol>

Black Funders Network of the Bay Area’s Fifth Anniversary Celebration

The Black Funders Network of the Bay Area (BFN) hosts Connection Circles to provide a low-pressure, welcoming space for Black philanthropic professionals to connect, recharge, and engage in meaningful dialogue. Designed as informal &quot;come-as-you-are&quot; gatherings, these sessions foster community and mutual support while offering opportunities for private conversations and breakout discussions on topics of shared interest. This initiative aligns with BFN&rsquo;s mission to create supportive and re-energizing spaces, ensuring members feel seen, heard, and valued in their professional journeys. Join us for a thoughtful discussion about successful cross-sector grantmaking strategies and lessons learned. This event will uncover key learnings and insights from the network&#39;s members. This session is designed to focus on action and grantmaker learning opportunities, highlighting how funders are creating cross-sector opportunities for impact that advance content areas such as climate change, Black-led social change, and the arts. National and SF Bay Area philanthropic organizations are breaking down silos by connecting housing to health, arts to civic power, and education to economic mobility. These approaches demonstrate how combining resources and perspectives across sectors can accelerate impact and support thriving communities. Locally, Bay Area initiatives demonstrate how philanthropy can empower communities to thrive by convening changemakers from government, business, and community to drive measurable, equitable outcomes.&nbsp; Attendees will:<ol fr-original-style="" style="width: 100%; box-sizing: inherit;"><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Deepen their understanding of cross-sector grantmaking strategies employed by local and national philanthropic organizations</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Gain actionable insights into how funders are coming together to meet the moment and amplify overall impact</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Hear lessons learned from specific cross-sector partnerships that shifted approaches to funding, especially in areas impacting Black-led social change&nbsp;</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Engage with peers from the Black Funders Network of the Bay Area and allies to foster collaborative, action-oriented approaches in the field of philanthropy</li></ol>Who May AttendOpen to members of the Black Funders Network of the Bay Area and allies, both new and established in the field of philanthropy.

Grantmaking Success: Sharing Our Cross-Sector Strategies and Insights

Pearls of Wisdom: Black Women Advancing Racial Equity in Philanthropy (2025)

(Registration Closed) 2024 Election Series: Impacts on Bay Area BIPOC Communities | Pre-election Panel & Post-election Debrief

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/hxn9dbuhd/image/upload/v1720558176/meh7ka8xm55uj0vg4dvs.png" style="width:456px;display:block;vertical-align:top;margin:5px auto;text-align:center;position:relative;max-width:100%;cursor:pointer;padding:0px 1px;box-sizing:inherit;-webkit-user-select:none" /> Join us for a milestone celebration of the Black Funders Network's 5th Anniversary, coinciding with Black August and Black Philanthropy Month! Enjoy delicious food from a local Black-owned BBQ business, engage in a fun networking activity, and play card games (including but not limited to Spades and Bid Whist)! Plus, take advantage of the chance to renew your membership for 2025 early!  This event offers a unique opportunity for members and affiliates to connect and be a part of BFN's long-term legacy. Don't miss out!  Ticket CostMembers: $0Non-member Philanthropy Affiliates/General Registration: $25 <a href="http://www.blackfundersnetwork.org/membership" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;box-sizing:inherit;-webkit-user-select:auto" target="_blank">Click here to learn more about membership!</a>

Black Funders Network 5th Anniversary Celebration Kickoff BBQ Registration

Attention Black Funders Network of the Bay Area members and Black philanthropic professionals, you're invited to attend our upcoming Black Philanthropy Mixer on Tuesday, June 18, 2024, at 5:30 PM. <ul><li style="box-sizing:inherit">Engage with industry leaders and change-makers</li><li style="box-sizing:inherit">Expand your professional network with like-minded peers</li><li style="box-sizing:inherit">Discuss upcoming projects and potential collaborations</li><li style="box-sizing:inherit">Enjoy light refreshments in a relaxed atmosphere</li></ul>This convening will bring together members and prospective members of the Black Funders Network for casual conversation and light refreshments. Space is limited. Please RSVP as soon as possible to secure your spot and to ensure that we have a proper headcount.  This event will begin shortly after the<a href="https://ncg.org/events/imagine-and-act-ncgs-2024-annual-conference" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;box-sizing:inherit;-webkit-user-select:auto" target="_blank"> Northern California Grantmakers Annual Conference</a>, which we also encourage you to attend! We hope you’ll be able to join us! After you RSVP, we will confirm your membership and share the event details with you two weeks prior to the event! If you have any questions, please email us at <a href="mailto:info@blackfundersnetwork.org" style="color:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;box-sizing:inherit;-webkit-user-select:auto">info@blackfundersnetwork.org</a>.   Note: this affinity space is intended for Black-identified philanthropic professionals. Thank you for your commitment to supporting BFN's convenings!

Black Philanthropy Mixer

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/hxn9dbuhd/image/upload/v1713292858/fcklnankovn21bir2msc.png" style="width:600px;display:block;vertical-align:top;margin:5px auto;text-align:center;position:relative;max-width:100%;cursor:pointer;padding:0px 1px;user-select:none;box-sizing:inherit" /> Are you looking to connect with like-minded Black philanthropic professionals in the Bay Area? You're cordially invited to a special brunch with the Black Funders Network of the Bay Area on Saturday, May 25th, from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM. Brunch is free for members and will take place at a restaurant in Oakland; further location details will be shared two weeks prior to the event. This event is exclusively for BFN members. Stay tuned for future programming that is open to the public. If you have any questions, email <a href="mailto:info@blackfundersnetwork.org" style="color:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;user-select:auto;box-sizing:inherit">info@blackfundersnetwork.org.</a> Space is limited. Please RSVP as soon as possible to secure your spot. We hope you’ll be able to join us!

BFN Spring Membership Brunch (2024)

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/hxn9dbuhd/image/upload/v1709579258/ebuzhij2kjenyvgwlz36.png" style="width:600px;display:block;vertical-align:top;margin:5px auto;text-align:center;position:relative;max-width:100%;cursor:pointer;padding:0px 1px;user-select:none;box-sizing:inherit" /> The Black Funders Network of the Bay Area (BFN) is excited to present "Pearls of Wisdom: Women Shaping the Future of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)" on Thursday, March 28th 2024 from 12:00 - 1:30 PM PST. In celebration of Women's History Month, we invite you to join us for an insightful and inspiring panel discussion. Come enjoy this unique conversation where a phenomenal group of speakers will share their thoughts on the paths, successes and challenges of navigating the field of corporate social responsibility. At the end of this event, you will be able to:  <ul><li style="box-sizing:inherit">Define CSR and explain the impact of work in CSR</li><li style="box-sizing:inherit">Understand the career opportunities that exist in CSR</li><li style="box-sizing:inherit">Determine what steps can be taken to kickstart a career path in CSR</li></ul>Speakers:<ul><li style="box-sizing:inherit"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aYBZTRewCXW15QJzuaZDSGWbXuUIdYpk/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Deidra Parrish Williams </a>(Executive Director, Trane Technologies Foundation)</li><li style="box-sizing:inherit"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aYBZTRewCXW15QJzuaZDSGWbXuUIdYpk/view?usp=sharing">Karmen Kurtz</a> (Senior Manager of Strategy and Operations, Airbnb)</li><li style="box-sizing:inherit"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aYBZTRewCXW15QJzuaZDSGWbXuUIdYpk/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Jamira Burley</a> (Education Strategic Initiatives Lead, Apple) </li><li style="box-sizing:inherit"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aYBZTRewCXW15QJzuaZDSGWbXuUIdYpk/view?usp=sharing">Ola Jimoh </a>(Social Impact Senior Specialist, Blue Shield of California)</li><li style="box-sizing:inherit"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aYBZTRewCXW15QJzuaZDSGWbXuUIdYpk/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Jacquelyn Hood</a> (Purpose and Sustainability Manager, Crowe LLP)</li><li style="box-sizing:inherit"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aYBZTRewCXW15QJzuaZDSGWbXuUIdYpk/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Paula Ambrose</a> (Program Manager-Social Impact, Blue Shield of California & Co-Chair, BFN Advisory Board) - Moderator</li></ul>All are invited to attend. Tickets to attend this event are free for BFN members. Non-member general admission is $20 per ticket.  About the Black Funders Network of the Bay Area:The Black Funders Network of the Bay Area is the only space in the Bay Area for Black philanthropic professionals to connect. We:<ol><li style="box-sizing:inherit">Create safe, supportive, Black positive, (Re) energizing spaces for Black philanthropic professionals</li><li style="box-sizing:inherit">Serve as strong advocates in philanthropy for Black communities</li><li style="box-sizing:inherit">Support Black professional talent to enter and advance in the field of philanthropy</li><li style="box-sizing:inherit">Align Black funders and accomplices to maximize resource support of Black Led Organizations (BLOs) and strengthen the capacity of BLOS.</li></ol>Learn more at <a href="http://www.blackfundersnetwork.org">www.blackfundersnetwork.org</a>.

Pearls of Wisdom: Women Shaping the Future of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

<p fr-original-style="width:100%;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;box-sizing:inherit;color:rgb(15, 14, 91);" style="width: 100%; margin: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(15, 14, 91); line-height: 1.5;">Thank you for your interest in BFN membership. BFN serves as the connective backbone that ensures Black professionals in philanthropy are supported, strategically connected, and positioned to influence grantmaking practices at scale. We are investing in core programs that preserve the legacy of Black giving and mutual aid while advancing modern strategies for systems change, narrative influence, and institutional accountability.&nbsp; <p fr-original-style="width:100%;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;box-sizing:inherit;color:rgb(15, 14, 91);" style="width: 100%; margin: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(15, 14, 91); line-height: 1.5;"> <p fr-original-style="width:100%;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;box-sizing:inherit;color:rgb(15, 14, 91);" style="width: 100%; margin: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(15, 14, 91); line-height: 1.5;">If you would like to pay your dues by check or invoice, please email us at&nbsp;<a fr-original-style="color:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;user-select:auto;box-sizing:inherit;" href="mailto:info@blackfundersnetwork.org" style="color: inherit; text-decoration: inherit; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;">info@blackfundersnetwork.org</a>.&nbsp;<p fr-original-style="width:100%;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;box-sizing:inherit;color:rgb(15, 14, 91);" style="width: 100%; margin: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(15, 14, 91); line-height: 1.5;"> <p fr-original-style="width:100%;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;box-sizing:inherit;color:rgb(15, 14, 91);" style="width: 100%; margin: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(15, 14, 91); line-height: 1.5;">Our Members:&nbsp;<ul fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><li fr-original-style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Helvetica;box-sizing:inherit;font-size:12px;font-weight:bold;" style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Helvetica;box-sizing:inherit;font-size:12px;font-weight:bold;">are Black-identified</li><li fr-original-style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Helvetica;box-sizing:inherit;font-size:12px;font-weight:bold;" style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Helvetica;box-sizing:inherit;font-size:12px;font-weight:bold;">work for a&nbsp;<a fr-original-style="color:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;user-select:auto;box-sizing:inherit;" href="https://fionta.com/insights/grantmaking/" style="color: inherit; text-decoration: inherit; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">funding/grantmaking institution</a>, a philanthropy affiliate organization, or a&nbsp;philanthropy serving institution</li><li fr-original-style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Helvetica;box-sizing:inherit;font-size:12px;font-weight:bold;" style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Helvetica;box-sizing:inherit;font-size:12px;font-weight:bold;">live and work in the San Francisco Bay Area&nbsp;</li><li fr-original-style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Helvetica;box-sizing:inherit;font-size:12px;font-weight:bold;" style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Helvetica;box-sizing:inherit;font-size:12px;font-weight:bold;">seek to participate in a supportive community of like-minded Black funders and allies</li></ul><p fr-original-style="width:100%;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;box-sizing:inherit;color:rgb(15, 14, 91);" style="width: 100%; margin: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(15, 14, 91); line-height: 1.5;">Membership Levels<ol fr-original-style="" style="width: 100%; box-sizing: inherit;"><li fr-original-style="width:100%;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;box-sizing:inherit;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-weight:bold;" style="width:100%;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;box-sizing:inherit;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-weight:bold;">Individual Membership ($175/year)</li><li fr-original-style="width:100%;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;box-sizing:inherit;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-weight:bold;" style="width:100%;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;box-sizing:inherit;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-weight:bold;">Alumni Membership ($350/year)</li><li fr-original-style="width:100%;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;box-sizing:inherit;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-weight:bold;" style="width:100%;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;box-sizing:inherit;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-weight:bold;">Institutional Membership A ($900/year)<ul fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><li fr-original-style="width:100%;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;box-sizing:inherit;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-weight:bold;" style="width:100%;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;box-sizing:inherit;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-weight:bold;">For private independent foundations; family foundations; corporate foundations/corporations with community giving programs; professional grantmaking networks; grantmaking public charities - Under $1M in annual grantmaking.</li></ul></li><li fr-original-style="width:100%;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;box-sizing:inherit;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-weight:bold;" style="width:100%;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;box-sizing:inherit;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-weight:bold;">Institutional Membership B ($1,750/year)<ul fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><li fr-original-style="width:100%;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;box-sizing:inherit;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-weight:bold;" style="width:100%;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;box-sizing:inherit;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-weight:bold;">For private independent foundations; family foundations; corporate foundations/corporations with community giving programs; professional grantmaking networks; grantmaking public charities - Under $2.5M in annual grantmaking.</li></ul></li><li fr-original-style="width:100%;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;box-sizing:inherit;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-weight:bold;" style="width:100%;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;box-sizing:inherit;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-weight:bold;">Institutional Membership C ($6,000/year)<ul fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><li fr-original-style="width:100%;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;box-sizing:inherit;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-weight:bold;" style="width:100%;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;box-sizing:inherit;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-weight:bold;">For private independent foundations; family foundations; corporate foundations/corporations with community giving programs; professional grantmaking networks; grantmaking public charities - $2.5M or more in annual grantmaking.</li></ul></li></ol>

Thank you for your interest in BFN membership. BFN serves as the connective backbone that ensures Black professionals in philanthropy are supported, strategically connected, and positioned to influence grantmaking practices at scale. We are investing in core programs that preserve the legacy of Black giving and mutual aid while advancing modern strategies for systems change, narrative influence, and institutional accountability. If you would like to pay your dues by check or invoice, please email us at info@blackfundersnetwork.org. Our Members: are Black-identifiedwork for a funding/grantmaking institution, a philanthropy affiliate organization, or a philanthropy serving institutionlive and work in the San Francisco Bay Area seek to participate in a supportive community of like-minded Black funders and alliesMembership LevelsIndividual Membership ($175/year)Alumni Membership ($350/year)Institutional Membership A ($900/year)For private independent foundations; family foundations; corporate foundations/corporations with community giving programs; professional grantmaking networks; grantmaking public charities - Under $1M in annual grantmaking.Institutional Membership B ($1,750/year)For private independent foundations; family foundations; corporate foundations/corporations with community giving programs; professional grantmaking networks; grantmaking public charities - Under $2.5M in annual grantmaking.Institutional Membership C ($6,000/year)For private independent foundations; family foundations; corporate foundations/corporations with community giving programs; professional grantmaking networks; grantmaking public charities - $2.5M or more in annual grantmaking.