A legacy of giving: Honoring the past and shaping the future of Black philanthropy

By Quameiha Raymond-Ducheine, storytelling associate

The African proverb, “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together” encapsulates the essence of Black philanthropic giving. Historically, Black philanthropy has played a crucial role in supporting educational institutions, grassroots organizations, fraternities/ sororities, houses of worship and social justice initiatives. At its core, Black giving is characterized by uniting resources and giving collectively.

Throughout the history of the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, many Black philanthropists have contributed their resources in hopes of creating opportunities for others. The first was Pearl Strickland, who established an HBCU scholarship program in the late 70s. Building on this legacy, in May 2013, Todd Greene and Patrice Hickman, along with 28 other friends including their selected leader Richard Moultrie, co-founded the Lorde Rustin Giving Circle.

The giving circle was comprised of multigenerational professionals from diverse backgrounds who desired to not only give back to their community but also bring greater awareness and forge imaginative solutions to long-standing challenges facing Atlanta’s most vulnerable populations. Greene said, “We endeavored to pool our added resources together so that we could catalyze impact in ways that we were not able to achieve through our existing and continuing individual giving.” Lorde Rustin was the first giving circle at the Foundation and was catalytic in shifting the organization’s structures to support smaller accounts and engage even more donors. 

Named in honor of writer and social activist Audre Lorde and civil rights leader Bayard Rustin, the giving circle gave more than $250,000 toward increasing literacy and education persistence among children and youth of color while also supporting LGBTQIA+ youth of color facing homelessness and supporting their emotional wellness. They were strategic in their investments in community-based organizations and incentivized these service providers to work together in new ways to achieve stronger outcomes. The members of the giving circle were also hands-on in their approach to philanthropy. Co-founder Patrice Hickman said, “We not only gave our money, but we also gave our time.” She recalled being on the frontlines with Create Your Dreams, a long-term youth development program dedicated to nurturing the talents and dreams of youth on Atlanta’s westside. She emphasized, “It is important for us to show our community and our children that we make a difference in the world.”

After more than 10 years, the Lorde Rustin Giving Circle sunset in April 2024 as its members shifted their focus to other endeavors while new Black donors are stepping up to impact the community. Michael Taylor, philanthropic associate at the Foundation, and his wife Christa have combined their passions and resources to establish a donor advised fund (DAF) that reflects their values and vision. Taylor says his understanding of philanthropy evolved significantly through his work at the Foundation. “Philanthropy was prevalent in my life,” he said. “I had a lot of help to get to where I am today, but I never used the word ‘philanthropy’ to describe that help. You hear words like ‘giving back’, you hear ‘charity’. But working here, I discovered that you don’t necessarily have to have billions of dollars to give back, and the vehicle to do that is a DAF.”

He adds, “One attractive thing about the Community Foundation was that there was no minimum. So, you can open a fund with any amount, taking into consideration the fees that it will cost to maintain the fund. But outside of that, it was a light lift to open the fund.”

The Taylors take pride in their new endeavor and are eager to share their experience with their friends and family. Michael said, “I want to disrupt this narrative that Black people don’t give. African Americans give more in terms of the number of people who do give.” According to Urban Institute, of all racial or ethnic groups in the dataset, Black families have contributed the largest proportion of their wealth to charity. The Taylors plan to make microgrants to organizations with budgets of less than $1 million, emphasizing organizations that work in developing youth, family reunification, fine arts and social justice. As they build their fund and expand their family, the couple looks forward to seeing their daughter carry on the torch as the next generation of diverse, inclusive and committed philanthropists making a tangible difference in their communities. In the words of Bayard Rustin, “the proof that one truly believes is in action.” 

To learn more about the various ways to invest in our community, explore our website. You can also contact our philanthropy team at 404.688.5525.