Centering Ourselves

Getting Voice. Vision. Value. Black Women Leading Philanthropy to where it is today, we knew how important it was to honor the legacy of Black women in philanthropy. To do so we researched the myriad of contributions that women of color have made in the space, allowed for the connection and creation of materials to help with breaking down the walls of patriarchy and created spaces for women of all backgrounds to strengthen the bonds of sisterhood to form pathways of advancement and future success. By leaning on these pillars, we have begun to harness the power of women leaders to effectively create change, move the needle forward and dismantle the roadblocks that have stifled our progress for far too long.

But this work is only just beginning, and it must evolve as we evolve. There is still much to learn about ourselves, where we’ve been, where we are now, and where we should look for the future. We cannot do so without gathering enough information to be able to guide that vision forward. In 2021 Voice. Vision. Value. released Centering Ourselves, the first in a series of reports about the leadership impact of Black women in philanthropy. The report was developed in partnership with Frontline Solutions International with Dr. Jessica Barron as lead researcher and report author. Linetta Gilbert and Bettina Umstead contributed to the data collection phase. 

Centering Ourselves takes the perspectives of women leaders of all backgrounds and tenures to address practical tactics to support and sustain the leadership of Black women in the future. Thirty-seven Black women leaders contributed to this report, along with conducting a landscape review of gray literature that took over a year to compile and distill with a view into the thinking of some of the top minds in the field. The various discussions led to some pivotal and important questions on how Black women are leaning in during this very exceptional time in our lives, along with how they are looking to be more impactful in the future.

Voice. Vision. Value. and Dr. Barron are currently working on a second report which will focus on proven strategies developed and implemented at philanthropic institutions with a track record of promoting Black women executive leaders.