"Minnesota actually needs a foundation dedicated to what we're calling the genius of Black-led change-a foundation that can outlast the moment of the uprising, a foundation that can be rooted in our culture and our vision for ourselves and our families."
So says Lulete Mola, president of the Black Collective Foundation, Minnesota's first black-led community foundation.
The St. Paul-based foundation is distributing its inaugural grants, giving more than $1 million to 15 nonprofits and for-profit companies, the Star Tribune reports.
The Black Collective Foundation, started by Black philanthropic leaders in 2020 after the murder of George Floyd, is giving a total of more than $1 million to 15 nonprofits and for-profit companies.
Since its creation, the group has raised nearly $5 million, conducted research, and offered training on racial justice philanthropy.
Mola says the foundation doesn't have to look like "the historical model of the wealthy giving to the poor."
"We, as a diverse community, we can actually create a foundation with our vision," she says. "We are also reclaiming the narrative of who we are."
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William D. Eggers and Paul Macmillan of Dowser write about the social entrepreneurs slowly and steadily dirsupting the world of philanthropy. According to Forbes, philanthropy disruptors are those that believe “no one company is so vital that it can’t be replaced and no single business model too perfect to upend.”