Actively working toward being anti-racist may have been spurred by the summer of 2020, but it’s an ongoing process — and it’s important to get involved however you can. You can bring awareness to the widespread issues of systemic racism and societal inequality by remaining engaged, getting involved in local activism, and donating to help organizations making a difference. If you want to help and can afford to give money to non-profits and grassroots organizations, here’s where to donate to support Black communities. These organizations are working to bring about change from the ground up.
Doing things like posting on social media and peacefully protesting are great ways to raise awareness about systemic racism in the United States, but donating money to a specific cause helps support the movement to pave the way for real policy change. Whether you want to financially support protesters who’ve been jailed for their activism or you’re looking to fund organizations committed to working on long-term community issues, here are some places where your money can make a tangible difference.
If you choose to donate to another organization not on this list — because there are plenty of small and local organizations that can use your help — make sure to double check that your money is going to a good organization. First, you can look to see if it’s a registered 501(c) (3), which means it’s recognized as a non-profit under federal guidelines. Resources like Charity Navigator, which grades non-profit organizations, will show where funds are being allocated. You can also research actionable goals, accountable leadership, and up-to-date information on the organization’s website.
This list will be continually updated with organizations working to end racial injustice.
1. National Health Law Program
Founded in 1969, the National Health Law Program works to advance and protect the health rights of low-income families in underserved communities. With offices in Washington, D.C.; Los Angeles, California; and Chapel Hill, North Carolina; the organization’s lawyers and policy experts work to give underserved individuals a voice in their health care options through litigation and policy proposals. You can donate to the program to assist these efforts and to expand health care.
2. Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective (BEAM)
Based in Los Angeles, California, BEAM is dedicated to bringing emotional and mental health resources to Black communities. Your donation to the non-profit organization helps fund special events and trainings. According to BEAM’s website, the collective of advocates, therapists, and artists are committed to the emotional healing of Black communities through education, advocacy, and the creative arts.
3. Community Voices Heard (CVH)
This Black-led non-profit organization in New York state is aimed at building power in low-income communities, specifically for BIPOC individuals and families. CVH is member-led and aims for change through “grassroots organizing, leadership development, policy changes, and creating new models of direct democracy,” per its website. Your donation to CVH helps fund efforts like the move to implement a tenant oversight committee and infrastructure repairs within the New York City Housing Authority.
4. Black Women’s Blueprint
Black Women’s Blueprint is based in Brooklyn, New York, and focuses on the empowerment of Black women and girls’ lives. The organization advocates for the social, political, and economical equality of Black women through research, policy advocacy, and community group organizing work to protect civil rights. Their initiatives include groups like sexual assault crisis counseling, which includes support groups for those affected by sexual violence, and the group also runs the Museum of Women’s Resistance in Brooklyn. You can donate to the cause here.
5. The Black AIDS Institute
The Black AIDS Institute is a Los Angeles-based organization, which was founded in 1999 under its original name, the African American AIDS Policy and Training Institute. Dedicated to fighting racial oppression in health care and ending the disproportionate number of Black people with HIV/AIDS, the organization advocates for educational programs on the HIV/AIDS epidemic in America and community mobilization, locally and nationally, to provide direct HIV/AIDS services to Black individuals in need. To help, visit the donation page here.
6. Solutions Not Punishment Collaborative (SNaPCo)
Based in East Point, Georgia, the Solutions Not Punishment Collaborative is a Black and transgender-led organization devoted to stopping the mass crisis of incarceration and criminalization of Black trans women. The group works in and around Atlanta through educational programs and research resources, working at grassroots levels to financially support the transgender community in Georgia. The group also advocates for divesting from the police force and reinvesting in communities, especially focused on transgender individuals. You can donate here.
7. Black Women’s Health Imperative (BWHI)
The Black Women’s Health Imperative is a non-profit organization created by Black women that advocates for the health and wellness of Black women and girls, especially concerned with decreasing the current health disparities and inequality in health care. BWHI seeks to educate and promote changes in the health care systems across the United States to ensure care equality through initiatives, advocating for policy changes, and educational publications. To help, you can donate here.
8. The African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund
The African American Cultural Heritage Fund is a part of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The organization promotes and shares the full American story to create a more inclusive future. The National Trust and its partners are working to raise $25 million to create and invest in the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, to promote and preserve remarkable stories of African American and Black activism and achievement as an integral part of American society which has oftentimes been overlooked. To help the cause reconstruct a national identity that includes the achievements and accomplishments of the Black community, you can donate here.
9. Movement Alliance Project
Formerly known as the Media Alliance Project, the Movement Alliance Project (MAP) is based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, fighting for racial justice and equality for Black and brown communities at a local and state level. Their work includes campaigning for digital inclusion of Black and non-Black people of color, proper school funding for marginalized schools, judge accountability, and alternatives to mass incarceration. MAP is also working to challenge police violence in Philadelphia, joining with partner groups to change how the media covers instances of police, violence, and mass incarceration, in hopes to alter what communities view as public safety. Your donation helps MAP fight for racial justice.
10. Assata’s Daughters
Started by Page May in 2015, Assata’s Daughters (AD) is a Black grassroots organization in Chicago, Illinois. AD works to provide Black women, femme, and non-binary people with political education, leadership development, and mentorship. The group’s focus is on activism and Black liberation through its community work. You can donate to AD here.
11. My Block, My Hood, My City
My Block, My Hood, My City gives Black and non-Black youth of color the opportunity to grow through exploring what Chicago, Illinois, has to offer in terms of STEM, art and culture, culinary arts, and enlists them in community volunteering and development. It also helps the members of the community by responding to immediate need, like providing food and medicine to seniors during the coronavirus pandemic. Focused on a community-first approach through building its youth members, you can donate to this non-profit organization here.
12. The Sentencing Project
The Sentencing Project fights for equality in the U.S. criminal justice system through its work in sentencing policy reform, raising awareness of systemic racism in the justice system, and promoting alternatives for incarceration to help lessen the prison population. According to the organization’s website, there’s been a 500% increase in the prison population over the last 40 years, and Black men are six times more likely to be incarcerated than white men. Your donation helps The Sentencing Project continue its work for prison reform.
13. Associated Black Charities (ABC)
Based in Maryland, Associated Black Charities (ABC) has been working for equal opportunity for Black families since 1985, addressing the economic inequalities many Black people face. ABC fights for economic equality through educational work, as well as advocating for and supporting long-term solutions supporting Black communities. When you donate, you’re supporting the economic advancement of Black Americans in Maryland, as ABC continues to educate others on systemic racism.
14. My Brother’s Keeper Alliance
President Barack Obama launched the My Brother’s Keeper initiative in February 2014, to address opportunity gaps for Black and non-Black youth of color. The My Brother’s Keeper Alliance (MBK Alliance) followed in 2015, and it “focuses on building safe and supportive communities for boys and young men of color where they feel valued and have clear pathways to opportunity.” MBK Alliance became an initiative of the Obama Foundation in 2017, and it provides mentorship programs, partners with national impact communities, and advocates for equality in education for young Black men and non-Black youth of color. You can donate to the cause here.
15. Black Queer and Intersectional Collective
The Black Queer and Intersectional Collective is a grassroots organization in Central Ohio, which works for the liberation of Black queer, transgender, and intersex people. It helps provide equitable access to affordable healthcare and housing to the Black community, thanks to donations to support community efforts and campaigns, such as Columbus Community Pride and the Black Power Book Club, and you can donate here.
16. Dignity & Power Now
This Los Angeles-based grassroots organization is working toward transformative justice for families of incarcerated individuals and the communities in which they live. Dignity and Power Now funds programs centered on activism, health and wellness, and leadership building. It also aims to help move funds from police budgets into mental health programs and community services. You can donate to the cause by clicking the "Donate" link on the website.
17. Color of Change
Color of Change is an online racial justice organization. Funds donated to the organization go toward mobilizing campaigns that challenge injustice in Black communities. Some of the causes include ending cash bail, decriminalizing poverty, and stopping prison expansion.
18. Pretty Brown Girl
Through leadership development programs, Pretty Brown Girl helps boost the self-esteem of Black girls and girls of color. The organization prides itself on helping girls foster self-acceptance, as well as social, emotional, and intellectual well-being. You can donate here to help fund national initiatives like K-12 after-school programs, national empowerment events, and clubs.
19. 1Hood Media
To help make change through art, you can donate to Pittsburgh-based 1Hood Media, which is a collective of socially conscious artists and activists who raise awareness for Black causes through their work. Its mission is to build liberated communities through art, education and social justice. You can donate here to help support programs like media creation training and workshops focused on using art to achieve social justice in marginalized communities.
20. Black Voters Matter
Help secure the right to vote in free and fair elections by donating to the Black Voters Matter fund. The national organization advocates for policies to expand voting rights and access, which includes expanding early voting, pushing back against Voter ID laws, and strengthening the Voting Rights Act.
21. Innocence Project
With locations across the United States, the Innocence Project is a national non-profit organization working to reverse convictions of innocent people in prison. The organization uses DNA testing to help free wrongfully convicted individuals, supports the exonerees after they are released from prison, and works toward criminal justice reform to help prevent injustice in the future. You can donate to the cause here.
22. Loveland Foundation
The Loveland Foundation is a national non-profit organization which raises money to “bring opportunity and healing to communities of color, especially Black women and girls,” according to the website. The Loveland Therapy Fund addresses barriers affecting access to therapy treatment by providing financial assistance to Black women and girls seeking therapy treatment. You can donate to the fund here.
23. Vera Institute of Justice
To help end mass incarceration in the United States, you can donate to the Vera Institute of Justice. The national non-profit organization is committed to shrinking the jail population; overhauling the justice system by holding police agencies accountable for bias and systemic racism, and rebuilding community trust; and improving prison conditions with a focus on rehabilitation.
24. The Black Lives Matter Chapter In Your City
In addition to donating to the umbrella Black Lives Matter organization, you can help enact change at a more local level by sending funds to a chapter in your city or a city especially in need of help. Chapters include Boston, Chicago, Washington D.C., and Los Angeles, as well as a few Canadian cities.
Each chapter has its own list of goals like enacting local laws that demand more police accountability, which gives you a better idea of how your money will be spent.
25. Reclaim The Block
Minneapolis-based Reclaim The Block, which has been widely shared since Floyd’s death, has a list of actionable demands it’s working towards. One of its biggest talking points is diverting funds from the Minneapolis Police Department, and investing in communities facing housing shortages, community violence, and the opioid epidemic. You can donate online or mail in grants or checks.
26. Know Your Rights Camp
Colin Kaepernick is involved with the organization Know Your Rights Camp, which is all about educating Black youth and providing legal resources to those who can’t afford it. The organization is working with legal defenders in Minneapolis to fund representation for those arrested while protesting. To support the cause, you can make a donation on the non-profit’s website.
27. Communities United Against Police Brutality
Another popular non-profit, Communities United Against Police Brutality is a Minneapolis-based organization focused on getting justice for victims of police brutality. In addition to helping people take political and legislative action for day-to-day abuses, the group also focuses on educational outreach by sharing documentation on police-perpetrated killings. Individuals can donate by clicking on "Donate" at the top right of the website.
28. The Bail Project
The Bail Project, which has been shared by activists on social media, focuses on ending the economic disparities and racial inequality experienced during incarceration. Your donation can potentially impact the lives of numerous people, as 100% of funds that go towards paying bail for people who’ve been arrested will go back to the fund to be used again once the case is finished.
29. Campaign Zero
Campaign Zero, which is recommended by Black Lives Matters on its donation page, employs data and research to push actionable policy solutions to end police brutality and hold officers accountable. Some examples include ending for-profit policing, requiring officers to wear body cams, and limiting the use of force. You can donate through PayPal or with a debit or credit card, by clicking "Donate" at the top right of the website.
30. Unicorn Riot
Non-profit independent media organization Unicorn Riot, which has been widely shared on social media, aims to raise awareness of silenced voices by sharing stories from marginalized communities and streaming instances of political unrest and protests. It’s a great resource to learn more about what’s going on and educate yourself or others about the injustices at hand. You can donate through a variety of methods including cryptocurrency and PayPal.
31. Black Visions Collective
The North Star Health Collective, a medical support network for protesters, is currently overwhelmed with donations and instead recommends giving to Black Visions Collective on its website. Black Visions Collective focuses on long-term solutions like coming up with local campaigns to raise awareness and help enact change for African American communities in the Twin Cities. In addition to calling for a shift in public narrative and mobilizing the community, your donation can help the group’s commitment to coming up with action-based goals to help dismantle systems of violence and inequality at a local level.
32. National Police Accountability Project
The National Police Accountability Project, which was shared in a Google Doc from Twitter user @ambivalcnt, aims to protect peoples’ civil rights from police misconduct by curating a national database of legal experts. Your donation will help fund educational programs. In addition to acting as an educational resource, the organization is a project of the National Lawyers’ Guild, and helps people find attorneys among its members if they need one.
33. NAACP Legal Defense Fund
The NAACP’s Legal Defense Fund, which has been widely shared by protesters, supports longterm goals of achieving economic and educational equality while reforming the criminal justice system. Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the country’s largest civil rights organization and aims to combat injustice through the legal and political systems. You can donate here.
34. Equal Justice Initiative
The Equal Justice Initiative, which activists Matt Herndon, Tatum Dorrell, and Jourdan Dorrell highlighted in a Google document about ally-ship, focuses on reforming the criminal justice system and putting an end to mass incarceration. You can donate online or by check.
35. Center For Policing Equity
The Center For Policing Equity, also shared in Herndon and Dorrell’s Google doc, uses a data-driven approach to work with law enforcement and show them ways they can work on their relationship with the communities they serve. You can donate here.
36. Live Free – Faith in Action
Live Free – Faith in Action recognizes that higher voter turnout is indispensable for longterm policy change and mobilization towards ending systematic racism. The organization, which was highlighted in a viral Google Doc about organizations to donate to, focuses on simultaneously lowering the rates of gun violence and incarceration. You can donate on the website.
37. The Marshall Project
Nonprofit news publication The Marshall Project, which was shared in a Google Doc from Twitter user @ambivalcnt, uses journalism to bring awareness to the criminal justice system and the reforms that need to be made. Go to the website to donate.
38. Advancement Project
Also highlighted in @ambivalcnt’s Google Doc, the Advancement Project is focused on building alliances and working on actionable solutions such as increasing voter turnout and improving access to justice for the Black community through local campaigns. You can donate here.
39. BLD PWR
Actor Kendrick Sampson founded BLD PWR, which focuses on empowering and increasing engagement in the community by combating systemic racism and police violence. The group also has a monthly book club where they read works by radical authors. You can donate on the website.
40. Anti Police-Terror Project
The Anti Police-Terror Project, which was shared in a Google Doc from Twitter user @ambivalcnt, aims to eradicate police brutality against Black people by providing documentation of abuses, supporting impacted individuals by providing resources and referrals to legal counsel, and acting as an educational platform for the community to learn more. Donate on their website.
41. Black Table Arts
Black Table Arts, which the North Star Health Collective recommends on its website, promotes the use of artistic expression as a way to uplift and bring together the Black community in Minnesota. The organization has a built-in donation box on its main page.
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