transforming the fundraising capacity of Black-led social change agencies
Who We Are
Fundraising in Black is championing racial justice for Black and Brown communities. We’re a national 501(c)(3) intermediary organization championing racial and philanthropic justice for Black-led organizations (BLOs).
Our Team
KIA CROOM
Nonprofit Fundraiser & Marketer | Published Journalist | Truth-teller | | Champion for Racial Justice
For two decades, Kia Croom has enjoyed a remarkable career in nonprofit fundraising and digital marketing. She took an interest in nonprofits while volunteering at H.O.P.E. Through Divine Intervention, Inc. (HTDI, Inc.)— a homeless services agency in Atlanta. During this time, she was working as a local news writer and reporter and completing a bachelor’s degree in journalism. Kia dreamed of becoming a broadcast news anchor but pivoted to fundraising after volunteering to write her first-ever successful grant proposal for the shelter.
Celebrating the successful grant request, HTDI, Inc. offered Kia her first full-time fundraising job as a development director. Kia continued her fundraising career working in positions of increasing responsibility for nonprofits serving people and communities of color across the nation and has raised nearly half a billion dollars in support of these causes.
In 2020 Kia Founded Fundraising in Black® after thoughtfully considering the philanthropic discrimination she’d experienced in her 20+ years with Black-led social change organizations.
“I’ve experienced philanthropic discrimination first-hand, and I decided I couldn’t wait on traditional philanthropy to get its act together,” she said.
“The work is far too important and must continue. So, I embarked on a two-fold mission, to partner with philanthropies to address philanthropic injustice and, secondly, to help Black-led organizations diversify their revenue to marshall a diverse ratio of funding to advance their missions and movements.
Kia earned a bachelor’s degree in Communication Arts from Clark Atlanta University and is a proud HBCU alumnus. She obtained her master of science in Public Administration from Kennesaw State University. As a devoted, lifelong learner, Kia has earned a certificate in Fund Development from the University of Richmond, a certificate in Corporate Social Responsibility from Pepperdine University, and a certificate in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion from Cornell University.
What we do
We serve three unique constituencies, nonprofits, philanthropies and philanthropy-serving organizations, all in the interest of improving social outcomes in Black and Brown communities to liberate Black and Brown people.
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For Nonprofits
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Philanthropies & PSOs
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Grant Making
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Culturally-relevant fundraising training & Coaching
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Racial Justice & Racial Equity Strategy
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Grants to promote Organizational resilience
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Nonprofit leadership development
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Philanthropic Advisement
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National Blequity Fund (Black + Equity)
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Power-building strategies
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Research
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Black STEMPact Fund (Impact + STEM)
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Fundraising Services *on a sliding scale
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DEI Programming & Education
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Fundraising Resilience
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Our Why
Because dominant philanthropy has a protracted history of perpetrating philanthropic discrimination against Black-led organizations.
Because Black communities bear the brunt of structural inequities in education, health, justice, and more due to policies and systems that create advantages for Whites and disadvantages for Blacks.
We’re working to improve outcomes and to raise the vibration in Black and Brown communities because when Black and Brown communities thrive, we all thrive.
What We Stand For
Black communities
Black communities bear the brunt of structural inequities in education, health, justice, and more due to policies and systems that create advantages for Whites and disadvantages for Blacks.
Centering on Black lived experienced
We believe Black leaders and founders have incredible lived experience and strategies to address the inequities plaguing Black communities. However, biases inherent in philanthropy, result in disproportionately less funding going to Black-led agencies. This is a proven fact.
Elevating the Qualified and Equipped
We believe Black leaders and founders are uniquely qualified and equipped to address the harms perpetrated on Black communities. They’re impassioned and have incredible lived experience with racial oppression.
Building & Harnessing Power
Strengthening Black-led organizations’ fundraising capacity unlocks the critical funding resources necessary to advance their movements, and ultimately strengthen their organizing, power-building and impact.
Achieving Black Liberation
Strengthening Black-led organizations and movements will ultimately enhance the liberation and self-determination of Black people and Black communities across the globe.
Pushing for Racial Justice
Black-led organizations are operating mission-critical, high-impact programs, yet they continue to be denied the critical funding resources they need to thrive. We’re working to help shift this paradigm.
Who we Work With
We welcome partnerships with Black-led and People-of-Color-led nonprofit agencies in the fight for equity and systems change.
We partner with philanthropies and philanthropy-serving organizations (PSOs) committed to remediating philanthropy injustices perpetrated against Black-led organizations and building a more equitable and inclusive philanthropy sector.
Our Funds
Through our National Blequity Fund, we invest in growing, Black-led organizations (BLOs) that experience disinvestment from dominant philanthropy, which inhibits their growth and threatens their sustainability.
Our Resilience-building grants support their growth and sustainability via grants issued through the following funds:
The Black STEMPACT Fund
Provides grants for growing BLOs operating STEM programs designed to increase Black representation in STEM fields.
Partner with
Fundraising in Black
We’re on a mission to improve outcomes in Black and Brown communities to ultimately liberate Black and Brown people.
We’re taken Fundraising in Black® on tour and are coming to a community near you!
Bring Fundraising in Black® to your community.