Shifting Power to King County’s Black Community.
We believe that Black leaders know their communities—the issues they face and the solutions they could use—the best. That’s why in 2020, we brought together 14 Black-led organizations to form the Black Community Building Collective and shifted decision-making power to them. With United Way funding, this coalition builds relationships, forms strategies, and implements them to bring power to King County’s Black community.
Black-led organizations in King County play a vital role in serving thousands of people in their communities each year. Yet, insufficient funding makes it difficult to sustain staff and expand their impact.
United Way has committed $7 million to local, Black-led organizations to invest as they see fit, shifting power to them.
Real People. Real Stories.
“I don’t have a historical background in running a nonprofit… getting the support from other Black leaders who’ve had nonprofits and been leading them longer has been very valuable and monumental for me. The support through [Black Community Building Collective] funding has allowed me to increase my staff, and it’s led to the launch of multiple programs.”
—Marshaun Barber, Reclaiming Our Greatness founder
The Beginning
After committing to making the investment, we turned to United Way’s Black staff for ideas on honoring and uplifting the Black community. Under their leadership, the Black Community Building Collective was born.
Collective members started by building relationships, recognizing the great work of organizations, and addressing their challenges. This led to our guiding principle—Prioritizing the Collective over individual organizations.
The Members
Representing a range of organizational sizes, geographical locations, community issues, existing grantees, and new partners, these 14 Black-led organizations are deeply committed to collectively working for the greater good of the Black community.
Additional Resources
- The Case for Investing in King County’s Black-led Organizations
- To Support Black-led Nonprofits, Fund Us for Capacity-Building & Infrastructure
- Philanthropy’s Racial Funding Gap is an Urgent Crisis
- Hyperlocal Giving to Black-led Nonprofits Cannot Simply Be a Trend
- Deciding Together: Shifting Power and Resources through Participatory Grantmaking
Support the Black Community Building Collective
The Collective is focused on building power to ensure the Black community thrives. We invite you to join our vision for an equitable and just community where everyone thrives.
For more information about this program and its impact, please contact Liahann Bannerman at lbannerman@uwkc.org.