We are four women of color running nonprofits focused on changing the future of tech. This holiday season, we want to thank our communities of donors, both large and small, who help bridge the gap for our work.
Our organizations run lean, with less money and fewer people than we’d like, and we squeeze the most of every minute of the day. Your donations help us meet our goals. The fact that you contribute without a long process or 50-page applications, without strenuous reporting requirements, without intrusive interviews, and without demanding that we change course is more meaningful than you know.
As women of color running non-profits, we are often asked to adapt our paths to appeal to the preferences of our funders. A recent op-ed, “Philanthropists Bench Women of Color, the MVPs of Social Change,” by Vanessa Daniel struck a chord in all of us. “I see up close that the people who are overrepresented in success at social change — women of color who lead grass-roots nonprofits — are wildly underrepresented in funding. Only 0.6 percent of foundation giving was targeted to women of color in 2016,” she wrote.
This observation rang true to so many of us.
We feel it and live it daily in our work. We go through more hoops with strong outcomes for a fraction of a penny of every dollar available. For all our efforts, we get only 60 basis points.
At this point in time, we must all recognize an uncomfortable truth: Our success relies on upending the status quo. The success of tech capitalists, their foundations, and big foundations in general relies on maintaining it.
Yet we still remain true to our values. Sometimes that means turning down donors. Sometimes that means donors turning us down when we won’t change our course or go against our values. For all of us it means doing good alongside the community.
We joined together with the common goal of changing the demographics of tech from students age 7 to 17 (Black Girls CODE) to college and career professionals (Code2040) to entrepreneurs (Black & Brown Founders) to startup CEOs and venture capitalists (Project Include).
The four of us are banding together for a second year to lift each other up and call out the work each other is doing to make tech more equitable, more diverse, more inclusive, more accessible.
Thank you for trusting us to do so; we work hard to make it happen.
Please support us or another woman of color led nonprofit pushing for transformational change. If you cannot donate, please help by sharing this message.
Signed,
Aniyia, Ellen, Karla and Kimberly
To donate:
Black & Brown Founders We demystify the world of startups and help Black and Latinx entrepreneurs launch tech businesses. We do this through virtual bootcamps, events, and online content. Make a recurring contribution or a one-time contribution. Learn more.
Black Girls CODE We empower girls of color ages 7 to 17 to become innovators in STEM fields, leaders in their communities, and builders of their own futures through exposure to computer science and technology. Make a contribution. Learn more.
Code2040 We activate, connect and motivate the largest racial equity community in tech to eliminating the barriers to entry, retention, and leadership for Black and Latinx college and career professionals. Make a contribution. Learn more.
Project Include We work to give everyone a fair chance to succeed in tech, using data and advocacy to accelerate diversity and inclusion in startups. Make a contribution. Learn more.
