ABOUT THE EVENT

Join us on May 28th for a funder briefing to support the longevity of the Black Solidarity Economy Fund (BSEF). In this session, we’ll share lessons learned in the first 5 years of operating this participatory fund, and how we can mobilize resources for the next half-decade.

Date: May 28, 2025
Time: 3-4 PM ET | 2-3 PM CT | 12-1 PM PT
Where: Zoom

Who is this event for?

This event is for funders, donors, organizers, and anyone who wants to mobilize to grow the Black Solidarity Economy Fund. We will be making an “ask” to contribute, but the fund accepts gifts of any amount. While we are seeking philanthropy to step up to grow the fund, BSEF itself was originally seeded not from philanthropy, but from mutual aid contributions from NEC’s own members. 

Why now?

This year, BSEF will celebrate its fifth anniversary and redistribute its millionth dollar. This year also marks a reckoning that birthed the fund itself– George Floyd’s murder and the 2020 Uprisings.

This popular movement opened national discourse, policy, and markets to abolition, anti-racism, participatory budgeting, worker power, harm reduction, diversity, equity, and inclusion. Yet, a mere 1-2% of philanthropic funds make their way to Black communities.

Though BSEF was birthed to seed new possibilities during a cycle of grief and chaos, it joins a long legacy of solidarity economy activity in the U.S.– from benevolent mutual aid societies to the community land trust movement. Sustaining this fund yearly shows that money is not just a resource that comes and goes, but a road opener for sovereignty and improved material conditions. 

Consider making a one-time or monthly gift today and attending this event to learn more about the impact of participatory grantmaking on building regional Black solidarity economies.

This briefing is generously co-hosted by Kataly Foundation, Women Donors Network, and Resource Generation.