In October 2018, my giving circle New Generation of African American Philanthropists hosted “Making Change,” a reception and forum with ABFE President Susan Taylor Batten. The event drew 50 attendees, stirred powerful discussions and seeded ideas about our work ahead.
Watch the event’s highlight film short: Moves, Minds & Money.
The new national museum of African American History and Culture
The nation’s ethnic landscape is changing, and by 2050, America will be majority non-white. These demographic shifts have implications for a wide variety of sectors, including philanthropy.
Let me tell you about my giving circle!
Actually, let members of the circle tell you who they are and what we value in the slideshow below.
I value being a part of a group that embraces continual learning, awards grants to support philanthropic causes, engages diverse audiences to raise our collective consciousness, advances social justice, seeks innovation and impact, explores a myriad of possibilities and supports each other while supporting our community.
For our 10th anniversary, members and friends of New Generation of African American Philanthropists engaged in #31AugustDays, a social media messaging campaign in observance of Black Philanthropy Month. The slideshow below is a compilation of the messages shared each day last month to elevate our culture of giving. An august group, celebrating an August of Black philanthropy. Enjoy!
— VF
On June 9, 2016, Charlotte’s New Generation of African American Philanthropists celebrated its 10th anniversary at The Wadsworth Estate. Giving circle members—current, past and prospective—gathered for “White Party, Black Giving,” an event with food, drinks, live music, reminiscing, friendship and shared purpose.
See a couple of event photos below, and dozens at: XOXO | Ten Years of A Circle & Love
Watch our newest video Power of Ten
Original iContact communiqué: See The Power of Ten
June 8 marked the 10th anniversary of New Generation of African American Philanthropists. Celebration of the occasion took place on June 9 with a “White Party” at the Wadsworth Estate, where the giving circle’s initial gathering took place in 2006.
More than 60 circle members and friends attended the event. Tin Kitchen food truck was on site to prepare made-to-order specialty tacos and sliders with fresh gourmet ingredients. A Jazz trio, featuring bass player Tim Singh, performed throughout the evening. Photographers Ebony Stubbs and Michael Dantzler captured moments and scenes from the party, including NGAAP Charlotte’s annual group portrait.
A program with brief remarks from members was followed by a new video, chronicling the circle’s philanthropic work and membership from the past decade.
The celebration continues all year, and you are invited to participate in these ways:
Join us in exercising the power of 10!
![NBMBAA Leadership Forum 2016 v1[2]](https://valaida.files.wordpress.com/2016/06/nbmbaa-leadership-forum-2016-v12.jpg)
Today, 8 June 2016, marks the 10th anniversary of my giving circle New Generation of African American Philanthropists!
Celebrate the POWER OF TEN with us by making a gift to the Giving Back Project, our civic engagement initiative to reframe portraits of philanthropy. Read our story below.
Here’s our history:
Founded in 2006, New Generation of African American Philanthropists (NGAAP-Charlotte) is a giving circle with members who share values around philanthropy and pool charitable dollars to give back to the community. We envision “a healthy, safe and prosperous community for African American families to live, work and flourish,” Our mission is “to promote philanthropy-the giving of time, talent and treasure-among African Americans in the Charlotte region, with the goal of enhancing the quality of life within our communities.” Our circle’s fund is hosted by Foundation For The Carolinas.
On June 8, 2006, a committee of the African American Community Foundation hosted a gathering at The Wadsworth Estate. The meeting was held in collaboration with community organizers Darryl Lester and Athan Lindsay, under a Ford Foundation-funded initiative to engage Black donors across the American South. In a room full of 60 people to generate ideas and momentum, a group of Charlotteans embarked on what would become the founding of New Generation of African American Philanthropists.
Through collective giving, civic engagement and grantmaking, we explore new as well as time-honored ways of giving and embrace a definition of philanthropy that encompasses gifts of not only money, but also time, energy and intellect. The Giving Back Project is our civic engagement initiative to reframe portraits of philanthropy and reclaim the root meaning of philanthropy—love of humanity—by celebrating African American history and traditions. The initiative began when we published the book Giving Back and has now evolved into a vehicle for sharing our collective stories, promoting inclusive and responsive philanthropy, stimulating reflective community giving. The multimedia exhibit “Giving Back: The Soul of Philanthropy Reframed and Exhibited,” our latest endeavor, is touring colleges and museums across the country. You can support and participate in our work by becoming a donor or donor-member of our giving circle.
Past anniversaries
Our giving circle began with 17 members as well as numerous friends, and over the past decade has grown to include over 30 members and a growing number of friends.
The 17 Founding Members of NGAAP-Charlotte:
Poem, Day 2
In 2008, I commissioned longtime friend and poet Quentin “Q” Talley to create a group performance piece for a community philanthropy conference. Later, he refined it and then came and delivered it at one of my giving circle‘s planning retreats. It was 2009 or 2010 when I asked Q to edit the poem for inclusion in the book I was writing. Now Full Circle is featured using kinetic typography in Giving Back: The Soul of Philanthropy Reframed and Exhibited. Delighted to share it here again for National Poetry Month!
To hear Q recite his poem, listen here.
Leap day—which also marks the final day of Black History Month 2016—seems an ideal date for bringing a spotlight to the 10th anniversary year of New Generation of African American Philanthropists. Poet and social critic Henry David Thoreau wrote, “We must walk consciously only part way toward our goal, and then leap in the dark to our success.” That quote sums up our circle’s auspicious start, our decade of conscious giving, and our tenacious push to reframe philanthropy.
Founded in 2006, New Generation of African American Philanthropists is a giving circle with members who share values around philanthropy and pool charitable dollars to give back to the community. Our members walk consciously together toward common goals, and when compelled we leap boldly. In 10 years, we have leveraged over a million dollars in fulfilling our mission.
Mission: Promoting philanthropy—the giving of time, talent and treasure—among African Americans in the Charlotte region, with the goal of enhancing thequality of life within our communities.
Vision: Healthy, safe and prosperous community for African American families to live, work and flourish.
A decade ago on June 8, a committee of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg African American Community Foundation hosted a gathering at The Wadsworth Estate. That evening a room of 60 people forged bonds, generated ideas, stirred momentum and embarked on what would become the founding of New Generation of African American Philanthropists.
Through collective giving, grantmaking, collaboration and civic engagement, we explore new as well as time-honored ways of giving and embrace a definition of philanthropy that encompasses gifts of not only money, but also time, talent and truth of our testimonies.
Our flagship initiative is the Giving Back Project, which emerged from our development and publishing of the book Giving Back. Creative approaches, artful photography, storytelling, digital tools and social media characterize the Giving Back Project, which has evolved into a vehicle for presenting new narratives about who gives, who can make a difference and who matters. Changing the world requires us to reframe portraits of philanthropy and to learn from new lines of sight on social justice issues.
Today, The Soul of Philanthropy is the newest dimension of the Giving Back Project and is touring college campuses and museums across the country. Further, our circle has strengthened connections with the African American Community Foundation through our members’ leadership, community connections, strategic thinking and hands-on involvement and service. Our evolution and accomplishments over the past 10 years are chronicled, in writing and photos, at New-Philanthropists.org.
In observance of our decennial, an array of community-centered events, forums, grant awards, partnerships and celebrations are planned throughout 2016. Stay tuned via our website, Facebook page and hashtag #NGAAPChar10tte.
READ MORE for a recap of what we’ve already taken on this year, and so much more is on the horizon. We are TENacious!
September 1 opens the door to another year of Black giving in all its forms. Let’s keep giving augustly, and celebrate together again next August!
In substance and in symbolism, The Soul of Philanthropy Reframed and Exhibited represents our giving circle’s gifts of time, talent and treasure. It is part of our civic leadership in reframing portraits of philanthropy. Through the power of art and culture, the exhibit is designed as a call to action toward a movement of conscious giving for social change.
On September 5, the Pop-Up, Abridged Edition of “The Soul of Philanthropy” exhibit opens to the public at Charlotte’s Levine Museum of the New South. It will run through February 2016—Black History Month. Visit and you will see the exhibition celebrates our stories, which span the Old South and the New South. Our circle’s work is also shaping The South of the Future, because we recognize that Black giving matters.
Come to see philanthropy differently.
New Generation of African American Philanthropists
Photographer: Rae Images
Get in the picture! Contribute to or join our circle at New-Philanthropists.org.
August Is Black Philanthropy Month! Read all about it here: 
valaida 