The Black Fundraisers' Podcast

💯Today marks the four-year anniversary of George Floyd’s murder, which stoked a global racial reckoning and a knee-jerk reaction of unprecedented giving to Black-led nonprofits under the banner of racial equity. 👉🏿 But after four years and nearly $4 Billion dollars in philanthropic commitments from corporations (with a significant portion remaining unfulfilled), the philanthropic landscape is starkly different. 👀 Here’s a look at how it all went down and How Racism continues to harm Black-led nonprofits and Black communities. 💯 I encourage you to share this infographic. Over the last four years , I’ve personally connected with over 200 Black nonprofit leaders and founders, several of which have are experiencing funding short gaps due to the corporate America’s “crisis giving” to BLOs. 💯 P.S., I reached out to multiple media outlets to pitch the story and apparently it wasn't “newsworthy” to them. 💯 My response comes straight out of Dr. King’s letter "The Negro Is Your Brother” “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. #KiaCroom #TheGoToBIPOCFundraiser #Nonprofits #SocialJustice #GeorgeFloyd

🙄 Tired of the "you get what you pay for" mentality in fundraising? 🙄   At Kia Croom Fundraising & Philanthropy, Inc. we believe People of Color-led and serving nonprofits deserve expert fundraising support, especially those with budgets less than $1M but no more than $5M.💼 📢We’re accepting applications for the Partnership For Fundraising Equity, and offering expert fundraising support with Sliding Scale fees tailored to the needs of People of Color-led and serving organizations. 🖤 🤎 🚫No gimmicks 🚫No haggling—just real solutions ✅ How it works ✅ 👉🏿 Apply here: https://lnkd.in/er-hmVrG to submit a quick, one-minute interest form. We’ll respond within 3 business days with a super simple application process. 🚫 No documents 🚫No long forms 🚫No narrative. Ain’t nobody got time for that! 👏🏿 Eligible nonprofits include: ✅ People of color-led nonprofits serving primarily people of color; ✅ Agencies where the leadership is at least 51% people of color; ✅ Agencies fighting the byproducts of structural racism. ✅ Agencies solving social issues like homelessness, education inequity, STEM inequity, poverty, mass incarceration, agriculture injustice agencies, environmental injustice, and more! 📝 Slots are limited and available on a first-come, first-serve basis. 🙌🏿 Apply today and be assured the help you’ve been seeking is on the way! ✊🏿 The Partnership for Fundraising Equity is brought to you by Kia Croom Fundraising & Philanthropy, Inc. A Black-woman-owned fundraising firm rooted in equity & inclusion. 🖤 🤎 👉🏿 We're making fundraising equitable, affordable, and accessible for People of color-led and serving nonprofits. Visit us online at www.kiacroom.com. 💃🏿 Tag a nonprofit…

💯Nearly 20 years ago I experienced a brutal attack that left me with both emotional and physical scars that continued to plague until now. 💯In that moment, i ran and grabbed a firearm which made my violent perpetrator retreat. Truth is, that was enough for me. I just wanted to get him off of me. 💯 That event was so traumatic that i never picked up a firearm again until now. 💯 These photos represent me taking a bold step to confront past pains and fears. 💯 In this moment, I released narrative of a ‘victim.’ 💯 I’m a survivor! Period. And I’ve reclaimed my authority 💪🏿and right to protect myself and my family from violent perpetrators. 💯 This sho wasnt easy. But I did that ish!!!!! 💯 My anxiety kicked in and I had to breathe it out. Behind those safety glasses were tears. 💯 Im proud of myself for finding the courage to change my narrative. 🙌🏾 💯 Im grateful to my brother from another mother who accompanied me and supported in this moment. 🙌🏾

🌍✨ Happy International Women's Day from the staff of Kia Croom Fundraising & Philanthropy! ✨🌍 💫Today, we honor and celebrate the incredible women across the Diaspora who have joined the sorority of "Service." Those beautiful souls who have made it their business to make this world a better place for others. 👀 We see you sis! 👏Thank you for your tenacity, courage and dedication to powering durable social change. It's a thankless job, and at the intersection of nationality and gender, let's be real.....It ain't EASY. 💯But you do it fearlessly and unabashedly. Thank you. 💯Keep kickin ass sis! And know that this world is a better place because of your selfless contributions. 💪And know that Kia Croom Fundraising & Philanthropy, Inc. has got your back, like a bra strap. www.kiacroom.com The Inclusive Fundraising Firm. #InternationalWomensDay #CelebratingWomen #fundraiser #SocialChange #nonprofit

I don’t know who needs to hear this but, this is the season of YES! Recieve it, believe it, and walk in it.

🙌🏾 In the spirit of Sankofa, "We must go back and reclaim our past so we can move forward; we must understand why and how we came to be who we are today." 👀I look back and remember the days when, wvwn though mama didn’t have it, she found a way to make my birthday’s special. 💕Between those lay-a-ways and occasionally selling food stamps, mama made-a-way 🙏. 👑From princess dresses, pigtails to stylish, queenly threads. Somethings never change 😂. 👀As I look back at lil Kia reflect on where I came and God has had his hand on my life. I’m overwhelmed with gratitude. Im grateful for my humble beginnings. ➡️ Busta Rhymes said it best in his song, Master Fard Muhammad “I thank God for the blessings of paths paved As I journey through a jungle of lions so unscathed” 🎶 🙌🏾 God has given me beauty for ashes and I’m so grateful. 🙏I pray this message encourages your heart this morning.

🎂 🎊 🎉Your Favorite Fundraiser is celebrating a birthday tomorrow, February 27th! ❤️ ➡️Join me for a live special birthday broadcast. 💫 💫And although we'll be celebrating my b-day, I'm bearing gifts courtesy of Blequity Brands, a curated gifting company that promotes radical self-care and racial justice. 💫 🎁That's right, I've got gifts for some of my special b-day guests. 🎁 🤔Will you be one of them? #KiaCroom #Fundraiser #Nonprofits #SocialJustice #SelfCare

You don't want to miss this one folks! Two of the industry's best are droppin' gems #Fundraisers #BlackFundraisers #Nonprofits

******** Trigger Warning******** The most brave woman I ever met, has died at 39. Hydeia Broadbent devoted her entire life to saving others. Hydeia was diagnosed with HIV at the age of five. She contracted the virus that causes AIDS congenitally from her mother, who had an IV drug addiction and abandoned her at a hospital in Southern Nevada after birthing her. As a young girl, I remember seeing Hydeia on the Sally Jesse Raphael show, where she talked candidly about being born with the virus and her lived experience navigating life amid the stigma associated with being HIV positive. Hydeia was BRAVE. She was a beautiful soul who made it her mission to fight the stigma and promote safe sex during the height of the AIDS epidemic and the Crack Cocaine epidemic. I still don't know how someone who was dealt this hand found the courage and devotion to educate a nation and demand that they see the humanity of people (including children) living with HIV. In 2013, as a reporter for the Post News Group, I had the privilege of interviewing Hydeia, who was then 28 years old. We discussed her reactions to the FDA's announcement of Truvada the first drug approved for use to prevent HIV transmission among discordant sexual partners. During our interview, Hydeia candidly shared that the cost of one of her daily pills was $1,000 and essential to survival. We talked about her goals and dreams of becoming married and owning a business. “There is life after a positive test result," she said. I'll never forget our discussion. If you care to read the article, you can find it: https://lnkd.in/eMJDNqxv I want to take a moment and memorialize Hydeia. This hurts. Hydeia, beautiful, The world owes you. You devoted your entire life to fighting the stigma associated with living with HIV/AIDS, as well as prevention and awareness for others. While it's sad to hear of your passing, I am comforted in the knowing you can finally rest doll. Thank you for devoting your life to saving others, and for helping the world see the humanity of people (including children) living with HIV/AIDS. Rest in paradise ma ma. #HydeiaBroadbent

❣️💕💕I love this picture! 📸This photo was taken about one month after I'd resigned from my role as a frontline fundraiser after four years of leadership. 🏢Here I was at the AFP Lead Conference in Houston Texas. 🙅🏾♀️No one knew that I was contemplating hanging my own shingle and launching Kia Croom Fundraising & Philanthropy, Inc. ➡️But they were gonna learn tuh-day!!! ⁉️Was I afraid? Hell yeah, I was afraid.‼️ 🙌🏾But....... 💪🏿I love that despite my trepidation and the uncertainty of knowing where my next check was going to come from..... ❤️🎉I dared to smile. 🙌🏾👑I smiled despite knowing where my first client would come from. ➡️Yet.... 🙌🏾💪🏿I dared to walk in Proverbs 31:25. "She is clothed in strength and dignity and laughs without fear of the future." 💕 ⁉️And guess what else.... 💪🏿❤️🩹I boldly walked over to that conference registration desk, and picked up my name badge and lanyard which read: Kia Croom, President & CEO, Kia Croom Fundraising & Philanthropy, Inc. 🙌🏾💪🏿With my shoulders squared and head held high, I put that lanyard on a never looked back. 🗓️That was in October of 2022. ❣️As I approach the two-year anniversary of my firm, I am immensely grateful.❤️ 🙌🏾🙌🏾 I hope this encourages you to smile despite your circumstances and remember, Proverbs 23:7 "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." 🙌🏾Thoughts? Reactions? ⁉️Who are you on this day? I dare you to respond with an adjective about yourself.