(Feb. 3, 2022) It’s a long-standing myth that philanthropic giving in the Black community doesn’t exist. But the reality is, nationwide, two-thirds of all Black households donate to organizations and causes, totaling more than 11 billion dollars a year.

Memphis and the Mid-South are no different. In addition to giving on their own, some donors and community groups have found that collective giving is power.

The Philanthropic Black Women of Memphis is a group of women, including entrepreneurs and executives, with one goal in common...helping more Memphis women of color become self-sufficient. They established a fund at the Community Foundation in 2005, and even today, this group still gives annually to women- and youth-focused organizations throughout Memphis.

Booker T. Washington, the famous Black author and educator, once said, “There are two ways of exerting one’s strength; one is pushing down, the other is pulling up.” The Philanthropic Black Women of Memphis put those words into action as they continually lift as they climb.