Resourcing Black Feminist Organizing in Latin America and the Caribbean

Foundation for a Just Society (FJS) and Wellspring Philanthropic Fund are proud to release Resourcing Black Feminist Organizing in Latin America and the Caribbean. This is a microsite that shares rich insights about the landscape and (lack of) funding for Black feminist movements in Latin America and the Caribbean, derived from movement-led research that mapped more than 300 Black women-led initiatives across 17 countries. Big-picture findings include: 

• Black women organizers in Latin America and the Caribbean are doing powerful work to advance human rights and social justice, organizing across multiple movements and touching on every issue of relevance to philanthropy, from climate to democracy to gender justice.
• Despite these powerful contributions, Black women contend with racialized and gendered inequalities in the movements they are part of. What results is the marginalization of Black women’s concerns across movements and the erasure of their leadership—something intensely felt when seeking funding, resources, and support.
• While the landscape is rapidly changing, both public and private funding has overlooked Black feminist movements in the regions. Direct investment in Black women-led organizing is rare. Promisingly, many funders express significant interest in deepening their support.
• There are many untapped opportunities to strengthen the funding ecosystem so that resources flow to Black feminist movements. Whether funding feminist movements, investing in a particular geography, or advancing an issue-based strategy, there is an entry point for many donors.

Among many recommendations, the site advises funders to: 

• provide flexible, long-term core support funding directly to Black feminist groups,
• determine if existing grantmaking in the region is reaching Black women-led organizing and meeting Black women’s specific needs,
• and engage in political education and build trust with Black feminist organizers.

FJS and Wellspring co-funded this research because we knew we had our own learning to do to show up for Black feminist movements in the regions, strengthen our own grantmaking and support, and encourage our fellow funders to travel this journey with us. The findings expressed in this microsite are not only an ethical call to action, but also a strategic one: when we center the visions and leadership of those most impacted by injustice, we all win.