Despite the unpredictable political climate, there is still incredible progress being made in the social sector to further the aims of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and equip the next generation of diverse leaders with the tools they need to forge ahead. Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in particular play a critical role in cultivating a diverse pipeline of talent prepared to lead with an equity lens. One phenomenal example is Bowie State University’s Philanthropy Initiative, which hosts an annual fellowship program that provides Black graduate students in the College of Business with the experience and mentorship they need to pursue careers that drive impact in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors.

PEAK Grantmaking recently hosted a conversation to discuss how increased investment in HBCUs will provide students a strategic pathway to dismantling systemic inequities and strengthening the impact of the philanthropic sector. PEAK President and CEO Satonya Fair was joined by ABFE President and CEO Susan Taylor Batten; Tides Senior Director of Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Christian Friend, PhD; BSU Philanthropy Initiative Advisory Board Chair James Hyman, PhD. Here are a few highlights from their discussion.

Current Trends in Funding HBCUs

HBCUs make up just 3 percent of colleges and universities in the United States yet graduate 80 percent of Black judges, 50 percent of Black lawyers, and 50 percent of Black doctors, according to the United Negro College Fund (UNCF). HBCUs are incredibly important educational, cultural, and economic institutions, yet despite the significant role HBCUs play in developing Black leaders, they are chronically underfunded and under-resourced.

We need to really think about the role of HBCUs as it relates to building and strengthening the profession of philanthropy and nonprofit management. —Susan Taylor Batten

Philanthropy and HBCUs: Foundation funding to historically Black colleges and universities, a 2023 report from ABFE and Candid, explores the relationship between the philanthropic sector and HBCUs, and the findings reveal troubling disparities and inequities. The average HBCU endowment lags behind those of non-HBCU institutions by at least 70 percent, and the average Ivy League school receives a whopping 178 times more foundational funding than the average HBCU. Though private funding to HBCUs rose in 2020 in response to the racial justice movement, the data points to a troubling backslide since then.

Read the full article about HBCU leadership by Yasmin Belkhyr at PEAK Grantmaking.