THE GIVING BLACK CONFERENCE 2025:

Sankofa: Remember. Reclaim. Rise.

About The Conference

August 1, 2025: The Start of Black Philanthropy Month

Black Philanthropy Month is here—a global celebration that elevates the powerful, diverse, and enduring traditions of generosity among the global Black community.

This year, The Giving Black team is doing things a little differently. We’re collaborating with agentsC Inc., Back Black, Black Philanthropy Month, and the authors of Collecting Courage— we are all united in the spirit of Sankofa, the powerful tradition of the Akan people of Ghana, West Africa. Sankofa reminds us that to move forward, we must also look back—so that no one is left behind, marginalized, or made to feel invisible.

This year Giving Black will span three full months, from August through October, with inspiring events, conversations, and releases each month. Together, we’ll mark several important milestones—our "Triple 5ths":

5 years since the publication of Collecting Courage, an anthology capturing the voices and experiences of 14 Black fundraisers in North America.
5 years since the release of agentsC’s COVID-19 Research Series, which highlighted the unique experiences of Black fundraisers during the pandemic and amidst the global reckoning after George Floyd’s murder (Equity Matters).

Kicking Off with Sankofa: Remember, Reclaim, Rise

We begin the season with a special podcast episode featuring Floyd Jones, Founder of Give Black and Chair of Black Philanthropy Month. In this thoughtful conversation, Floyd reflects on the meaning of Sankofa through the lens of his heritage as an African American man and the work that is required to collectivise and support our communities.

Here's a sneak peek of what else is coming over the next three months:

August — Reclaim

Black Philanthropy Month Video discussions
New episodes of the Giving Black Podcast
Selected readings from the authors of Collecting Courage

September — Reclaim (continued)

Black philanthropy thought leadership articles
More episodes of the Giving Black Podcast
The Giving Black Award for Philanthropic Achievement

October — Rise

The Giving Black Conference & Soirée
Launch of new research on the lived experiences of Black fundraisers in North America
Further episodes of the Giving Black Podcast

Celebrating five years of collecting courage

Celebrating five years since publishing Collecting Courage: Joy, Pain, Freedom, Love. Collecting Courage is a collection of stories from fourteen Black writers – charity and fundraising leaders from across Canada and the United States.

View reading from nine co-authors

Celebrating five years of the Giving Black Conference

Hear Floyd Jones, Founder of BackBlack and Chair of Black Philanthropy Month kick off our Black Philanthropy Month season with a powerful conversation about the traditional Akan principle of Sankofa.