SAVE THE DATE:
THE FIFTH ANNUAL GIVING BLACK CONFERENCE
Sankofa: Remember. Reclaim. Rise.
October 9, 2025
(10:00-13:00 (EST)
About The Conference
October 9, 2025: The Giving Black Virtual Conference Returns
The conference is —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.
Our conference features some very special guest and speakers!
2025 Giving Black Conference Speakers
Hosts and Conversation Starters
Olumide Akerewusi
Founder & CEO of AgentsC Inc.
Dr. Camila Pereira
Senior Manager of Development,
Child Development Institute
Ngunan Adamu
Founder and Managing Director,
iWoman Academy CiC
Dr. Mary Ashun CEO
CEO Ghana International School
Kimahli Powell LL.D (Hons)
Carr-Ryan Center Fellow, Harvard University
Birgit Smith Burton
Chief Executive Officer,
African American Development Officers
Marva Bailey-Wisdom, M.A. O.Ont. L.L.D
Founding Member Black Canadian Fundraisers' Collective
Christal M. Cherry
Founder, Fabulous Female Fundraisers
Marcus Brewer
Chair, Men of Color in Development (MOCID)
Annyce Brackins
Co-Chair, Rising Professionals of Color in Fundraising
Nasra Ayub
Programs Officer, Global Fund for Children
Nicole Salmon
Founder & Principal Consultant, Boundless Philanthropy
Brenda Richardson
Founder, NuGenesis Breathwork
Kimmel Alcide
Founder, The Everyday Yogi Inc.
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 of Celebrating Giving Black Conferences in honour of Black philanthropy month and the generous traditions of Africa's diaspora all over the world.
- 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).
Below is a sneak peek of the exciting offerings coming your way;
August — Remember
- Black Philanthropy Month Video discussions
- New episodes of the Giving Black Podcast
- Selected readings from the authors of Collecting Courage
September — Reclaim
- Black philanthropy thought leadership articles
- More episodes of the Giving Black Podcast
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
- Announcing The Giving Black Award for Philanthropic Achievement
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 recorded readings from nine Collecting Courage authors and co-authors
Celebrating five years of the Giving Black Conference
We begin the season with a special podcast episode featuring Floyd Jones, Founder of Back 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.
Click below to hear Floyd.
Celebrating five years of philanthropic research at agentsC
New research to be released in October 2025.
The Giving Black Conference 2025 is Proudly Sponsored By:
Life’s persistent and most urgent question is
‘What are you doing for others?’
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
