The Miami Foundation Celebrated Ten Years of Honoring Nonprofit Leaders in South Florida at their Annual State of Black Philanthropy Events
By Ariel Trawick
The Miami Foundation hosted its 10th annual State of Black Philanthropy event at the Historic Lyric Theater in historic Overtown. With nearly 700 RSVP’d guests, anticipation for the evening began to build in the lobby as attendees mingled, laughed, and made space for one another. Before the ceremony started, the foundation of what Black philanthropy is all about was evident in the guests’ interactions. It was about community.
Attendees such as Aixa Marchand, Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois, shared that honoring Black folks who have done great things is essential.
“Lead with kindness. Even the smallest act can help someone,” she said.
The theme of this year’s event, “Celebrating Black Freedom,” and the newly released 2025 State of Black Philanthropy report centered on the pursuit of freedom. The evening honored trailblazers, philanthropists, community leaders, and families that helped craft a path to liberation.
Attendees were led through the lobby to the theatre by the sound of bongo drums played by a local traditional Haitian percussionist band — Rara lakay. The Ceremony opened with a moving performance of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” sung by sisters Jade and JaShae Jones. The musical performance also featured DP Soul, grounding the evening in Black resilience and resistance. The sisters asked the leading question of their performance, “What does freedom look like?”
Despite Miami’s rapid expansion towards a brighter future, the Foundation’s report and presentation during the May 22nd event outline persistent inequities within the Black community in Miami-Dade County, including income, housing, education, health, and philanthropy. The report states that on average, Black households in Miami earn $14,000 less than the national Black average, while white households in the city earn nearly $12,000 more than their national peers. That’s double the poverty rate compared to other Miami residents. The report also highlights the impact of climate gentrification and rising housing costs in historically Black neighborhoods like Liberty City and Little Haiti. As of this date, the percentage of Black residents within communities such as West Coconut Grove and Allapattah has dropped below 32%. The report also states that areas such as Little Haiti and Liberty City are also facing early signs of gentrification and displacement, with statistics pointing towards further decline in Black residency.
During the presentation, Rebecca Fishman Lipsey, president and CEO of The Miami Foundation, shared her thoughts on the report.
“We don’t need to erase our data, we need to analyze it,” she said.
The report further explains that the average revenue of Black-led non-profits is 24% smaller than their counterparts. These organizations have smaller budgets, tighter reserves, and less flexibility. Most of them operate on less than $250,000 yearly, according to the data. This means Black-led nonprofits are being underpaid and overworked. Many of these organizations are at the heart of Miami’s Black communities’ success. Lipsey encouraged attendees to have hope for the future that we’re all writing together.
Alongside the challenges, the report shows encouraging signs of growth and progress. Over the last ten years, since the inception of State of Black Philanthropy, The Miami Foundation has donated over $130 million back into the Black community. Since then, there has been a significant increase in graduation rates, household income, and employment. Since 2015, the median income for Black households in the city of Miami has increased by 40%. Making the average Black household earnings jump from $27,781 in 2015 to $39,091 by 2023.
Last year, the Miami Foundation launched the Saltwater Fellowship program to address the racial inequities in the region. With a $1 million investment in 10 leaders working across multiple sectors, the foundation aims to tackle regional issues head-on. Additionally, Miami’s Open for Business (OFB) campaign, powered by Wells Fargo, infused $20 million into Miami’s small businesses for three years. During this time, small Black businesses were able to enhance technology, capital, and commercial funding, a grant that Hy-Lo News had the benefit of being awarded in 2023.
To observe their dedication of the past ten years, The Miami Foundation presented a new special honor category to Tracey Robertson Carter and Christopher Carter of The Carter Project for their ongoing freedom-building work in Miami. During the ceremony, the Miami Foundation also recognized the 2025 State of Black Philanthropy Community Champions. The honorees included: Valencia Gunder, founder and co-director of The Smile Trust Inc. She’s known for her work as a community organizer and climate justice activist in Miami and beyond. Cornell Crews Jr., executive director of the Community Reinvestment Alliance of Florida, is known for holding stakeholders and banks accountable through the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977. This act requires financial institutions to reinvest in low to moderate-income communities. Dr. Dorothy Jenkins Fields, founder of The Black Archives and Miami native with roots as a Miami educator and leader for the restoration of the Historic Lyric Theater.
As the program concluded, attendees joined together, arm in arm, walking from the Lyric Theater through the drizzle of rain to The Urban, where the free after-party for the event took place. The party was led by the familiar beat of the bongo drums, even in the rain, the energy was electric, with people staying at The Urban to celebrate despite the soggy weather.
Poet Darius V. Daughtry’s poem personified the energy of the night that he performed during the event.
“And what do we know of freedom?
For our bones know that we are a free people.
Wind has been at our backs,
Some have just forgotten how to fly.
Wings have been clipped,
Tripped before we could take flight
But there is fight.”
To read the full 2025 State of Black Philanthropy Report or to support Black-led nonprofits, visit www.miamifoundation.org.
Sign up for our weekly email newsletter and watch our weekly LIVE podcast news show every Thursday at 5:30pm. Subscribe to our YouTube page to get alerts for the show.
0 comments on “2025 State of Black Philanthropy Report Reveals Black-led Nonprofits Still Working With Less and Doing More; Miami Foundation’s Investment in Black Communities Has Led to Increased Graduation Rates & Income”