10 Black Run Non-Profit Organisations That Need Your Support

Non-profit organizations play a vital role in building healthy, productive communities by providing critical services that contribute to economic stability and mobility. Thanks to the combination of strong community relationships and local knowledge, these organisations often have a better understanding of their communities needs and the best ways to meet them. Strong, well-resourced non-profits that are interlinked to the decision-making infrastructure of their communities can bring about growth and opportunity.

But non-profit organizations can only fulfil their missions when they have dedicated and passionate people who give their time and talent to volunteer for or run these organisations.

As coined by ‘Support black charities’ we want to encourage our network to “give black”, supporting the communities you belong to or those you identify the most with. You can have a direct impact on the lives of others while feeling more connected to the communities that raised you and your family from past to present. As David McQueen said in our webinar about economic empowerment, if we could within our communities instil a sense that 10% of something we have is always given back into the community, whether that be time, mentoring, money etc. we could create a tangible positive impact.

Support extends much further than just monetary donations. There are a myriad of different options available: you can donate time by volunteering, you can become a mentor, or you can also raise awareness. In the 21st century, the power of social media is not to be underestimated. Liking, reposting, or sharing to your network is a great way to raise awareness for a campaign, and direct the good work a company is doing to their target beneficiaries. The last few months on social media is a great example of this.

When you realize people in your community desperately need the services of a non-profit and you can further its mission, it could not be easier to make a phone call and ask how you can get involved.

With that in mind, at Cornerstone, we have decided to compile a list of 10 non-profit organisations that could benefit from our support. This list is not exhaustive, but rather a small snapshot into the depth and variety of organisations providing help to the community. If you feel we have missed any or would like us to continue this series, feel free to reach out and let us know.

1. Kwanda

Kwanda is a modern collection pot for black communities. Think of it as a modern-day village. By donating a monthly pledge of £1 (minimum), which is used to fund projects, you gain access to the village and are granted voting rights and an equal voice amongst fellow villagers. It is a village for those who want to build reliable and empowering systems for black communities.

Jermaine Craig founded Kwanda off the premise of potential. He, as do many of us reading this article understand that given the chance many within the black community have the potential to change the world. The problem many face is the lack of resources available to facilitate this change. Which is what Kwanda aims to be. A vehicle that unlocks potential in these communities, as a benefit to the world

Kwanda’s long term goal is the involvement of black communities in the story that is the world. To do this the organisation has a 5-phase development plan, with the final phase, being the build/infrastructure stage. Where Kwanda will begin building large developmental infrastructure across many areas, from agriculture to health and education. Africa is a continent full of geniuses that could transform the world ten times over, but they are stuck behind obstacles that shouldn’t exist for them. Kwanda wants to clear the way for the next generation of world-changers, by developing structures around them that are empowering and encouraging.

Ways to support: Donate to fundraisers, volunteer for projects, join the village

2. Ubele initiative

After more than 60 years of significant presence here in the UK, deep social issues continue to affect our community. These range from the needs of our children, young people, and families through to the emerging needs of a growing elderly population. However, as a community, we do not appear to have created a coherent strategy for tackling these or other systemic social issues.

The Ubele Initiative believes that there is a need to be a more conscious and proactive approach in designing, creating, and putting in place essential building blocks to secure future generations here in the UK. Their primary mission is to help build more sustainable communities across the UK. Ubele (taken from Swahili for ‘the future’), has developed using a bottom-up, community-based approach. It supports a wide range of communities, community-based organisations, and groups with their community assets (people and physical spaces), through social action, community enterprise and next-generation leadership initiatives.

Given governmental policy shifts towards individual and local community reliance, there appears to be an increasing urgency for the African Diaspora community to collectively engage in dialogue and to design and implement their own innovative responses.

Ways to support: Raise awareness, participate in workshops, support local and national projects

3. Sickle Cell Society

The Sickle Cell Society was formed by a group of patients, parents and health professionals who were all concerned about the lack of understanding and the inadequacy of treatment for people living with sickle cell disorders.

The Society is managed by a committee of 10 volunteers elected at the Annual General Meeting, and they meet each month. The Management Committee is accountable to the members and works with a small core of paid staff to further the Society’s aims by providing special services and welfare schemes for sickle cell sufferers.

The Sickle Cell Society aims to empower and assist people with sickle cell disorders to achieve their full economic and social potential. Their vision is to be the most successful sickle cell organisation nationally, with a wide network of well-informed, committed, and active supporters working at local, national, and international levels. The impact of their work was recently recognised by the GSK impact awards, a national award that recognises charities that are doing excellent work to improve people’s health and wellbeing. This should stress to us the importance of their work. Being able to enact change at a national level is something our organisations need to be able to achieve if we want to see a tangible difference in lives.

Ways to support: Give blood, become a member, donate, leave a gift, become a fundraiser, raise awareness, volunteer

4. Black Minds Matter UK

After witnessing the huge mental health impact Covid-19 and the global reaction to the death of Geroge Floyd had on the Black British community, founders Agnes Mwakatuma and Annie Nash decided they had to do something to enact change. Black Minds Matter UK aims to connect Black individuals and families with free professional mental health services across the UK. With a growing collection of certified, professional, culturally competent, Black therapists Black Minds Matter want to enable as many Black people as possible in the UK to be able to access free mental health support in the form of therapy sessions.

Black Minds Matter has three clear goals:

1. To connect Black people with certified Black therapists,
2. To improve mental health resources for the Black community through the NHS,
3. To tackle the stigma surrounding mental health in the Black community

They have currently raised over 115.5k, which will cover the cost of 750 x 12-week courses. However, the need is still there, thousands have applied to have access to their resources, so more funding is needed.

Ways to support: Donate, raise awareness

5. WCAN: The Black Women’s Network

Founded in 2013, Mariam Jimoh created WCAN because she wanted to see more women who looked like her in the corporate world. WCAN is a social enterprise dedicated to the personal and professional development of black women. WCAN specialises in working with black female students and young professionals in the initiation and progression of their careers and has become a household name for diversity platforms across the UK.

With a full team of 12 black women, WCAN hosts tailored events, specific to the requests of their 3500+ members, resulting in a mix of female leadership and personal development events alongside career and networking events.

Positioned as a platform for black women from as young as schoolgirls to those well into their corporate careers, the ultimate aim of WCAN is to create a network of ambitious women and offer encouragement, development, and empowerment to all of their members.

Through corporate sponsors, the organisation has been able to create a marketplace offering diverse talent for the largest global firms and offering services to their members including mentorship, CV / Cover Letter / Interview training and support, networking events, workshops, conferences, personal development sessions, socials and more…

WCAN has become a hub for black women across the UK.

Ways to support: Donate, raise awareness, join the team,

6. IMKAAN

Imkaan is a UK- based, Black feminist organisation. They are the only national second-tier women’s organisation dedicated to addressing violence against Black and minoritised women and girls.

The organisation holds nearly two decades of experience of working around issues such as domestic violence, forced marriage and ‘honour-based’ violence. They work at the local, national, and international level, and in partnership with a range of organisations, to improve policy and practice responses to Black and minoritised women and girls.

Imkaan works with its members to represent the expertise and perspectives of the frontline, specialist and dedicated Black and minoritised women’s organisations that work to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls. Imkaan delivers a unique package of support which includes: quality assurance; accredited training and peer education; sustainability support to frontline Black and minoritised organisations; and facilitation of space for community engagement and development.

Their research activities support the ongoing development of a robust evidence base around the needs and aspirations of Black and minoritised women and girls. Imkaan is at the forefront of programmes and initiatives relating to forms of violence that disproportionately affect Black and minoritised women and girls.

Ways to support: Donate, become a member

7. Father 2 Father

Analysing his own life and struggle as a man and listening to stories from other men, founder, Courtney Brown concluded that all men share the same struggle. This sparked him to create Father2Father and uses this platform to assist men with the struggles they face and explore why negative behaviour in men if gone unchecked, can persist which leads them to self-sabotage.

Father 2 Father in an award-winning community interest company that provides support, training and development to fathers, men, and adolescent boys. It also aims to empower them to make informed decisions about their lifestyle and relationships.

Their mission is to increase the proportion of children growing up with involved, responsible fathers and male role models. They achieve this by supporting and providing adolescent boys, fathers and their families with mentorship, information, advice, and guidance that will enhance their personal, social and economic well-being.

Ways to support: Donate, volunteer, spread the word, purchase items from their store

8. Amos Bursary

In 2016 the unemployment rate for black male graduates aged 16–24 in London was 18%, in comparison to 10% for their white counterparts (Office for National Statistics, 2016)

Black male graduates earn £7,000 less per year than their white counterparts (Guardian, 2018)

Only 2% of board members in FTSE 100 companies are Black or minority ethnic (Global future, 2018

Co-founder Collen Amos OBE started the Amos bursary to solve these issues and address the under-representation in established higher education institutions and the professions, of young British men of African and Caribbean Descent.

The Amos Bursary is an organisation which helps academically able British young men of African and Caribbean heritage, from schools and colleges in London to achieve their ambitions. The evening and weekend professional and personal development programmes provided ensure that students are fully equipped to make informed and appropriate choices for their futures.

They work in partnership with volunteers and organisations to prepare students to tackle the challenges they will encounter, and they focus on building self-confidence, self-belief and social skills to enhance employability.

Ways to support: Donate, become a sponsor, become a mentor, become a volunteer

9. 2020 Change

2020 Change is a youth empowerment organisation renowned for helping young people realise their true potential and cultivate the right mind-set to engage with today’s changing society.

Their multi-award-winning program “I Am Change” uses alternative educational methods to help young people fulfil their potential and enables them to live purposeful lives. They help develop self-confidence that empowers each of their candidates to become the best versions of themselves.

Their work is channelled through the strong belief that today’s streetwise youth have the potential to become tomorrow’s leading figures, all these young people need is a vehicle to show them how to use their past experiences as transferable skills that would accelerate them to thrive in today’s workplace.

Ways to support: Offer event space, offer work experience/internships, share your story to the young people on the program, donate

10. The Black Curriculum

The latest Home Office figures show that in 2017/18, there were 94,098 hate crime offences recorded by the police in England and Wales, 76% of which were racially aggravated. The reality of racism operates in many ways, particularly through the lack of education and understanding of Black British history. The Macpherson Report produced 20 years ago, showed that cultural diversity within the curriculum is one of the ways to prevent racism. Similarly, The Windrush Review recommended that colonial and migration history should be taught.

The Black Curriculum is a social enterprise founded in 2019 by young people to address the lack of Black British history in the UK curriculum. Their belief is that by delivering arts-focused Black history programmes, providing teacher training and campaigning through mobilising young people, social change can be facilitated.

As a social enterprise committed to the teaching and support of Black history all year round, their aims include:

1. To provide a sense of belonging and identity to young people across the UK.

2. To teach an accessible educational Black British history curriculum that raises attainment for young people.

3. To improve social cohesion between young people in the UK.

Ways to support: Donate, Email a template letter to your local MP and Gavin Lewis (secretary of state for education)

Cornerstone Partners

31/07/2020