COMPLETED – Philanthropic Redlining: What Does the Data Show?

In 2023, ABFE: A Philanthropic Partnership for Black Communities, released a historic report on foundation giving to Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The data, and that of prior reports, demonstrate the funding disparity that Black-led institutions face and the impact on their effectiveness. This lecture will cover research on foundation giving to institutions in the Black community and recommendations for building a more equitable field of philanthropy.

Susan Taylor Batten is president and chief executive officer of ABFE: A Philanthropic Partnership for Black Communities. ABFE (established in 1971 as the Association of Black Foundation Executives) is a membership-based philanthropic organization that advocates for responsive and transformative investments in Black communities. Since joining ABFE in 2009, Batten has led the organization’s philanthropic advising and programming on responsive philanthropy in Black communities for foundation leaders, donors and aligned partners.

Batten came to ABFE after more than 25 years of leadership experience in both the private and public sectors. Prior to joining ABFE, Batten served as senior associate with the Annie E. Casey Foundation, a grantmaking institution focused on child welfare. In this role, she served as staff in the Community Change Initiatives Unit and coordinated a portfolio on equity, persity and inclusion. In the public sector, Batten worked as a senior analyst for the U.S. Department of Agriculture where she directed research and evaluation on food assistance programs; she also served in the Government of the District of Columbia as an analyst on initiatives supporting children, youth and families.

Batten serves on the boards of the Caribbean Philanthropic Alliance and Giving Gap and is a frequent lecturer at Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) on philanthropy and Black communities. She received her master’s degree in social work from Howard University and her bachelor’s degree in English and political science from Fisk University.

Watch Susan Taylor Batten:  Philanthropic Redlining: What Does the Data Show?