Southern Black Girls Defies Trends, Investing $1.2M in a Challenging Year

SELMA, AL – December 30, 2025 – In a year marked by political headwinds and shrinking corporate commitments to racial equity, the Southern Black Girls and Women's Consortium (SBGWC) charted a different course. While many organizations faced budget cuts and scaled-back initiatives, the Selma-based philanthropic group doubled down, investing over $1.2 million in 2025 to empower Black girls and women across 13 Southern states. This counter-current move not only deepened the organization's impact but also sent a powerful message about the necessity of sustained support in the face of adversity.

This year's investment supported over 60 organizations and more than 25 small businesses through the Consortium's core funding arms: the Black Girls Dream Fund, the Innovation Fund, and the Black Girls Defense Fund. The strategic deployment of these funds comes at a critical time. Recent analyses of the philanthropic landscape reveal a complex picture; while some funders remain committed, a notable trend of “equity fatigue” and political pressure has led other companies and foundations to revise or reduce their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs. Historically, Black-led nonprofits have received significantly less revenue and unrestricted assets than their white-led counterparts, a disparity that makes SBGWC's expansion all the more significant.

"This year proved that even in difficult times, investing in organizations that center Black girls and women is an act of resistance, imagination, and faith in the future," said Chanceé Lundy, Executive Director of Southern Black Girls and Women's Consortium. Her statement encapsulates the organization's ethos—a refusal to retreat when the communities it serves need support the most.

A New Blueprint for Philanthropy

At the heart of SBGWC's success is its radical departure from traditional, top-down funding models. The organization champions a participatory grantmaking approach, a methodology designed to shift power directly to the communities being served. Instead of distant boardrooms making decisions, this model ensures that Black girls and women—those with lived experience of the challenges and opportunities in their own communities—are central to the process of allocating resources.

This community-rooted strategy fosters deeper trust, transparency, and ultimately, more effective outcomes. By centering the voices of those it aims to empower, the Consortium ensures its investments are not just symbolic but are strategically targeted to meet genuine needs and aspirations. It is a model that challenges the philanthropic status quo, offering a blueprint for how to achieve true equity by ceding control.

A prime example of this model in action is the nationally recognized #BlackGirlJoyChallenge. In 2025, the program reached a historic milestone, awarding its 1,000th grant. This initiative provides direct monetary grants to girls and young women aged 13-24, empowering them to design and execute projects that spread joy in their own communities. With 100 new grants awarded this year, the program has now invested over $600,000 in a thousand young leaders since its inception in 2020, proving that even small, targeted investments can cultivate leadership and create ripples of positive change.

Cultivating Joy and Concrete Opportunity

Beyond its innovative funding model, SBGWC creates powerful platforms for connection, learning, and growth. In June, the organization convened over 1,300 Black girls and women in Atlanta for the 2025 Black Girls Dream Conference. Under the theme "She Got Next," the two-day gathering was a vibrant hub of empowerment, featuring 80 workshops on topics ranging from STEAM and mental health to financial literacy and social justice. The conference served as a powerful reinforcement of the Consortium's commitment to preparing the next generation of Black women leaders with tangible skills and a supportive network.

The impact of the organization's financial support is also evident in the entrepreneurial ventures it nurtures. Through its Dream Investment Program, SBGWC provides not just capital but also crucial mentorship to Black women entrepreneurs. Crystal Chisholm, founder of The Oyster Journal—a digital platform connecting oyster lovers with growers—is one such beneficiary. Her experience illustrates the transformative power of a well-placed grant.

"When I first launched my app, I built it myself, but I had technical limitations," Chisholm shared. "This grant allowed me to hire a contractor to add premium features that will generate revenue for the first time. This marks our shift from building community to creating financial sustainability." Chisholm’s story is a microcosm of the Consortium's goal: turning dreams and community-focused projects into self-sustaining enterprises that build wealth and opportunity.

An Intergenerational Legacy of Leadership

The driving force behind the Consortium's mission is deeply personal and rooted in an intergenerational legacy of mentorship. The year 2025 marked the first full year of leadership for Executive Director Chanceé Lundy, whose own journey with the organization represents a powerful full-circle moment. Over 30 years ago, a 14-year-old Lundy was mentored by SBGWC founder LaTosha Brown through a local youth program in their shared hometown of Selma, Alabama.

This foundational relationship between founder and current leader is not just a historical footnote; it is the living embodiment of the organization's core philosophy. It demonstrates a continuous cycle of investment and empowerment, where one generation of leaders actively nurtures the next. This intergenerational bond fuels the Consortium's unwavering commitment to building lasting infrastructure for Black girls and women across the South.

This spirit of perseverance was echoed in a recent letter from Lundy to supporters. "As this year comes to a close, I'm reminded that even when the road is rough, we are still holding on," she wrote. "Even under pressure, we showed up, expanded our giving, and stayed intentional about meeting this moment."

As the Southern Black Girls and Women's Consortium looks toward its audacious goal of raising $100 million over the next decade, its work in 2025 stands as a testament to its resilience and vision. By expanding its grantmaking and strengthening grassroots infrastructure, the organization continues to model what equitable, community-rooted philanthropy can and should look like in the American South.