August Is Black Philanthropy Month
By Gary Bitner
Exclusive to the Westside Gazette — August is Black Philanthropy Month, an annual worldwide celebration of the Black community’s deep commitment to giving and a reminder of how philanthropy transforms lives around the globe.
In the United States, the W.K Kellogg Foundation reports that nearly two-thirds of Black American households donate to causes they care about deeply. Their giving adds up to $11 billion each year.
This meaningful level of giving builds on a national legacy of Black Philanthropy. Throughout America’s history, African Americans have created and supported nonprofit organizations, educational institutions and social services programs to positively impact Black members of their local communities.
Here in Broward County, Community Foundation of Broward points to Black Philanthropy Month as an annual celebration of the local Black community’s deep commitment to giving and a reminder of how philanthropy continually transforms the lives of many of Broward’s Black residents.
The Community Foundation partners with and celebrates a significant number of local African American philanthropists who have established funds to support local organizations and causes, all of which have a meaningful impact on Broward’s Black residents.
The Community Foundation partners with and celebrates a significant number of local African American philanthropists who have established funds to support local organizations and causes, all of which have a meaningful impact on Broward’s Black residents.
New Mount Olive Baptist Church Creates “Be a Blessing” Fund
This summer, New Mount Olive Baptist Church in Fort Lauderdale added to Broward’s proud tradition of Black making endowment fund. Church leaders established the New Mount Olive Baptist Church Be a Blessing Fund at the Community Foundation to create a permanent source of support for the church’s work. It is work that makes a lasting impact on the lives of people in the community.
The church’s endowed fund will produce annual grants that support the church’s ministry, as well as its programs and community impact efforts. Additional contributions to the fund will build even more endowed support for New Mount Olive Baptist Church.
“With the creation of the ‘Be a Blessing’ Fund, New Mount Olive Baptist Church has planted a significant seed that will help our church and benefit our community,” said Church Deacon Jonathan Alen, a Community Foundation of Broward Board Member. Allen helped forge the new partnership between New Mount Olive Baptist Church and Community Foundation of Broward.
“With every contribution we make to this fund, we are sowing seeds of faith, hope, ministry and love that will bear fruit for current and future generations,” said Allen.
Community Foundation of Broward President/CEO Jennifer O’Flannery Anderson and members of the Foundation Board and staff celebrated the church’s new endowment along with the congregation at a recent church service.
“I want to thank Senior Paster Davidson, Deacon Robinson, the Ministry of Directors and the New Mount Olive congregation for trusting the Community Foundation of Broward as your partner in this important endeavor,” said Jennifer O’Flannery Anderson. “Through this fund, New Mount Olive Baptist Church is building a positive legacy of generosity and giving, and continuously blessing this community for generations to come.”
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Creates “Bertha Henry/Delta Education and Life Development Fund”
Members of the Broward County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority have recently broken new ground with the first endowed fund created by a historically Black sorority at Community Foundation of Broward. They established the “Bertha Henry/Delta Education and Life Development Fund” to improve the quality of life of Broward’s diverse community with support for education, scholarships, cultural enrichment and social well-being.
The new endowment is named in honor of fellow alumna and longtime public servant Bertha Henry, who serves on the Community Foundation’s Board of Directors and retired in 2022 as Broward County Administrator after more than 30 years of distinguished work in public administration.
Community Foundation Vice President Sheri Brown Grosvenor, also a Delta Sigma Theta alumna, helped forge the philanthropy partnership that resulted in the launch of the new endowed fund. She hopes it encourages other Black sororities and fraternities to establish funds to support their ongoing philanthropic efforts.
“The Community Foundation is honored to partner with the local alumnae of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority for this exciting new chapter of their philanthropy,” she said. “As a proud alumna, I know we’ve been dedicated to giving back and empowering others to succeed for over 110 years, and this new endowed fund will support those efforts for generations to come.”
Pioneers in Black Philanthropy in Broward
Community activists Margaret and Cato Roach spent their lives working to help educate Broward’s children, including its African American children. Margaret Roach was a former teacher who became an administrator, helping guide Broward schools through desegregation. She was also the first president of Broward’s Urban League, the first woman and Black person to serve on the Broward Community College Board of Trustees, and the first president of the Fort Lauderdale chapter of The Links, supporting professional women of color.
Cato Roach came to Fort Lauderdale in 1946 for a position at Dillard High School, where he taught math and science and also coached basketball and football. In 1965, he became Broward’s first Black county-level supervisor of elementary education.
He helped Broward implement the federally-funded Head Start program, which provides early education services for at-risk children. He served as president of the Florida State Teachers Association and served on Fort Lauderdale’s Bi-racial Committee and Broward County’s Juvenile Court Advisory Board.
Margaret Roach died in 1999 and Cato Roach died the following year. Their legacy of leadership is commemorated through an endowed charitable fund at Community Foundation of Broward that champions education for Broward’s children.
Grants from the Margaret and Cato Roach Tribute Fund support programs to lift up students from minority communities who are struggling in the classroom. The fund supports a groundbreaking program that helps middle schools improve teaching techniques and provides more support services to help students who are falling behind in the classroom.
The lives of Margaret and Cato Roach exemplify a tradition of giving back to their local community. In 1999, Margaret Roach told the Sun Sentinel, “I accept challenges as an opportunity to give the world the best I have.”
The strong commitment of Margaret and Cato Roach — and others — is reason to celebrate Black Philanthropy Month in Broward during August.
If you would like to continue the commitment of giving back in Broward by creating or adding to a charitable fund at the Community Foundation, contact Kelly Marmol, Vice President of Philanthropic Services, at kmarmol@cfbroward.org or ( 954) 761-9503.
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