Abstract: Family foundations are rapidly increasing as a venue through which to give philanthropically (Weiss, 2000; Remmer, 2005.[i] These institutions are of particular interest to African Americans, who prefer to put their trust in organizations that are close to them and that aid the surrounding African American community (Council on Foundations, 1999; Gasman & Anderson-Thompkins, 2003). To date, there is limited scholarly research on family foundations in general, and none related to African American family foundations (Browne, 1977).[ii] As a result, little is known about these organizations, their founders' motivations, their make-up and operations. The purpose of this article is to develop a basic knowledge of African American family foundations from which additional research can be generated.

I sought to answer the following questions: From what types of professional backgrounds do the founders of African American family foundations hail? In which areas of the country are African American family foundations located? What is the range of assets possessed by African American family foundations and how are these assets managed? How do African American family foundations use board members, employees and volunteers to support their organizations? What are the overarching goals of African American family foundations? And, in what areas are they concentrating their donations?

Resources

• A Growing Tradition? Examining the African American Family Foundation