Global Courant 2023-05-02 18:05:15
The average historically black college and university received 178 times less funding from foundations than the average Ivy League school in 2019, according to a new report on the underfunding of HBCUs released Tuesday.
The study – conducted by the philanthropic research group Candid and ABFE, a nonprofit organization that advocates for investment in black communities – found that the eight Ivy League schools received $5.5 billion from foundations, compared to $45 million for the 99 HBCUs in 2019. Between 2002 and 2019, foundation support for HBCUs declined by 30%, even before accounting for inflation.
“We were not surprised by the findings, as philanthropy generally funds black-led nonprofits disproportionately less than other peer organizations,” said Susan Taylor Batten, ABFE’s president and CEO. “However, we were surprised by the data that indicated the sheer magnitude of disparate funding between Ivy League colleges and HBCUs.”
Some study participants blamed systemic racism for the underfunding. Others said it was the result of limited connections between philanthropists and HBCU leaders.
In any case, the inequality is even more problematic, experts say, because HBCUs have proven so effective in educating black students.
According to UNCF, the largest private provider of scholarships and other educational support to black students, HBCUs represent 80% of black judges, 50% of black doctors, and 50% of black lawyers. Studies show that black HBCU graduates earn $900,000 more in their lifetime than black graduates from predominantly white institutions or black employees with no college degree.
Those arguments may have become more compelling in the racial reckoning that followed the 2020 police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Preliminary estimates showed a 453% increase in foundation funding to HBCUs that year.
That $249 million in donations does not include the $550 million that philanthropist MacKenzie Scott donated to 22 HBCUs that year, including $50 million to Prairie View A&M University in Texas.
Candid research director Grace Sato said the interest in HBCUs in 2020 allowed her organization to work on the research released Tuesday. Candid had been interested in researching donations to HBCUs for five years, but was unable to find a partner to help fund the work.
“I think understanding the context for the historic divestment sheds new light on this new funding and also raises the question of whether that new funding will be sustained or just a slump followed by declines,” she said. “Shining a light on the issue of underfunding is important and necessary.”
Batten said her nonprofit’s goal is to encourage philanthropic groups to spend their donations fairly. She hopes this report will convince foundations to examine their granting practices and consider increasing their donations to HBCUs.
“Philanthropy tends to fund organizations they know,” Batten said. “Philanthropy knows no HBCUs and has little knowledge of the importance of HBCUs in the education of black people and others. In addition, I believe philanthropy has a false sense that the quality of research and teaching is superior to (predominantly white institutions) compared to the quality of research and teaching at HBCUs.
_____
The Associated Press’ coverage of philanthropy and nonprofit organizations is supported by the AP’s partnership with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all AP philanthropic coverage, visit
(TagsToTranslate)Black People
