The document provides an overview of charitable giving patterns among African Americans in Kansas City based on a study conducted by the Black Community Fund. Some key findings include: - Volunteerism is strongly linked to monetary donations, with those who volunteer more likely to donate to that organization. - Donations are primarily given to churches, alma maters, and youth/social services. Higher income donors above $2,500 annually are more likely to budget donations. - Nonprofits should demonstrate outcomes and transparency to attract donors, explicitly showing community benefits, especially when messaging men. - Social media, volunteers' networks, and websites are the most effective ways for nonprofits to create awareness and inspire giving among

1. An Overview of African-American Charitable Giving
in Kansas City
Spring 2016

3. An Overview of African-American Charitable Giving
in Kansas City
Spring 2016
Introduction
The Black Community Fund (BCF), an affiliate of the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation,
was established by the Hall Family Foundation in 1983. Its mission is to provide support to
enhance socio-economic aspects of the African-American community in the Greater Kansas City
metropolitan area.
Black Community Fund has awarded more than $4 million to over 180 nonprofit organizations
addressing critical community needs. In 2010, with a focus on systemic change that can only be
realized through educational access and opportunity, Black Community Fund launched an
academic scholarship program that is sustained through annual individual giving and corporate and
foundation support.
It is commonplace for the Black Community Fund to participate in national forums on critical needs
and charitable giving, and to respond to national inquiries on Black philanthropy. However, it was
the frequent inquiries from local nonprofits and individual members of the Kansas City community
at-large, seeking to understand charitable motivations and volunteerism in the Black community,
which prompted the Black Community Fund Board of Directors to embark on an attitudinal study
on giving in Kansas City’s African-American community.
The Black Community Fund Board engaged the Kansas City-based, data-research firm, Proof
Positioning, to conduct the study in December 2015. A number of population-specific databases
were accessed for this study. However, the Black Community Fund Board extends a special
“Thank you” to the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) for disseminating the survey to its
database of more 2,000 African-American alumni living and working in the Kansas City region.
The study captured 23 data breaks including age, ethnicity, household income, highest level of
education, job position, frequency and patterns of volunteerism and charitable giving, relationship
to the organization receiving volunteer support, and time contributed in volunteerism. A variety
of questions were posed with the intent to capture the charitable donation tendencies or habits of
respondents, as well as how respondents like to learn about charitable organizations and volunteer
opportunities. The following overview synthesizes the information into essential take-aways.
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4. Our intention is that this overview is used to facilitate communication amongst African-Americans in
Kansas City seeking to become more strategic and thus more impactful in their giving. It is also the
Board’s hope that this overview might provide some insight to nonprofits as to how they might
approach diversifying their donor and volunteer base to engage African-Americans in meaningful
and sustained philanthropy.
This overview will address:
1) Volunteerism and its place in helping create charitable contributions.
2) Where, how and to what extent members of the African-American community are
currently making charitable donations.
3) The value proposition and messaging nonprofits must communicate to convert
potential donors into active donors.
4) The mediums nonprofits can use to most effectively drive awareness, educate its
potential audience and motivate members of the Black community to donate.
When considering the outcomes of this study, it is important to note the following regarding the
respondents:
• Education: Skewed towards individuals with high levels of formal education (94% have
a college degree or more; 61.6% have a graduate’s degree).
• Gender: Female (77.8%) and Male (23%).
• Age: 18 to 74 years old with most responses received from the 35-64 age group.
• Income range: Between $0 to $200,000+/year with the majority of respondents
earning between $25,000—$99,000/year.
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5. Volunteerism and its place in helping inspire charitable contributions.
KEY TAKE-AWAY: People who volunteer are more likely to make monetary contributions to the organization for
which they volunteer. Through volunteerism, trust in the organization’s operations is engendered. Those who
decline to volunteer will require convincing in the form of high transparency, clear communication and data with
regard to outcomes and financial stewardship before donating.
Percentage of respondents who report
some level of
volunteerism
Volunteerism is most likely to occur through...
Church
programming
Alma maters Youth-related orgs
These respondents rated “Improves the quality of my local
community” as being most important when considering
making a charitable donation. This group also reported
making monetary contributions to the organizations where
they volunteer with higher frequency than those who
reported giving little to no volunteer time.
The focus on “local community” also held true for those
who reported only volunteering time.
CAUTION: Do not discount the 38% who report not volunteering. They are still
charitable and they are paying attention. Respondents who reported no
volunteerism rated the “Organization’s reputation” including, “The outcomes
it has achieved” as most important when considering making a donation.
This group also valued “Transparency about administrative and programmatic
costs” more often than their volunteering counterparts.
Concept % Total
To give back or serve community 49%
An interest or belief in charity 11%
To work with youth 10%
My faith 7%
Key relationships 7%
A workplace request 6%
To work with minority groups 4%
Someone asked 4%
It is expected of me 4%
I have a history of volunteerism 4%
Networking opportunities 3%
Q: What made you start volunteering?
Volunteering for an
organization is the primary
catalyst for transitioning to
active donor—followed by a
referral from a friend.
Section 1
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6. • Budget for their charitable giving
• Will consider making spontaneous
donations
• Are more likely to attend events
Where, how and to what extent members of the African-American
community are currently making charitable donations.
KEY TAKE-AWAY: People who donate $2,500/year or more are more likely to budget for their
charitable giving (96.6%). These donations largely go to religious institutions, alma maters, and youth and
social service organizations. Both sets of respondents (donating more than $2,500 or less than $500/year)
are open to spontaneous giving and also support charitable events.
Two distinct giving tendencies emerged
among those who give:
A majority (61%)
of respondents do
budget for their
charitable giving.
An overwhelming majority
of respondents (81.2%)
will make spontaneous
contributions throughout
the year.
• Less likely to budget their giving
• More spontaneous with donations
• Enjoy charitable events for social
purposes
Churches are where an
overwhelming majority
of African-Americans
make their budgeted
donations (84% of
respondents).
Church and youth-serving
agencies are the only
organizations where
respondents were
consistent about making
annual contributions.
About half of respondents make monetary contributions to organizations
that help meet the needs of the African-American community (67.3%
give some form of monetary/time commitment to these organizations).
An overwhelming majority (66.3%) purchase tickets to events in support
of charitable organizations. Formal (i.e. black-tie; gala) and family-
oriented (i.e. carnivals/fairs) emerged as most frequented.
Q: In which interest areas do you
typically budget your giving?
Church or Religion 84%
Social Service 50%
Youth 47%
Alma Mater 35%
Civil Rights 27%
Arts & Culture 27%
Health 24%
K-12 Education 21%
Politics 19%
Special Needs 15%
Disaster Relief 13%
Neighborhood 11%
Athletics 8%
Environment 5%
Animal Health 3%
% of Overall Respondents
(out of 62)
of respondents
give charitably
on an annual basis
Section 2
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7. WOMEN: React to
appeals with impact
beyond their immediate
community; more
concerned with seeing
the outcomes an
organization can produce
Organization’s reputation and outcomes
Improves the quality of life in my local community
Meets the needs of the African-American community
Most important
concepts when
considering making a
charitable donation
Age most likely to make donations
MEN: React to appeals
directed within their
immediate community;
rating the needs of the
African-American
community as the most
important factor
Those with a religious affiliation are likely to give at
higher dollar amounts.
Those who budget for their giving (largely driven by
those who donate more than $2,500/year) greatly
valued the importance of an organization helping to fulfill
their religious duty.
People with income levels $50,000 and under greatly
valued the concept of “Improves the quality of life in
my local community.”
People with income levels at or above $75,000 more
often valued the statement “Fulfills my religious duty.”
More passionate about every concept
tested than those in younger age ranges
The value proposition/messaging the nonprofits must communicate to
convert potential donors into donors.
Concept
Overall
Average
Organization's reputation including the
outcomes it has achieved
8.91
Improves the quality of life in my local
community
8.89
Meets the needs of the African-
American community
8.75
Sustains or improves the quality of a
program that I or someone I know has
actively been a part of
8.21
Organization provides transparency
about administrative and programmatic
costs
7.92
Fulfills my religious duty 7.53
Addresses a global concern/issue in my
area of interest
6.22
Receiving a tax deduction 5.66
The organization acknowledges the
contributions I have made
4.81
The contribution is important to my
social and/or professional networks
4.67
Q: How important are each of the following
to you when making a donation?
(1=Not Important, 10=Very Important)
KEY TAKE-AWAY: The most effective way for a nonprofit to attract African-American donors is to
demonstrate outcomes, and be transparent about how dollars are spent. If the effort benefits individuals in the
local African-American community, be clear and explicit about how, especially when talking to men.
Section 3
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8. The mediums nonprofits can use to most effectively drive awareness and
motivate members of the Black community to donate.
KEY TAKE-AWAY: Social media and tapping the social networks of existing volunteers and current
donors are the most effective ways to expand awareness, deliver education and ultimately inspire giving.
Optimizing searchable online content on a website can help drive education about the organization.
However, ensure that the on-line donation platform is easy to navigate. Also, the user must have
confidence that the platform is highly secure.
Respondents indicated that social
media and word of mouth are the
most important referral channels to
create awareness for charitable
organizations.
• Once made aware, users want to
educate themselves about the
organization through research, social
media and the organization’s website
Facebook and LinkedIn are
the most used social
media platforms
among those
surveyed.
Three most popular mediums for making DONATIONS:
Q: What is the one source you prefer
most for making you aware of
charitable organizations?
Social Media
Friend’s Referral
Word of Mouth
News Broadcast
Charity’s Website
Radio Ad
Television Ad
Online Search
News Website
Blog
26%
25%
17%
9%
6%
6%
3%
3%
3%
2%
Section 4
Organization’s
website
In person Through the mail
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9. SECTION 1
Volunteerism and its place in helping inspire charitable contributions.
People who volunteer are more likely to make monetary contributions to the organization
for which they volunteer. Through volunteerism, trust in the organization’s operations is
engendered. Those who decline to volunteer will require convincing in the form of high
transparency, clear communication and data with regard to outcomes and financial
stewardship before donating.
SECTION 2
Where, how and to what extent members of the African-American community
are currently making charitable donations.
People who donate $2,500/year or more are more likely to budget for their charitable giving
(96.6%). These donations largely go to religious institutions, alma maters, and youth and
social service organizations. Both sets of respondents (donating more than $2,500 or less
than $500/year) are open to spontaneous giving and also support charitable events.
SECTION 3
The value proposition/messaging the nonprofits must communicate to
convert potential donors into donors.
The most effective way for a nonprofit to attract African-American donors is to demonstrate
outcomes, and be transparent about how dollars are spent. If the effort benefits individuals
in the local African-American community, be clear and explicit about how, especially when
talking to men.
SECTION 4
The mediums nonprofits can use to most effectively drive awareness and
motivate members of the Black community to donate.
Social media and tapping the social networks of existing volunteers and current donors are
the most effective ways to expand awareness, deliver education and ultimately inspire
giving. Optimizing searchable online content on a website can help drive education about
the organization. However, ensure that the on-line donation platform is easy to navigate.
Also, the user must have confidence that the platform is highly secure.
KEY TAKE-AWAYS
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10. Thank you for taking a moment to become familiar with the philanthropic highlights offered in
the Black Community Fund’s Giving Black – Kansas City 2016 summary. To close, we
offer these following observations about philanthropy in Kansas City.
The data speaks, and there is indeed “disposable” income within Kansas City’s African-
American communities. And yes, we said, “African-American communities.”
In everyday discussions referencing African-American demographics, it is not uncommon to
hear and use the phrase, “In the African-American community...” However, the data in Giving
Black - Kansas City 2016 suggests that “communities” may be a more accurate representation.
There exists a melting pot of dynamics and idiosyncrasies supporting the concept that there
are multiple demographics among Kansas City’s African-American populations holding distinct
attitudes, characteristics, interests and goals, unto themselves. We are making the leap that
other cities would find this also.
While traditions of any culture will have degrees of stability that draw us to make
generalizations, the Black Community Fund implores you, for the sake of your fundraising
efforts, to resist the impulse and to adjust your outlook on this narrative.
Without knowing with which community (or communities) your African-American prospect most
aligns, it will do much more for your donor cultivation to approach each prospective donor as
unique and worthy of the investment of time to learn their interests. In turn, he or she will
become more knowledgeable about yours.
Organizations budget to strategically attend social events and activities where there is a degree
of confidence about making potentially meaningful funding connections. For the same reasons,
your organization would benefit by being deliberate about budgeting to participate in activities
and events hosted by and within Kansas City’s African-American communities.
Finally, the growing number of population-focused giving circles, such as the Sisters’ Circle
Fund, Vision Impact Power Fund, and Sisters-in-Law Fund, suggests African-Americans in
Kansas City are becoming increasingly organized and strategic as they seek to make
meaningful impact through their charitable giving.
The organization of Circles in Kansas City organically and authentically co-mingles and unifies
the diversity of Kansas City’s African-American communities. Also, they are increasingly
becoming vehicles through which African-Americans in Kansas City seem to be finding
information about needs in the communities that are important to them. This includes which
organizations are meeting these needs. The fellowship of the Circles fuels social fulfillment and
the networking it offers is a viable means of business and professional development for its
members. Nonprofits will need to make their impact on African-American communities known
to the individuals that comprise these growing Circle memberships.
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12. 1055 Broadway, Suite 130 | Kansas City, MO 64105
816.268.3296 | blackcommunityfund.org
blackcommunityfund@growyourgiving.org
/BCFKansasCity
@BlackCommFundKC
Black Community Fund