Hip Hop, Nonprofits, and Black Community Fundraising in New York City
Chapter Leadership Brief 08.11.2023
The Association of Fundraising Professionals New York City Chapter proudly presents an engaging organic conversation, highlighting the intersectionality of three major milestones in Black community fundraising occurring this August 2023: Black Philanthropy Month, the 50th Year of Hip Hop (Friday, August 11th), and National Nonprofit Day (Thursday, August 17th).
Chevelle Dixon, Founder and Managing Director of Pan-African Solutions Consulting LLC, moderated an engaging organic conversation with Dr. Meisha Porter, President and CEO of the Bronx Community Foundation, and with Dr. Jocelynne Rainey, President and CEO of the Brooklyn Community Foundation.
All expressed their love for their respective Bronx and Brooklyn communities and Hip Hop, and how they exercise this "Love In Action" through leading their organizations to fill funding priorities and gaps in New York City individually and collaboratively. They conclude with calls to action in support of Black community fundraising.
Dr. Meisha Porter is The Bronx Community Foundation’s inaugural President and CEO. Through her work at The Bronx Community Foundation she leads the efforts to support and invest in community power to eradicate inequity and build sustainable futures for all Bronxites. Dr. Porter previously held the position of Chancellor of the New York City Department of Education, the first Black woman in this role. Dr. Porter has deep roots in the Bronx having started her career as a youth organizer which ultimately led to the creation of The Bronx School for Law, Government and Justice (LGJ), the first Urban Assembly school. Dr. Porter holds a B.A. in English with a concentration in Cross Cultural Literature from Hunter College, a M.A. in Educational Leadership from Mercy College and an Ed.D from Fordham University. Dr. Porter sits on the boards of the Municipal Credit Union, The Urban Assembly, New Visions for Public Schools and BuildOn.
Dr. Jocelynne Rainey, Ed.D. is the President and CEO of The Brooklyn Community Foundation. In this role she oversees and develops strategic initiatives, innovative programs, and community-centered philanthropic services that embody the Foundation’s deep commitment to racial justice while furthering its mission to spark lasting social change for a fair and just Brooklyn. A graduate of Southern Connecticut State University, Dr. Rainey holds a master’s in administration from Metropolitan College and a doctorate in Leadership from St. John Fisher College. Dr. Rainey is a member of the New York City Workforce Development Board, and a trustee of both the New York College of Technology Foundation Board and the Mark Morris Dance Group Board. Dr. Rainey is the recipient of several prestigious honors, including being named one of The Network Journal’s 25 Influential Black Women in Business in 2016 and one of Crain’s Notable Black Leaders and Executives in 2021 and 2023.
Chevelle Dixon is the Founder and Managing Director of Pan-African Solutions Consulting LLC, a strategic planning consulting services firm that assists Black Diaspora-focused nonprofit organizations, philanthropic donors, and government agencies with cooperative economic development in Africa, the Caribbean, and urban communities in the United States. Established in 2013, the firm gained Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (MWBE) certification with New York City in 2020 and with New York State in 2023. Chevelle hails from Brooklyn, New York and firmly believes in the power of Black Diaspora cooperation to uplift marginalized communities through education and economic development. She graduated from NYU with a Master of Urban Planning and International Development, and from Harvard University with a joint A.B. in Economics and African Studies.