Giving Gap Website

With more corporate allies and individuals joining the call for racial justice than ever before, it should be a watershed moment for Black nonprofits. But of the $450 billion donated annually in America, still only a fraction goes to Black-founded organizations. What’s more, on the most recent list of America’s largest charities compiled by Fortune, none on the list are Black-led.

Giving Gap is a brand and digital product that’s changing that.

In mid-2020, what started as a simple, crowdsourced spreadsheet to answer the question of where to donate, quickly went viral over email and on Instagram. Then, the new organization — co-founded by two Black female entrepreneurs and leaders in the philanthropy space: Christina Lewis, founder and president of All Star Code, and Stephanie Ellis-Smith, owner of philanthropic advisory firm Phila Engaged Giving, as well as Dr. David Setiadi, an entrepreneur and CTO of @Point of Care— enlisted Work & Co to turn their idea into an online database and website.

One of the top challenges preventing Black-founded nonprofits from receiving as much money as other charities is awareness. Another is the assumption that these nonprofits are narrow in their missions. That’s why Giving Gap is organized across dozens of verticals like Arts & Culture, Health, Athletics, Environment, Education, Civil Rights, LGBTQIA+, and Criminal Justice.

Giving Gap exists to elevate all Black organizations in America and create an easy-to-use, comprehensive resource to support Giving Black. By channeling more capital into Black organizations’ hands, it creates domino effects for donors, benefactors, and their communities.