Black Lives Matter Foundation Fundraised $90 Million in 2020 As It Expanded Its Reach
The Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, the organization named for the social justice movement, raised more than $90 million in 2020 and gave roughly a quarter of that to local Black Lives Matter chapters and affiliated organizations, according to its impact report.
The document says the group's fundraising broke records with average donations amounting to $30.64 with more than 10 percent recurring. Much of BLM's growth comes from the attention paid in 2020 to police violence against Black people as the heavy focus was placed on the deaths of people like George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Rayshard Brooks, and many others massive demonstrations resulted.
“We want to show folks that we have a voice here and that our voice carries weight,” the foundation wrote in the report.
The group is beginning to show how far its reach can travel. According to the report, using its email list of 1.9 million people, the group sent a single email and raised more than $82,000 for six local grassroots organizations.
With the use of social media, BLM has created broad awareness of the Black human rights struggle. Its Instagram following is now at 4.3 million, Twitter at 1 million, and Facebook at 750,000. It also launched a digital ad campaign on multiple platforms that had more than 51 million total impressions -- or the number of times a user sees an ad.
As the movement and the organization grow, its leadership says it will remain focused on political action, working for realistic answers to police violence. This includes the prosecution of officers responsible for Black people's deaths, legislative advocacy like divesting funds from policing systems, and reimagining public safety. The group says it will push for the BREATHE Act's federal passage, which could facilitate these things.
“We want to uplift Black joy and liberation, not just Black death,” the organization wrote. “We want to see Black communities thriving, not just surviving. These realities were not achieved in 2020, nor will they be achieved in the next year. We know systemic change takes time, so we’re in it for the long haul.”
