Support Us

Every contribution drives real change – supporting research, capacity building, partnerships, and communications that help Black families thrive

Your investment helps transform data into action to support the well-being and flourishing of Black families.

Investment Opportunities

Surveying & Research

Designing and implementing survey and research that highlight the experiences and strengths of Black families across the country.

Capacity Building & Mobilization

Translating research into actions that mobilize communities in support of Black families.

Partnership

Collaborating with individuals and organizations to promote research, practices, and policies that support Black families.

Communications

Connecting with key stakeholders to ensure the diversity of Black families is accurately reflected in media, publications, programs, and policies.

Your investment matters because…

Black families are often portrayed in research as homogeneous, which results in a lack of understanding about and appreciation of the diversity of Black families in research, policies, and programming efforts that affect Black families.

Black scholars have been committed to engaging in research focused on Black families for centuries, yet their work is continuously devalued, underfunded, and underutilized despite its rigor and holistic and nuanced portrayals of Black families.

The foundation of family-focused social policy and programming in the U.S. has been designed based on an outsized influence and acceptance of research conducted by White scholars on Black people. This research has been grounded in philosophies, frameworks, data collection, and analyses strategies that do not account for historical or other contextual issues relevant to Black families.

The current media landscape is shaped by inaccurate and negative depictions of Black families including the repetition of debunked myths about Black families.

The National Center for Responsive Philanthropy has found that community foundation funding only makes up 1 percent of combined funding to Black communities across the nation, resulting in an underfunding of “$2 billion to Black communities” annually.

Investments in Black people, families, and communities results in tangible benefits for Black families and the entire nation.

“We wanted to collaborate with the Black Families Flourishing Project because their work speaks to the heart of who we are as a church. Being rooted in a Black community, we care deeply about the lives and futures of our neighbors. While we’re called to meet spiritual needs, we also know it’s essential to understand the practical challenges families face. BFF gives us valuable insight that helps us love our neighbors well—spiritually and practically—and that’s exactly the kind of partnership we believe in.”
— Hanna Baker, Deaconess Of Community Development Anacostia River Church, Washington, DC
“In King County, we know that when Black families in our communities thrive, we all thrive. The Black Families Flourishing Project gathers in one spot decades of research to help us understand the conditions impacting Black families and the actions we can take as a local government to support their well-being. Having this evidence base at our fingertips ensures we have the most advanced knowledge to inform our work, and the predominantly Black-led team at BFF and the values they bring to the research ensures that it is culturally relevant and actionable. ”
— Carrie S. Cihak, King County, Evidence & Impact Officer (former as of January 2026)
“The Black Families Flourishing Project is a vital research initiative for those dedicated to supporting the growth and success of Black families and children. In light of the persistent deficit narratives surrounding Black families andtheir diverse communities, it is crucial to produce research and data that offer culturally relevant, factual, and actionable insights for anyone seeking to enhance the well-being of Black diasporic families in the U.S.”
— Dr. Iheoma U. Iruka, Professor Department of Maternal and Child Health, Gillings School of Global Public Health and Founding Director, Equity Research Action Coalition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
“Black Families Flourishing provides curated resources and data that challenge deficit-based frameworks about Black families and instead centers resilience, cultural strengths, and systemic contexts. The teams’ work is invaluable for researchers, educators, and those in the social sciences because it broadens theoretical and empirical approaches to family studies, moving beyond narrow or stereotypical representationsof Black families.”
— Dr. TaVshea Smith, Assistant Professor, Curriculum and Instruction North Carolina Central University
“The Black Families Flourishing Project’s work is so significant, given the most recent assault on anti-racism initiatives in the U.S. What is of paramount importance is the project’s aim of painting rich and nuanced empirical portraits of Black people’s THRIVING through the team’s rigorous, multidisciplinary research approach.”
— Dr. Mark (Akira) Nagasawa, Director | Straus Center for Young Children & Families Bank Street College of Education
“NBCDI’s — National Black Child Development Institute — work has always centered the wellbeing of Black children through the strength and leadership of their families. The Black Families Flourishing Project advances this shared commitment by offering community-rooted insight that helps researchers, policymakers, and practitioners build systems where Black children and their families can truly thrive.”
— Dr. Leah Austin, President and CEO National Black Child Development Institute