Support the Fearless Fund’s Right to Give
California Black Freedom Fund (CBFF) has joined our peers in philanthropy, Council on Foundations, and Independent Sector, in pushing back against the lawsuit against the Fearless Fund, an organization led by Black women that helps combat underfunding in venture capital by providing grants, tools, and mentorship to women of color. We know this lawsuit is part of a broader coordinated attack on progress towards racial justice that is decidedly anti-Black and a backlash to the racial reckoning of 2020.
The American Alliance for Equal Rights (AAER) has sued the foundation, claiming that its grant program for Black female entrepreneurs is racially discriminatory. In the brief, the Council and Independent Sector call on the court to dismiss this lawsuit and rule in line with the First Amendment that philanthropies and individuals have a constitutional right to donate to charitable causes that align with their values, including efforts to support historically marginalized groups.
CBFF invites our fellow philanthropic and nonprofit organizations to join us in signing a sector-wide statement supporting the right for individuals and philanthropies to give in line with their values.