ASCEND:BLO raised $5.9M, made grants to more than 41 grantee partners, and supported a network of more than 350 Bay Area BLOs.
EBCF launched ASCEND: BLO in 2018 to uplift and resource Black-led organizations in the Bay Area. Since its founding, the program has grown to become a crucial connector, convener, and model for intentional investment in the Bay Area. Read a note from our President & CEO Brandi Howard and ASCEND: BLO Program Associate Julius Crowe Hampton sharing some key insights from seven years of the program, as well as the full lookback report.
When the East Bay Community Foundation first set out to listen — really listen — to Black-led organizations across six counties in 2018, what we heard was both a charge and a call to action. These organizations were doing transformative work in their communities, often with inadequate resources, insufficient support, and without the recognition they deserved. What they told us didn’t just shape ASCEND:BLO. It changed us.
At a time when focused investment in these organizations was not yet the prevailing conversation in philanthropy, we stepped out boldly and unapologetically to launch ASCEND:BLO. What we knew then, and what seven years of experience only reinforced, is that investing in organizations that serve Black communities is not a niche commitment. It is a blueprint for how the philanthropic sector should show up.
So much has changed in our communities and our country, especially since 2020. ASCEND:BLO has adapted at every turn, expanding its focus and deepening its investment in the connection, wellness, and sustainability of leaders and their organizations. These additions strengthened existing cohorts that received support to accelerate and stabilize BLOs and access community resources.
Over seven years, ASCEND:BLO grew from five to sixteen funder partners, raised $5.9M, made grants to more than 41 grantee partners, and supported a network of more than 350 Bay Area BLOs. EBCF also maintains a robust directory connecting Bay Area Black-led organizations.
The lessons embedded in this work now inform everything we do at EBCF. Trust, responsiveness, long-term commitment, and investment in the whole leader are not principles unique to ASCEND:BLO. They are principles for the field.
“ASCEND:BLO was born from listening — and from the courage to act on what we heard. Black-led organizations told us they were doing extraordinary work without the resources, trust, or long-term commitment they deserved,” said Julius Crowe Hampton, ASCEND: BLO Program Associate. “Seven years later, this program has moved dollars, as well as the way we think about community-led philanthropy.”
As we take this moment of reflection, we do so with clear eyes and firm resolve. Our commitment to Black communities is not contingent on the political moment. It is foundational to who we are. We have a responsibility to deepen our partnerships, move resources with intention, and ensure resilience and longevity for Bay Area’s ecosystem of Black-led community organizations — not just for today, but for generations to come.
Read our report to learn more about this innovative program.
