Client News 

“Black people everywhere answered the call and made our voices heard…In 2024, we are coming for ours.”

Launched by Black Futures Lab in the wake of the 2016 election, the Black Census Project has grown into the largest survey of Black people in the U.S. of all time — reaching more than 200,000 Black voters from every state in the country. Black Futures Lab will use the results to develop a Black political agenda centered on what matters to us to fight for what we need and deserve. Learn more about the data collected and what comes next for the Black Census Project at Essence.

A new poll conducted by the National AAPI Power Fund found that 60 percent of likely voters in eight battleground states and California said that they believe that political leaders’ rhetoric on China is responsible for the increase in AAPI hate. Executive Director EunSook Lee pointed out the electoral implications for politicians stoking anti-Asian hate and violence:  “Our research shows that voters across the board, including AAPI voters, see through the scapegoating. AAPI voters are critical to winning a multi-racial path to democracy; they are tired of being scapegoated and are weary of Republican political extremism.” More on the poll at The Hill and NBC Asian America.

Transforming California begins and ends with people power. This is what compelled The California Endowment to create a $300 million Social Bond in 2021 in response to the devastation of the COVID-19 and the racial justice uprisings in 2020. The infusion of resources goes beyond conventional grantmaking to invest in innovative, long-term solutions throughout California, and to center organizing as the pathway to transformative systems change. Learn more at the Chronicle of Philanthropy.

The East Bay Community Foundation is hiring for a Vice President of Marketing and Communications to help shape the Foundation’s narrative, brand, and culture and amplify grantees’ collective impact. EBCF is at a pivotal moment in its history, redefining its role to fuel the intersecting economic and racial movements as it prepares to celebrate its centennial anniversary. For more information or to apply, visit: www.ebcf.org/job/vice-president-of-marketing-communications/

Change in the News

Change Consulting has partnered with changemakers for over 15 years to amplify their voices and drive transformative change. This has only been possible because of the leadership, dedication, and brilliance of our CEO Bilen Mesfin Packwood. For those of you who don’t know Bilen, her path to entrepreneurship was an unexpected one. She transitioned from an early career in journalism to advocacy-driven work and ultimately built a team of 13 dedicated communications experts working toward the same goals. Bilen recently spoke with Nasdaq’s blog about the most meaningful impact Change’s work has had, her path to becoming an entrepreneur, and what comes next for the work. Read the full interview: https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/how-bilen-mesfin-packwood-is-championing-racial-justice-through-strategic-communications