Women of Color Give
Donor Advised Fund
Women of Color GIVE (WOC) is a philanthropy collective bringing together women of diverse cultural backgrounds to share common space, connect, and leverage resources that support each other and the causes that matter to them. Studies show women of color are grossly underrepresented in philanthropy circles, yet their lived experiences with racism, and unique insights into diverse aspects of our community, position them to have acute knowledge of the programs and initiatives that could make the biggest difference. Women of Color GIVE is helping to change the charitable giving landscape by adding diverse voices to the formal philanthropy narrative and addressing the gaps.
Co-founder, Yah-Hanna Jenkins Leys, moved to West Michigan in 2013. Originally from the Caribbean, she was instilled with the value of generosity early on. But generosity in her culture looked very different from the one that was often demonstrated here. Additionally, she had a growing frustration with how women of color were treated in philanthropic spaces — not as philanthropists as many are, but as recipients of goodwill. Alongside these perceptions was the reality that organizations and movements led by Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color (BIPOC), as well as girls of color, often receive a disproportionately small portion of the philanthropic pie.
Four years later, she shared these frustrations and more with her friend and colleague Robyn Afrik. Robyn was adopted from Seoul, Korea at a very young age into a white, Dutch, Christian Reformed family living in Holland. She was one of few women of color growing up in a predominantly white community, and learned to understand generosity from her first family. Her family was by no means considered philanthropists, but when they did give their funds often went to people and communities of color: missions overseas, missions in the city, or relief aid. These gifts shaped Robyn, who felt a pull to represent women of color and grow in her leadership both at work and in the community. Robyn is currently the first director of diversity, equity and inclusion for Ottawa County. “DEI work found me and a majority of it came from the fact that I didn’t have access to resources or people in my life to help guide me in understanding what DEI meant and why it should matter for someone like me,” said Robyn. “It wasn’t until later in life that I realized what diversity and inclusion really was and how crucial it is to a thriving community.”
Together, Yah-Hanna and Robyn began to envision a space where women of color could collectively give to a fund, strategize ways to create impact in the community, and grow with each other.
Robyn knew the perfect addition to help launch the collective — Lucia Rios. A Holland native, Lucia was born into a Mexican family and diagnosed with spina bifida as a child. “My physical condition was the focus for me growing up, but when I went to college, I began to immerse myself in learning about different cultures, including my own,” said Lucia. After college, Lucia worked as a disability advocate for 15 years. “When I came back to my hometown, I felt that a lot of times people would only see my physical disability, so I longed for spaces with other women of color.” Lucia understood the importance of accepting and understanding all of your identities, so when Robyn approached her about the idea of a philanthropy circle created for women of color, she was immediately interested.
After a year spent developing a plan and a model, the trio quickly recruited other women who embraced the cause and together created Women of Color GIVE. The decision was made to partner with the Community Foundation to ensure the sustainability of the fund. “If we were to leave tomorrow, there’s still a fund and new leadership that will take over,” said Yah-Hanna. “By having this fund at the Community Foundation, we know it will live beyond our lifetimes and will be something the next generation will take over.”
Women of Color GIVE currently has a mailing list of over 50 participants who meet monthly and pledge to donate at least $75 to the donor advised fund each quarter. Investors and anyone else who does not identify as a woman of color are also given opportunities to support the cause. Every other month, social events are held to create intentional spaces for members to connect with one another. Once a year, Women of Color GIVE will distribute a portion of the funds to a nonprofit organization whose mission and values align with the collective. “We’re challenging systems that first challenged us, by creating a space for women of color to have a voice in philanthropy,” said Robyn. “Beyond the giving aspect, we’re creating a kind of support group for women of color to uplift each other and say we’re here, we matter, and we have ideas.
Originally featured in the Community Foundation’s 2019 Annual Report. While this was written by Women of Color Give member Lina Pierson in 2020, we believe that stories of generosity are timeless and always relevant.
To learn more about Donor Advised Funds, visit http://cfhz.org/DAF.
