History

On June 8, 2006, a committee of the African American Community Foundation, which is affiliated with Foundation For The Carolinas, hosted a gathering at The Wadsworth Estate in Charlotte, North Carolina. The meeting was held in collaboration with community organizers Darryl Lester and Athan Lindsay, under a Ford Foundation-funded initiative to engage Black donors across the American South.

In a room full of 60 people convened to generate ideas and momentum, a group of Charlotteans embarked on what would become the creation of New Generation of African American Philanthropists.

For short, we go by NGAAP (pronounced: en•gap). Our name is an homage to a giving circle established earlier by Lester and Lindsay in Raleigh, NC, named Next Generation of African American Philanthropists. While our circles share the same acronym, the names are differentiated by the adjectives “Next” (in Raleigh) and “New”( in Charlotte).

In Charlotte and beyond, NGAAP is reclaiming the root meaning of philanthropy, love of humanity, through collective giving and strategic action to benefit the community. NGAAP members work together to make grants, connect and convene people and organizations, and advance ideas through thought leadership.

Grounded in Black history and culture, NGAAP explores innovative as well as time-honored ways of giving. Our philanthropy encompasses gifts of not only treasure, but also time, talent, the truth of our testimonies and the ties that bind us to strengthen the greater Black community.

NGAAP has earned a national and global reputation in philanthropy with our pathbreaking work, which includes:

Publishing the award-winning book Giving Back, which reframes portraits of philanthropy
Collaborating with HBCU, Johnson C. Smith, to launch The Soul of Philanthropy, the touring museum exhibit where you “come to see philanthropy differently”
Co-sponsoring and leading the development of Black Philanthropy Month, which was founded by Dr. Jacqueline Copeland
Launching The Bold Project, an initiative for Black organizations leading differently
Influencing the creation of philanthropic collectives in cities across the country

After 15 years, NGAAP continues to evolve as a philanthropic collective. Noting our accomplishments and maturation, researchers place NGAAP among the powerful new wave of Giving Circles 2.0 that are disrupting conventional philanthropy.

With a tight yet ever-expanding family of members, deeper knowledge and broader connections, NGAAP is taking on more risks as a funder and civic leader. Join us. Learn with us. Lead change with us!

NGAAP’s charitable fund is hosted by Foundation For The Carolinas (FFTC).

17 Founding Members of NGAAP-Charlotte

Our giving circle began with 17 members as well as numerous friends of the circle. Over nearly 15 years, it has grown steadily to include over 40 members and a growing number of supporters that we refer to as friends of our circle.