DALLAS — Every little bit counts. “I want to make sure that you all have taken the very first step to register to vote so that you can tap into your power,” said Stephanie Williams, Black Voters Matter Fund’s Senior State Organizing Manager as she spoke to students at Wiley University.
That power also includes the pockets. “We do this 365 days out the year,” said Williams.
Atlanta-based, Black Voters Matter Fund, has been working in 25 different states including in Texas. They are registering voters at Wiley University on their tour.
“We’re finding where our families are, and we’re tapping into their talents, getting them activated, and making sure that they’re getting out the vote,” said Williams.
Fundraising is also a part of that goal. Since its start, the Black Voters Matter Fund said they have donated more than $30M to organizations impacting change. Last year alone, they raised $900,000 to 75 groups in Texas. “We know we have to reinvest in our communities and ourselves in the people that are actually on the ground in the field, doing the work and we want them to grow capacity,” said Williams.
According to Lending Tree, about 26% of Americans plan to donate to political campaigns this year. It’s a 10% drop from 2023. When it comes to campaign donations in Black communities, the question is sometimes, ‘Are Blacks donating to campaigns as often as other races?”
“People want to act as if Black people aren't philanthropic. That is a lie. You go into Black churches all across this country, you bear witness to the power of Black philanthropy,” said Michael Sorrell, Paul Quinn President.
“What happens oftentimes is we’re asked to give money to people who don’t feel as if they are with us,” said Sorrell. “Let’s be clear. Early on, in Barack’s, President Obama’s campaign, people weren’t sure.”
When Vice President Kamala Harris announced her campaign for Presidency in July, phones went off sharing a Zoom meeting of more than 40,000 Black women. They raised more than $1.5M toward her campaign.
A Pew Research study shows before President Joe Biden withdrew from the race, 64% of Black voters leaned toward him. Just a month after Biden endorsed Harris, that percentage increased to 77% of Black voters leaning towards Harris while Black voters leaning towards Donald Trump has consistently remained at 13%.
“Representation matters. And that has been the catalyst for all of the donations that you're seeing by Black donors,” said Erika Barrera, Fundraising Consultant and Donor Advisor.
She explains that the head of fundraising in campaigns is, “the heartbeat of a campaign. You can't run ads. You cannot be on radio. You cannot drop a mail piece. You cannot pay staff to do the work of the campaign if you're not raising money,” said Barrera.
She said Blacks donating to campaigns is largely influenced by tradition. “We give. We create a culture of you got to tithe 10%. You’ve got to give to this. I don't think we've done a good job of creating a culture of giving,” said Barrera.
She also acknowledged financial disparities. “I'd be remiss if I didn't say there's a wealth gap, right? So, they can't donate at the same level, necessarily,” said Barrera.
According to Open Secrets which tracks political donations and spending, 58.71% of Harris’ donors are large contributors donating more than $200. For Trump’s campaign, 67.65% of donors are large contributors. When it comes to small contributors, 41.11% make up Harris’ donors while 37.73% make up Trump’s donors.
“A single mom is donating $5 to a campaign. It may even be more valuable and a stretch for her than it is for the multimillion-dollar CEO,” said Barrera.
Salem Institutional Baptist Church Pastor, Todd Atkins, said that stretch has to make sense to the voter. “I've seen particularly our senior population also who always have been very civic minded because they have seen the effects of it but very focused in giving,” said Atkins.
His father holds political office in Dallas. Over the years, Atkins has seen who tends to donate in larger amounts. “You see that from the Black business community. I think you see that in a very strategic and a very effective way,” said Atkins.
“Your dollars don't matter if you're not voting, and your vote doesn't matter if they don't have the campaign to money to win,” said Barrera.
That is why Barrera’s message is simple. “Whatever you can afford, give something,” said Barrera. “When people debate about whether they should give. If you’re not at the table, then you’re on the menu…Who holds the purse strings, has a lot of power.”
That power is what Black Voters Matter Fund is tapping into around the country. “When we see ourselves in the movement in politics, when we see ourselves in campaigns when we see the policies that are making a difference, then that's the motivation for us to take what we have our means and resources, and really be able to donate that to the work that's going make a real difference for all of us,” said Williams. That is the price tag of political power.