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After the death of George Floyd, an African American, in 2020, the Black Lives Matter Global Foundation reported that it raised more than $90 million in donations. While it was a record year, it raises questions like where the donated money actually goes. This guide covers how to start a black lives matter fundraiser, whether you are an organization or an individual supporting the cause globally.
What Does Fundraising for Black Lives Matter Actually Mean?
"Black Lives Matter fundraising" usually means raising money to support the goals of the wider Black Lives Matter movement: racial justice, police accountability, criminal justice reform, and Black liberation more broadly. It doesn't automatically mean donating to any single group.
There is also an organization, Black Lives Matter Global Foundation, a US nonprofit that only focuses on black people across the globe to thrive, removing their struggles. While both the movement and the organization share the same goal, covering funds for the same cause by an organization or an individual is a very different scenario.
The BLM Global Network Foundation: What Donors and Fundraisers Need to Know
BLMGNF is the US nonprofit most closely tied to the Black Lives Matter name, and it has a well-documented financial history that's worth understanding before you fundraise in its name specifically. As we previously mentioned in 2020, BLMGNF raised more than $90 million, with individual donations through its main platform averaging around $30. For the fiscal year ending June 2022, the foundation reported just $9.3 million in contributions, down roughly $67 million from the previous year.
In 2024, BLMGNF sued its former fiscal sponsor, the Tides Foundation, alleging that Tides had withheld $33.4 million in donations meant for BLM-related work. Later on, Tides denied the allegations, and in March 2026, BLMGNF voluntarily dismissed the lawsuit. (Source)
The fact that we know all these details means that the foundation's finances have always been public for a nonprofit of its size. This is exactly why many people support the organization.
Which Organizations Should You Fundraise to Support Black Lives Matter Causes?
The UK and Europe have several well-established organizations working directly on racial justice, police accountability, and Black liberation, each publishing its own financials rather than relying on one national foundation's.
Organization | Focus | Region | Accepts Fundraising |
Systemic racism, Black British community rights, access to justice | UK | Yes, registered charity | |
Race equality research and policy - running since 1968 | UK | Yes | |
Free mental health support for Black communities | UK | Yes | |
Deaths in state custody: support for affected families | UK | Yes | |
Anti-racism education through football | UK | Yes | |
Anti-racism campaigning and community action | UK | Yes | |
Structural racism, EU-level policy work | EU | Yes, Empowerment and Resilience Fund | |
Racial justice through litigation; founded in 1940 | US/Global | Yes | |
Criminal justice reform, community education | US/Global | Yes |
All nine are registered charities or 501(c)(3) nonprofits with publicly available financial filings, so you can check their numbers yourself before you fundraise on their behalf.
What are the Best Black Lives Matter Fundraising Ideas?
The most effective racial justice fundraisers combine a personal reason for caring with a named beneficiary organization and a specific target. "Support Black Minds Matter's therapy fund" raises more, and raises it faster, than "BLM fundraiser."
Format | Best for | Effort | Typical Amount Raised |
Personal donation page | Individuals marking an anniversary or reacting to a news event | Low | £200–£600 |
Workplace giving challenge | Teams using employer matching or peer pledges | Medium | £500–£2,000 |
Community event (run, bake sale, quiz) | Schools, faith groups, sports clubs | Medium | £300–£1,500 |
Peer-to-peer campaign | Rallying friends and colleagues around one cause | Medium | £1,000–£5,000 |
Anniversary campaign (Juneteenth, etc.) | Using a specific date to prompt giving | Low–Medium | Variable |
Corporate matching campaign | Organizations with an employer match scheme | Low | 2× baseline |
How Crowdfunding Helps Black Lives Matter Fundraisers
Crowdfunding allows everyone to start a fundraiser without depending on any specific organization. Trusted crowdfunding platforms like WhyDonate give opportunities to anyone to either start a campaign for Black lives or donate to a verified campaign without any upfront cost. WhyDonate is one of the simplest and most affordable fundraising platforms to start raising money for any cause.
Know more about crowdfunding here.
How to Start a Black Lives Matter Fundraiser on WhyDonate
Setting up a fundraiser page at WhyDonate takes less than 5 minutes.
- Create a free account on WhyDonate.
- Click "Start Fundraiser" and select "Charity / Human Rights."
- Name your campaign and write a campaign description, adding why you have started this initiative.
- Set a realistic goal and mention the reason behind the goal, adding what you are going to achieve from this campaign.
- Post visuals - images or videos, because people connect more to what they can see.
- Publish your campaign and keep adding updates, sharing your progress, along with thanking your donors.
Start a Black Lives Matter Fundraiser through WhyDonate.
The Bottom Line
Black Lives Matter Fundraising is truly about making all Black lives better, free of basic struggles, and bringing equality to the ground. While we can all collectively join hands to make all Black lives better, crowdfunding allows us to do that without any setbacks. Online fundraising does not limit us to geographical borders to support causes like this. So, start your Black Lives Matter Fundraising Campaign today and help people fight a battle that they should not be fighting at all.
Sudatta is a senior content manager with more than 10 years of experience in the content space and an expert in crowdfunding and fundraising-related topics. She enjoys creating engaging and reader-friendly content. In addition to writing, Sudatta is also passionate about music, travelling, and reading.