About Giving Gap
Bridging the Divide: The Story and Future of Giving Gap
In a world marked by deep systemic inequities, Black-founded nonprofits have long stood on the frontlines—mobilizing resources, amplifying community voices, and advancing racial equity. Yet, in the vast landscape of American philanthropy, where over $450 billion is donated annually, only a sliver of that generosity reaches Black organizations. Despite our transformative work, philanthropy continues to impose disproportionate funding barriers and structural disinvestment on our organizations and leaders, leaving us with fewer resources to scale our impact.
Our Origin: A Vision for Equity in Philanthropy
Giving Gap (originally launched as Give Blck) was founded in September 2020 by Christina Lewis, Stephanie Ellis-Smith, and David Setiadi. With backgrounds in philanthropy, data, and technology, they created a digital platform to spotlight and support Black-founded nonprofits across the United States. Their mission was clear: break down barriers to visibility and funding by centralizing these vital organizations in one easily accessible hub. The founders’ vision laid the groundwork for a powerful movement—one rooted in racial justice and sustained by the belief that giving Black is giving back.
Today, Giving Gap continues to close the gap for Black-founded organizations by providing:
Through these efforts, Giving Gap builds on its original mission—expanding visibility, channeling resources, and accelerating equity for Black-founded organizations nationwide.
A New Era of Leadership: Heather Infantry
Since 2022, Heather Infantry has served as CEO of Giving Gap, bringing a dynamic blend of vision, strategy, creativity and cultural leadership to the organization. Under Heather’s stewardship, Giving Gap has evolved beyond a directory into a vibrant ecosystem for nonprofit growth and donor engagement. She has championed a model that not only lifts up organizations but also galvanizes the public through storytelling, community activation, and bold, visible presence across platforms.
Heather’s leadership reflects an unwavering commitment to equity—not just in funding but in narrative, influence, and opportunity. Her efforts have inspired an expanded strategy that meets organizations and donors where they are, cultivating connections that transcend transactional giving.
Our Growth: Over 2,000 Black-Founded Organizations Strong
Today, Giving Gap connects the public to more than 2,000 Black-founded nonprofits spanning education, arts, health, criminal justice, and beyond. This growth is not just a milestone—it’s a movement. Through our platform, individuals, institutions, and funders can discover, support, and amplify the work of change-makers in real time.
Where We Are Now: Building Visibility and Community
With a strong presence on Instagram @closethegivinggap and on YouTube at Giving Gap TV , we’re telling richer, bolder stories that highlight and elevate our collective impact. Our content strategy spans leadership conversations, spotlight interviews, donor stories and behind-the-scenes looks at grassroots work, all designed to create deeper emotional connections between givers and the organizations they support.
