BLACK PHILANTHROPY MONTH: INTERVIEW WITH WILL CORDERY

Will Cordery 
Principal
Freedom Futures
New York City, New York, USA
Access Will’s full bio here

Will Cordery is a member of 21/64’s Certified Advisor Collective and the 2021 Certified Advisors of Color Program. Jumi Falusi Samen, Senior Director at 21/64,  interviewed him during Black Philanthropy Month in August 2022. 

As you think about the ways you are driving change, how are you making an impact in addition to your professional philanthropic advising work?

Will: So much of my philanthropic advising work is to center the importance of Black liberation—all liberation is tied to Black liberation. In the Black communities where I’ve lived, I’ve found chosen family, given and received love, and remained accountable to racial justice and Black liberation. From talking to my neighbors in Brooklyn where I live now, to the organizing and movement work I’m still connected to in Georgia and across the South, to drawing inspiration for my work today from the historically Black Louisville neighborhood where I grew up—remaining close to the communities where I’ve lived is personally a big part of why and how I do my work.

How does your identity relate to your roles you embody in philanthropy?

Will: Historically, philanthropy at its core was about maintaining wealth and power, with its roots in extractive and harmful practices. There is a weight we carry as Black people in a sector that was not designed for our participation. There are also perceptions and expectations of us that as Black advisors, we will be the voice that moves our field toward change. I have made a decision to work in this space because I believe I can do some good. And I’ve figured out a way to both help out community and to do the necessary work to redistribute resources in my role as a philanthropy advisor.

What is a facilitation tool or technique that has resonance for you and why? 

Will: My favorite approach when working with clients is to ground people in their values and their vision. Starting with values can bring multigenerational families together into conversations they might not have otherwise had. When they can share their values, it can remove some of the distance between their lived experience and the communities they are wanting to move money to. Values can be a bridge. I start by rooting each client in the current moment by asking them “what is moving you right now?”

As you reflect on the last year, what is the untold or overlooked story that you are celebrating about Black philanthropy?

Will: First, I would start by lifting up the importance of the US South. Every oppressive and regressive policy narrative is tested and tried in the South before it’s rolled out across the country and so there’s a lot of reason, historical and current, for focusing on Southern Black communities. So, I continue to work with clients who are moving money to Southern movement front lines. Second, I continue to join other Black folks in philanthropy in organizing spaces that center Black liberation. I have found that movement groups are helping Black donors find each other and accelerate impact. These new innovations in how we are organizing ourselves will continue to be necessary for the long fight for racial justice for this country.

We have a mountain to climb when it comes to issues of racial justice. While we saw an increase in giving to advance racial justice after the 2020 uprisings, we know that funding is starting to retract as donors are planning to sunset their racial justice grants in the next couple of years. I strongly encourage donors to not turn their attention elsewhere. When we prioritize racial justice and resource Black liberation, we advance freedom for everyone.

What themes/trends are you most energized to follow in Black philanthropy?

Supporting communities and leadership closest to the front lines of the change movement is necessary for Black liberation and for all liberation. We can trust that these communities know far more and better than the field of philanthropy about what the solutions can be. We can listen to, hire, fund and support more professionals in the sector that are truly rooted in purpose, center racial justice and remain accountable to community.