• Anti-Recidivism Coalition
• ARRAY Alliance, Inc.
• Bard Prison Initiative
• Black Organizing for Leadership & Dignity
• The Brotherhood Sister Sol
• Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute
• Flamboyan Foundation
• Fundo Brasil de Direitos Humanos
• Gender Amplified, Inc.
• Grantmakers for Girls of Color
• The Hidden Genius Project 
• Jacksonville Arts & Music School
• Manos Visibles
• A New Way of Life Reentry Project
• Pop Culture Collaborative
• REFORM Alliance
• Rio Ferdinand Foundation
• Stephen Lawrence Day Foundation
• URGE: Unite for Reproductive and Gender Equity

To date, the $100 million Fund has committed more than $35 million to social justice organizations around the world.

To learn more about the Fund’s mission, please visit wmg.com/fund.

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The Warner Music Group / Blavatnik Family Foundation Social Justice Fund (WMG/BFF SJF) today announced its second annual Grantee Convening event, Music & Movement: The Global Cypher. From October 11-13, the Fund’s 52 current grantee partners will come together for a multi-sensory program, highlighting the intersection of culture and movement-building. It will feature dynamic performances, strategy talks, and a number of networking and community-building opportunities.

Participating grantee partners include the Studio Museum of Harlem, Anti-Recidivism Coalition, SPARK, Black Lives in Music, JULIAN, Grantmakers for Girls of Color, the Highlander Research and Education Center, Gender Amplified, Brotherhood SisterSol, The Brazil Human Rights Fund, and more.

“At the nexus of culture and systems change is an opportunity to shape our vision for the future, and this year’s convening will focus on empowering grantees to exchange their visions, discuss the parallels between the industry and movement-building, and how we can leverage this synergy to advance and sustain social change,” said Lorelei Williams, Executive Director of the WMG/BFF SJF. “Our inaugural convening sparked fruitful conversations, and we are thrilled to continue creating a space for social justice organizations to extend their connections and plant seeds for new partnerships. This year, we are honoring the 50th anniversary of hip-hop by embodying the essence of the cypher and its power to inspire creative experimentation, innovation, and narrative transformation, elements that are also relevant to movement-building.”

This year’s Music & Movement convening includes panel discussions featuring diverse speakers, networking opportunities, and wellness sessions guided by the Wind & the Warrior. Gender Amplified and Riggs Morales, WMG/BFF SJF Board Member and Atlantic Records SVP of A&R and Artist Development, are teaming up to curate a collaborative studio session called CTRL Room Camp. This camp is specifically designed for young artists and producers who have received training from WMG/BFF SJF grantee partners. During the one-day session, the group will record a track together and then perform the song at a reception at the Atlantic Records soundstage on October 12. This year’s participants are:

• Aisha June (Singer, Songwriter, Rapper) – Howard University Warner Music | Blavatnik Center for Music Business
• Ali Muhammad (Producer, Beatmaker, Instrumentalist) – Project Level
• Sanni Sinitiat Omodolapo (Vocalist) – The Sarz Academy
• Luke Bacchus (Producer, Instrumentalist) – Black Lives in Music
• Juan Daniel Landazuri Segura (Instrumentalist) – Manos Visibles

Other agenda highlights include:

Driving Access & Equity in the Music Industry

This session will feature Grammy Award-winning artist and producer and Chairman of Spring 2023 grantee partner We Are Family Foundation, Nile Rodgers, along with grantee partners that are part of the music pipeline from the U.S., U.K., and Nigeria. It will explore efforts to address systemic inequities and unite organizations and musicians to create an inclusive and diverse music industry. Music executives of color will also share their journeys of overcoming barriers to achieve success in the sector.

The Wisdom of the Cypher

Celebrating 50 years of hip-hop, award-winning artist, speaker, and hip-hop Global Ambassador Toni Blackman will lead a lyrical journey to elevate the wisdom of the cypher and its synergies with social change and movement-building. The session will be livestreamed via Warner Music Group’s YouTube channel.

Music x Movement: Building Power for Narrative Change

This session aims to empower artists, songwriters, A&R execs, and product managers with ideas that inspire culture change. The panel will also provide an opportunity for social justice leaders and their organizations to explore ways to partner with music industry creatives to amplify their message and mobilize their constituencies. The session will be livestreamed via Warner Music Group’s YouTube channel.

Liberated Futures: Visioning 2030

This session will amplify the voices of the next generation of social justice organizers: young people leading campaigns for racial justice, LGBTQ+ rights, criminal justice reform, and reproductive justice in the U.S. and internationally. The session will be livestreamed via Warner Music Group’s YouTube channel.

Community Connections

The convening will also provide grantee site visits and volunteer opportunities for WMG staff and artists to visit SJF grantees in NYC to connect first-hand with their powerful programming.

Reception at Atlantic Records

This private reception, DJ’d by grantee partner Girls Make Beats, will feature special performances by participants of the CTRL Room Camp and Atlantic Records artist KAMAUU.

To learn more about the Fund, please visit https://www.wmg.com/fund and go to https://www.sjfgranteeconvening.com/ for the full schedule of events.

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Lorelei Williams, Executive Director of the WMG/BFF SJF, said, “The fight for social and racial justice requires a long-term commitment, and the WMG/BFF SJF is dedicated to supporting global transformation that ensures a lasting impact on future generations. The past three years have been a powerful journey of partnerships with a diverse array of activists, artists, organizers, and entertainment industry leaders. The work is far from done, but we must acknowledge the hard-won milestones our grantee partners have reached in addressing anti-Black racism, driving change in the criminal legal system, diversifying the music industry, and catalyzing cultural innovation.”

The Impact Report highlights the WMG/BFF SJF’s impact from July 2021 to June 2023, as it aims to counter the chronic underinvestment of organizations led by Black and other historically marginalized people.

With the WMG/BFF SJF’s support, grantee partners have been able to build new programs, scale up their work, and make substantive changes:

• In partnership with the SJF, this year, Borealis’ Communities Transforming Policing Fund has resourced 64 grantees in 28 states, along with Washington DC and Puerto Rico – its largest cohort to date. Grantees are piloting community-based approaches to safety; advocating for police-free schools; increasing accountability in policing; and supporting victims of police violence and their families.

• Anti-Recidivism Coalition (ARC) serves thousands of members with an array of prison in-reach and supportive programs. ARC has reported a less than 5% recidivism rate among members. Its Second Chance apprenticeship program achieved a 71% placement rate, collaborating with large media companies to place participants in rotational programs, internships, and creative paid opportunities.

• Howard University’s Warner Music / Blavatnik Center for Music Business served over 3,000 HU students; awarded over $850,000 in scholarships to student fellows pursuing music industry careers; provided full-time employment and internships to 75% of Center fellows; and was recognized in Billboard Magazine as one of the top music business schools in the nation.

• Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI) advanced strategic campaigns to end Title 42 and held meetings with the White House, Congressional leaders, and the United Nations.

• Gender Amplified is expanding opportunities for women and nonbinary music producers in the music industry, raising their visibility; providing engineering resources; safe spaces to collaborate; game-changing introductions to record labels and music supervisors; and enabling participants to retain 100% ownership of their music.

• Diversify the Stage’s Inclusion Initiative has become part of Live Nations’ DEI policy nationwide to create a pipeline of professionals in the live music sector from underrepresented groups and to increase the diversity and strength of the talent pool in this industry.

• Black Lives in Music is at the vanguard of efforts to address systemic racism in the UK music industry, sparking dialogue and advocacy around structural racism, gender gaps, and pay disparity. They’ve recently launched an Anti-Racism Code of Conduct in partnership with key players in the UK music industry.

• ARRAY Crew grew significantly from 3,000 members to 10,000 members. The platform enables studio executives and hiring managers to access a pipeline of women and people of color to staff television and film crew. More than 1,250 productions have used the ARRAY Crew app to hire.

• Manos Visibles in Colombia is equipping Afrodescendent cultural producers to shift the national narrative around race and ethnicity in their country through music and film production. Its PacificoMaster Beat program has trained 60 emerging music producers to create a brand of emerging music development in the Colombian scene.

• The Brazil Human Rights Fund is supporting 25 Black-led grassroots organizations addressing systemic violence in their communities by advancing racial equity, LGBTQ+ rights, and criminal justice reform.

The Impact Report includes the Fund’s new 2023 spring docket, which consists of 13 organizations receiving more than $4 million in grants. Spring 2023 grantee partners include:

Arts & Culture Pillar

• The Studio Museum of Harlem

Criminal Justice Reform Pillar

• JULIAN
• StopWatch
• The Ladies of Hope Ministries (LOHM)
• The Marshall Project

Education Pillar              

• Black Lives in Music
• Girls Make Beats (GMB)
• LeadersUp
• No Label Academy*
• Project Level
• The Sarz Academy

Multi-Pillar                       

• AAPI Civic Engagement Fund
• We Are Family Foundation

*No Label Academy is in partnership with Warner Music Group artist IDK.

Thelma Golden, Director and Chief Curator of The Studio Museum of Harlem – which represents the Fund’s focus on leveraging music and culture to transform communities – added, “All of us at The Studio Museum in Harlem are excited to begin a partnership with the Warner Music Group / Blavatnik Family Foundation Social Justice Fund. With the organization’s amazing support, The Studio Museum will center and celebrate artists of African descent, sharing this work widely through deep engagement with our Harlem communities and beyond, as we look to opening our new building. We are inspired by the Fund’s visionary work and mission, and its incredible investment in creating a more equitable future.”

To access the full Impact Report, please click HERE. To learn more about the Fund’s mission, please visit wmg.com/fund or watch this video HERE.

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The Warner Music Group / Blavatnik Family Foundation Social Justice Fund (WMG/BFF SJF) announced today its inaugural cohort of youth-led grantee partners. The investment in the selected cohort of seven organizations will total to $1.4 million and focus on their calls for equity and community-building efforts across racial justice, LGBTQ+ rights, reproductive justice, criminal justice reform and more. 

“The youth organizing field has been largely under-resourced for decades despite remarkable growth and development catalyzed by youth organizers,” said Lorelei Williams, Executive Director of the WMG/BFF SJF. “Young people have historically been at the forefront of dynamic movements to reimagine our democracy, country and world and build the power of Black and marginalized communities. As our global community continues to navigate the convergence of social, political and health crises, investing in these organizations is an opportunity to elevate young voices leading change, holistically support the longevity of their work and move us closer to dismantling systemic injustices.” 

The WMG/BFF SJF works to support organizations that are helming community-centric campaigns driving sustainable shifts in equity and policy for Black and marginalized communities globally.  

“The Brotherhood Sister Sol is deeply grateful for the support of the Warner Music Group / Blavatnik Family Foundation Social Justice Fund,” said Khary Lazarre-White, Executive Director and Co-Founder of The Brotherhood Sister Sol. “For more than 25 years, we have been at the forefront of social justice movements – educating, organizing and training to challenge inequity and champion opportunity for all. This grant will support the political education of our members, helping them to develop their critical thinking skills and become advocates and social change makers.” 

This inaugural docket of youth organizing grantee partners is composed of established and respected organizations within the youth organizing field serving intersectional communities and meeting this current moment of compounded crisis with courage, creativity, and transformative leadership. One hundred percent of the organizations are led by leaders from historically marginalized communities and 86 percent are led by women of color. 

Youth-led grantee partners include: 

• Children’s Rights Innovation Fund (CRIF)

To support a cohort of young activists across Nigeria, Kenya and the Caribbean working to make tangible change in their communities and build a stronger global children’s rights movement. 

• Fem the Future

To support the expansion of programs for Fem the Future, a nonprofit founded by Atlantic Records artist and LGBTQ+ advocate Janelle Monáe, whose mission is to build a fem-forward future by creating opportunities for under-resourced girls and non-binary youth of color in music, the arts and education. 

• Funders Collaborative for Youth Organizing (FCYO)

To support capacity-building for a cohort of nationally recognized Black-led youth organizing groups via FYCO’s GenPower Labs program, which provides sub-grants, training and technical assistance with a long-term agenda that shifts policies to transform material conditions for Black working-class communities. 

• SPARK

To support the expansion of SPARK’s Speak Justice Take Action (SJTA) programming and FYRE Camp, which provides leadership development for young LGBTQ+ organizers of color and their reproductive justice organizing and advocacy. 

• The Brotherhood Sister Sol

To support the organization’s nationally recognized programming focused on providing holistic leadership development, education, and social justice organizing programs advancing racial justice, educational equity, criminal justice reform, and gender equity. 

• URGE

To support general operations for URGE, the only youth-led national reproductive justice organization in the U.S., anchored in community organizing, civic engagement, policy advocacy, movement building, and narrative change. 

• Youth Organizing & Culture Change Fund (YOCCF) 

To support YOCCF, a collaborative fund launched by the Ford Foundation and Kornfeld Foundation convening youth organizers, artists, culture strategists, and creatives to build local power and win change for communities of color. 

To learn more about the Fund, please visit https://www.wmg.com/fund. 

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ABOUT FEM THE FUTURE:
Fem the Future provides young women and girls with the resources and support they need to overcome
the challenges associated with growing up in under-resourced communities of color. It expands the
world of opportunities by supporting and creating after-school and summer enrichment activities that
increase exposure and access to a variety of careers. In an effort to impact as many women and girls as
possible, Fem the Future also resources organizations providing access to arts, music and leadership
development-centric pedagogies.

ABOUT THE FUND:
The Warner Music Group/Blavatnik Family Foundation Social Justice Fund advances racial justice at the
intersection of culture and systems change. The Fund invests in organizations around the globe that build
more just and equitable communities and create real change in the lives of historically underserved and
marginalized people, principally Black populations. Its investments focus on education, arts and culture,
and criminal justice reform, with the belief that work in these areas will aid in dismantling structural
racism and advancing equity and justice for all people. Since the Fund’s launch in June 2020, the
organization has committed over $25M to organizations on the frontlines of change. Gender justice is a
key throughline across all SJF grant pillars and over 80 percent of SJF grantee partners are led by women
of color in the U.S. and internationally.

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“In the inaugural cycle of the SJF Repertoire Fund in the United States and Canada, we were thrilled to see our people at WMG rise to the opportunity and share the amazing organizations creating sustainable change in their communities,” said Dr. Maurice A. Stinnett, Global Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at WMG and a member of the WMG/BFF SJF Board of Directors.

Among the grantees is Brothers, Sons, Selves coalition in Los Angeles: “Our coalition’s mission is to end the criminalization of bois/boys and young men of color, and this grant from the SJF Repertoire Fund will help us to expand our work building an intersectional movement of youth leaders who are agents of change for our communities and our public policies,” said Jelani Hendrix, Coalition Manager of the BSS coalition.

Saving Our Daughters is a nonprofit supporting adolescent girls of color to build confidence and community through the arts. Curtis Benjamin, SOD’s Chief Executive Officer, expressed his gratitude: “Our organization is truly honored and humbled to have received this grant from the SJF Repertoire Fund, which will help our girls navigate positive intersections, build self-esteem, and explore racial identity and representation through the arts, entertainment, and virtual mentoring.”

“It’s been exciting to partner with the Warner Music Group team to make tangible change in the markets where WMG has a significant presence,” said Lorelei Williams, Executive Director of the WMG/BFF SJF. “In the face of rising threats to marginalized communities, we are proud to partner with frontline organizations that are leading the charge for equity and justice.”

Full list of grantees are as follows:

For more information about the Fund, please visit https://www.wmg.com/fund.

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Includes two public panels featuring frontline social justice leaders      

The Warner Music Group / Blavatnik Family Foundation Social Justice Fund (WMG/BFF SJF) today announced its first annual Grantee Convening event. From June 16-17, the Fund’s 27 current grantee partners will gather with WMG/BFF SJF Board members to share their work, and to find synergies in their efforts to advance racial justice across the arts, education, and criminal justice reform.   

Participating grantee partners include ARRAY, Bard Prison Initiative, the Anti-Recidivism Coalition, Brazil Human Rights Fund, Girls Make Beats, Highlander Center, Manos Visibles, A New Way Forward, Gender Amplified, Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI), and Universal Hip Hop Museum, among many others. 

Lorelei Williams, Executive Director of the WMG/BFF SJF, said: “Our Grantee Convening will center the voices of the SJF grantee partners as we dream, grieve, heal, bridge, and build toward a liberated future for all of us. We need to create new paradigms of intersectional movement building to disrupt systemic racism and address anti-Black terrorism. We need new voices at the table. And, if we’re being honest, we need a new table.” 

This year’s inaugural convening includes virtual sessions for grantees, a wellness workshop, and a private reception DJ’ed by grantee partner Girls Make Beats’ DJ Sassy J with a performance by artist and activist Karma Mayet. There will also be three public livestreamed events: 

The WMG/BFF Social Justice Fund: Our Vision & Strategy 
June 16th at 12:00-12:30pm ET 

This session will focus on the Fund’s grantmaking vision and social impact. With over $23M in grant commitments to date, the WMG/BFF SJF has supported a roster of more than 30 extraordinary organizations that power social change through education, criminal justice reform, and arts and culture.   

Leveraging Culture to Fuel Criminal Justice Reform 
June 16th at 2:00-3:00pm ET 

The WMG/BFF SJF’s grantee partners at the frontlines of culture change and criminal justice reform will discuss how social justice organizations can leverage media and entertainment to amplify their message, shift consciousness, and attract unlikely allies, as well as where the movement is headed as creative partnerships like these deepen.  

Diaspora Dialogues 
June 17th at 12:00-1:00pm ET 

The WMG/BFF SJF’s international grantee partners will explore what a more unified global justice movement would look like, as they highlight dynamic connections across music, art, and culture within the African Diaspora, and a common struggle against systemic racism. 

The WMG/BFF SJF also announced its fourth set of grantee partners – further advancing its vision of addressing systemic racism and making real change in the lives of historically underserved and marginalized populations. With investments in seven organizations (listed below) totaling $928,844, this slate of grants focuses on building music industry pipelines, by facilitating pathways for youth and young professionals of color, and advocating for greater racial and gender equity in the music industry.  

Of the seven grantee organizations: Project Level, Universal Hip Hop Museum, and Girls Make Beats are training youth in various aspects of the music business – ranging from music production, composition, audio engineering, to finance and marketing; CCCADI and Save The Music are combating the growing trend of music education budget cuts, which disproportionately impacts school districts that serve students of color, immigrant students, and low-income communities; Black Lives in Music and Unlock Her Potential are tackling the under-representation of musicians and professionals of color in the music industry, as well as pay discrepancies and other forms of discrimination. 

The Blavatnik Family Foundation is exclusively self-funded by American-British industrialist and philanthropist Len Blavatnik, founder and chairman of Access Industries, a privately held U.S.-based industrial group. Mr. Blavatnik said, “We’re proud to support the extraordinary organizations on the front lines of the fight against racism and injustice and to help further lasting change.” 

Riggs Morales, WMG/BFF SJF Board of Directors member and SVP, Urban A&R at Atlantic Records, said: “Equitable representation in the industry starts with education, mentorship and professional development – in addition to changes in hiring and promotion. By supporting organizations like Girls Make Beats and Project Level that amplify opportunities for young people of color, we’re setting ourselves up for long-term transformation within music and entertainment that will empower people from marginalized communities as they pursue music industry careers.” 

Charisse Beaumont, CEO of Black Lives in Music, said: “Our evidence-based research is important in identifying and addressing the issues Black music creators and industry professionals often encounter – and our advocacy is essential for meaningful change to take place. Together, we are at the vanguard in the effort to dismantle systemic racism in the music industry and create a level playing field where Black music creators and industry professionals can fulfill their aspirations.” 

Of this docket of grantee partners, 86% are helmed by Black, Latinx, or Asian leaders, and 57% have female leadership. Significantly, many of these organizations’ leaders also hail from the physical communities they serve, ensuring that lived experience is embedded into organization infrastructure and programming. 

Each grantee was invited to identify a matching partner to unlock additional funding from the WMG/BFF SJF; matches were provided by Paramount, SoundCloud Community Fund, The Recording Academy, Splice, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, BeatStars and Silicon Valley Community Foundation, and NY Women’s Foundation, among many others. 

Grant Recipients: 

• Black Lives in Music 
• Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute (CCCADI) 
• Girls Make Beats 
• Project Level 
• Save The Music 
• Unlock Her Potential 
• Universal Hip Hop Museum 

For more information about the Fund, please visit https://www.wmg.com/fund.  

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“Structural racism constricts the breath, voice and freedom of Black communities, particularly as it intersects with other forms of inequity,” said Lorelei Williams, Executive Director of the WMG/BFF SJF. “With this docket, we were intentional about funding at those crossroads – where racism, poverty, sexism, homophobia, transphobia and xenophobia collide with devastating impact. We also want to create opportunities for youth empowerment, planting seeds for future generations to thrive.”

Given the disparities facing women across a variety of industries, including music, nearly 70% of the selected organizations are women-led and a third of all grants address gender equity issues – from creating opportunities for women into the music industry to dismantling the school-to-prison pipeline for girls of color, and uplifting the voices of gender-expansive adolescents.

“We’re thrilled to receive support from the Warner Music Group / Blavatnik Family Foundation Social Justice Fund to continue the national expansion of our SAFE Housing Network,” said Susan Burton, Founder of A New Way of Life, an award-winning Los Angeles-based program that serves and empowers women coming home from prison. “This grant will enable us to expand our network into new states and to continue providing pathways to freedom and self-sufficiency for formerly incarcerated women.”

The Fund also placed heightened attention on organizations helping African Diaspora communities around the world, supporting those focused on immigrant populations in the U.S., as well as making first grants in Brazil, Nigeria and Colombia.

“The Brazil Human Rights Fund is delighted to partner with the WMG/BFF SJF to support Brazilian, Black-led grassroots organizations and movements in addressing systemic violence in their communities and territories,” said Ana Valéria Araujo and Allyne Andrade, Executive and Deputy Directors of the Brazil Human Rights Fund. “The partnership is a great demonstration of solidarity between our organizations and the Diaspora. It has the potential to strengthen the racial justice movement in our country and promote democracy.”

In addition to the $9.35 million investment and to complement this new cohort of 15 grantees, the WMG/BFF SJF Board of Directors has established the Reservoir Fund, which will provide the Fund’s grantees with capacity-building, training, coaching and technical assistance resources to sustain their work for the long-term.

Music industry pipeline organizations, such as Diversify the Stage, which provides career opportunities in music and live entertainment to underrepresented communities, and Gender Amplified, founded by Atlantic Records producer Ebonie Smith, will be among the first to receive support.

“Gender Amplified is honored to partner with the Warner Music Group / Blavatnik Family Foundation Social Justice Fund,” said Smith. “The Fund’s generous contribution will help us reach our goal of supporting women and non-binary music producers all over the world.”

Grant Recipients:

Criminal Justice 

• A New Way of Life
• Anti-Recidivism Coalition (ARC)
• Bard Prison Initiative
• Borealis Philanthropy
• Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI)
• Brazil Human Rights Fund
• Grantmakers for Girls of Color (G4GC)

Arts & Culture

• ARRAY Alliance
• Highlander Center
• Manos Visibles

Education

• Diversify the Stage
• Gender Amplified
• Hidden Genius Project
• West African Vocational Education (WAVE)

Multi-Pillar

• BOLD (Black Organizing for Leadership & Dignity)

For more information about the Fund, please visit https://www.wmg.com/fund.

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Williams will work closely with the Fund’s Board to bring to life its vision of building more equitable communities and creating real change in the lives of historically underserved and marginalized populations through investing in organizations at the forefront of this work.

“We’re thrilled to have Lorelei join us to help lead our grantmaking strategy, which is focused on three guiding pillars – education, criminal justice reform, and culture and the performing arts,” said Mark Baker, WMG/BFF SJF Board member and SVP, Public Policy & Government Affairs, WMG. “Her extensive background in social justice philanthropy on a global scale and community development make her a perfect fit for this role. With her strategic oversight and direction, the Board is confident that it will make a sustained, long-term impact in advancing equity and justice around the world.”

“Structural racism, economic inequality and the COVID-19 pandemic have converged with devastating impact, especially for Black communities in the U.S. and the African Diaspora,” said Lorelei Williams, Executive Director, WMG/BFF SJF. “We have a powerful opportunity – and obligation – to radically reimagine and rebuild a more just society. In partnership with our dynamic Board, I look forward to building an innovative Fund that leverages the power of culture, advocacy and direct action to create real change in the lives of historically underserved and marginalized populations.”

Prior to joining the WMG/BFF SJF, Williams served as Senior Vice President of Grant Programs at Comic Relief U.S., a nonprofit that uses the power of entertainment to help eliminate world poverty. While there, she launched a new grantmaking pillar focused on economic empowerment, providing thousands of low-income youth with access to job training, job placement and investment in youth-led social enterprises. In addition, she inaugurated a Youth Advisory Council, composed of eight trailblazing young leaders who now inform the strategy for Red Nose Day – a fundraising campaign to end child poverty that culminates with a special night of programming on NBC. Williams was also instrumental in increasing Comic Relief’s investment in BIPOC organizations by 25%.

Before Comic Relief, Williams spent more than 15 years working as a philanthropic strategist with a focus on the U.S., South America, and Sub-Saharan Africa. For the majority of those years, she was President of Onira Global Advisors, where she provided counsel on fundraising, grantmaking, and program design to foundations and nonprofit organizations around the globe. Her clients included the Kellogg Foundation, Ford Foundation, Brazil Foundation, and The Brazilian Institute of Ethnic Media. As a Fulbright fellow in Salvador da Bahia, Williams founded the POMPA project in partnership with the Steve Biko Institute to train Afro-Brazilian youth for public service careers. She also served as Co-Chair of the Civil Society Committee for the U.S. State Department’s U.S.-Brazil Joint Action Plan to End Racial Discrimination (JAPER).

Williams holds a B.A. from Yale University in Political Science and African American Studies and a master’s degree in Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.

The appointment of Williams as Executive Director follows the release of the WMG/BFF SJF’s annual report, which gives a comprehensive overview of the Fund’s intentional grantmaking structure, investments, and grantee programming and partnerships during its first year.

For more information on the Fund, please visit https://www.wmg.com/fund.

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