BLiPH is a catalyst for collaboration and change. We hope to serve as a resource to the field of public health and the Black Ladies that come to know Her. BLiPH is an actively engaged organization with numerous successes over our 2-year history! We represent the African Diaspora across 121 cities, 82 countries, and thousands of post-secondary institutions. As a testament to the level of engagement, the BLiPH closed-Facebook group yielded approximately 22,000 engagements in the last 28 days! We hold an average of 2.5 post-secondary degrees, and represent the diversity, in specialty and concentration, typical of the field.   

Despite the work that it takes to cultivate and sustain these efforts, BLiPH has never attempted to charge for membership. Nor has BLiPH received any support by way of grant funding (let's change that-- but for now...). This fundraising decision resulted after a deliberative process, in part, due to Dr. Ward's commitment to ensuring value to the membership and a good reason to request donations. This rationale is also supported by her wishes to avoid creating financial barriers to opportunities within the network, particularly for students and the less fortunate... the people that need them the most.

Being Transparent...

Dr. Ward has been able to host and pay for national events, tangible resources -- including a website and a handful of professional development webinars-- professional support (a lawyer), fees for service (501c3 paperwork, taxes), along with the occasional travel and sponsorship on behalf of the organization.  We hope to support and expand her efforts by raising funds necessary to move plans forward as a unified body.

Plans, you say?

Dr. Ward, along with the team of ambassadors,  advisers, and mission-supportive organizations are gearing up to complete the final step necessary to move BLiPH from its infancy to the "toddler" stage of sorts (Threenagers --yay)!  BLiPH is ready to curate this comprehensive strategic plan using a very unique network leadership engagement model. 

So now we get it!

We are launching this fundraiser to defray the cost of hosting the official planning meeting / Summer Summit. During the Summer Summit, we will host members for the  "Emerging Leaders for Health Equity" leadership development and planning session (planning for the next five years).

This is a For Us, By Us, (FUBU-- not the clothes) grassroots effort to raise money to support our vision, mission, needs, and plans.

Give Back and Pay it Forward!

Please consider this request to give back and pay it forward. If BLiPH has made an impact on your life, even in the smallest of ways, we humbly ask that you give accordingly. Even if it is a single dollar, we are ever so grateful for your investment! This is, perhaps, our first collective act of commitment -- from us, by us, to us, for us!