Overcoming skepticism is crucial in reaching black donors.

By Paul Barbagallo

Between 1800 and 1900, the African Methodist Episcopal Church, for instance, established 20 colleges and universities and raised more than $1 million to support them, according to research conducted by Rodney M. Jackson, president and CEO of The National Center For Black Philanthropy, for his book, “At the Crossroads,” co-authored with several other philanthropists. Jackson’s research affirms that the church has had — and continues to have — an irreplaceable role in black philanthropy.