Breechaye Milburn

Program Officer | Wellspring Philanthropic Fund

Breechaye Milburn -- Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, Breechaye brings over 10 years of experience in the nonprofit sector and a passion for advancing racial, economic, and gender justice. As a Program Officer with the Racial Justice Program at Wellspring Philanthropic Fund, she works to resource and strengthen the capacity of grassroots organizations, movements, and Black leaders promoting economic justice for Black communities and Black workers in the U.S. Prior to Wellspring, she worked in various roles, ranging from direct service to education and advocacy at local nonprofits and agencies in the D.C. Metro area, such as D.C. Health. She holds a Master of Social Work, Macro Practice, from Howard University, a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Maryland, College Park, and an Executive Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Georgetown University’s Court School of Public Policy.

Presentations from Facing Race 2024

For the People and For Justice: Building Black Power in Detroit

In this moment, the rise of authoritarianism and increased attacks on democracy call for Black-led movements to have sustainable long-term strategies that include defensive tactics that protect Black communities, and offensive strategies that address the root causes of economic disparities. The urgency in confronting criminalization, gentrification and exploitation of Black communities often leads funders to focus on supporting short-term, “winnable” reformist campaigns, which limits grassroots organizing and community power building.

This session will offer a deep dive into the power of investing in transformative community-led organizations working at the intersection of racial and economic justice in Detroit, Michigan. In this session, you will hear from Black community organizers and their philanthropic partner on effective ways to fund community organizations to win, and how to prioritize the needs of Black movements while centering impacted voices in strategy and solutions.

Housing, employment, criminalization, land rights, and racial justice are just a few areas that make up this crucial intersectional work. This session will highlight recent successes in Detroit, home to the nation’s largest Black-majority city, as a case study for this discussion.

Wellspring Philanthropic Fund, Detroit Justice Center and Detroit Peoples Platform will discuss with attendees innovative ways to support and implement successful campaigns for economic security and stability in Black communities. This session is open to funders and organizations who support or want to engage in organizing, power building, and supporting strategic campaigns in Black communities.

Speakers: Breechaye Milburn, Nancy A. Parker, Theo Pride, Renard Monczunski