A note from our founder

In 2020, I started Fifteen Percent Pledge with one goal: to create opportunities for Black founders.

The wins came fast. We partnered with major retailers, nurtured a community of 10,000 founders, built a pipeline to shift nearly $14 billion to Black-owned businesses, and deployed dozens of grants to deserving brands.

For years, the Pledge has been evolving with the times. But 2025 hit our community hard. Beloved Black brands have had to close their doors, leading to a loss of jobs, innovation, and community that we will feel for years to come. Critical funding for Black founders has died up from both national corporations and government agencies, leading businesses to turn to nonprofits like Fifteen Percent Pledge as a lifeline.

We stood up immediate support for impacted businesses. We deployed over $1M in emergency grants in 2025 alone and filled gaps where we could.

But the reality is, this moment is hard.

Our goal remains the same: drive $1.4 trillion of wealth generation by Black entrepreneurs over the next ten years.

My ask to you is to continue this journey with us. Invest in a future where equity is a reality and Black founders can build the businesses and lives of their dreams.

Aurora James, Fifteen Percent Pledge Founder

We are a non-profit organization calling on multi-brand retailers and corporations to dedicate 15% of their total purchasing power to supporting Black-owned businesses. Our mission is to encourage the private sector—from Fortune 500 companies to individual consumers—to use their financial power to create more equitable market share for Black-owned businesses.

For more information on donations over $1500, donations by check, and donations by Charitable Fund, please email Vanessa@15pp.org. Philanthropic Ventures Foundation, a 501(c)(3) serves as the fiscal depository for Fifteen Percent Pledge.