As we reflect on the past year, we cannot help but feel immense gratitude for the invaluable role you have played in supporting the Black and Missing Foundation Inc. Your generosity and commitment to our mission have been instrumental in helping us achieve some of our most significant accomplishments to date. We are excited to share with you our top achievements for 2023, each of which represents an important step forward in our efforts to bring attention to the crisis of missing persons of color.
BAMFI's impact has grown exponentially...
BAMFI’s impact has grown exponentially due to our tireless efforts to raise awareness about missing people of color! In just the first 11 months of 2023 alone (January 1 – December 8), we served a record number of families, with 738 new cases entered – a staggering 180% increase from the previous year.
Launch of BAMFI Enterprises
February marked a significant milestone for BAMFI as we launched BAMFI Enterprises, a production company, on National Missing Persons Day. This move allowed us to expand our reach and impact. Through BAMFI Enterprises, our co-founders have been able to serve as technical consultants on several projects, including Lifetime’s Black Girl Missing & Beyond the Headlines: Black Girl Missing.
Multi-City Billboard Campaign
BAMFI celebrated its 15th anniversary in May with a powerful multi-city billboard campaign. The 16-city campaign featured 48 missing persons of color to raise awareness about their cases and shine a light on the lack of exposure to help find them. Several organizations stepped up to sponsor a billboard in their city, including the National Coalition of 100 Black Women of Chicago Metropolitan, the Joseph Assignment Global Initiative, and the Milwaukee Bucks.
Untold Stories: Black and Missing
In May, BAMFI Entreprises launched a true-crime podcast, Untold Stories: Black and Missing. The podcast garnered over 15,000 downloads in the first season alone with eight compelling episodes that featured the stories of missing people of color. As we prepare for season two in 2024, we are asking for your feedback on the podcast.
Please click here to take a quick survey. We will be accepting feedback until December 31.
BAMFI "Hope Without Boundaries 5K"
The commemorative Hope Without Boundaries 5k Walk-Run was held in June. The event is one of the largest fundraisers for the organization and close to 900 people participated this year. The event was a moving tribute to the countless individuals who have disappeared without a trace, and a powerful reminder that we must continue our efforts to help us find us.
Remarkable strides...
The Black and Missing Foundation also made remarkable strides in raising awareness about missing people of color. The co-founders served as panelists at various notable events, including CrimeCon 2023, Revolt World 2023, NOBLE’s 47th Annual Conference – Memorial March and Missing Persons Day in DeKalb, GA and Tampa, FL. They also supported the passing of several bills, including Minnesota’s House Bill to create the nation’s first office of missing and murdered African American women. In addition, BAMFI played a supporting role in the passing of the Ebony Alert in California. This new law creates an emergency alert system to help find missing Black youth and women between the ages of 12 and 25.
First strategic planning retreat...
In October, BAMFI held its first strategic planning retreat and team building event. The two-day event brought together the board and the team responsible for the day-to-day operations of the organization. The focus was on discussing ways to improve the organization by enhancing services for families, fostering community engagement, and building relationships with media and law enforcement. The retreat laid out a roadmap for the organization, with tangible action steps, to create a stronger and more effective organization in 2024 and beyond.
HWB Holiday Edition Campain
BAMFI’s December HWB Holiday Edition campaign exceeded our fundraising goal of $5,000, thanks to the incredible contributions of our BAMFI supporters. This campaign was not only a success in terms of fundraising, but also in bringing joy to children who are facing the challenge of having a missing parent or loved one.
The leading resource on topics related to missing people of color...
This year, BAMFI continued to establish itself as the leading resource on topics related to missing people of color. The foundation garnered hundreds of media interviews and mentions, resulting in extensive coverage for cases on major platforms, including Dateline, The Breakfast Club, People, Washington Post, GMA, Scripps, The Root, USA Today. The foundation also secured media partnerships with Access Hollywood and OP Nation. Notably, BAMFI contributed to the conversation around the Carlee Russell case with Op-eds published in Essence and The Grio. Co-founder Natalie Wilson was also named among the Root 100, a prestigious list of 2023’s most influential Black Americans, highlighting the impact of her work in the community as the publicist for the foundation and the families its serves.
Financial support...
BAMFI was honored to receive financial support from various notable organizations, including a $15,000 donation from The Gabby Petito Foundation that was presented at CrimeCon 2023, a $66,000 award from TSP (Traffic Sales & Profit) at its annual conference in Atlanta presented by founders Lamar and Ronnie Tyler, and Focus for Health provided a donation of $40,000.
What’s Ahead for 2024
January 19
BAMFI hosts panel at RTDNA's Crime Coverage Summit
The RTDNA Crime Coverage Summit in New Orleans is a gathering of the most prominent broadcast news leaders and journalists who will have the opportunity to examine and address crime coverage in TV news. The event is aimed at providing an education and training opportunity for journalists to improve their crime coverage tactics in their newsrooms and the industry at large. BAMFI’s panel titled “Media Bias Barrier: Covering Missing Persons Cases” will feature Josh Mankiewicz, Correspondent, Dateline NBC, as the moderator. This is an excellent opportunity for journalists to learn from BAMFI’s expertise in tackling the issue of missing persons cases and how to cover them without bias.
February 1 at 7:30 pm ET
Media training for families
If you have a missing loved one of color, you know how difficult it can be to get the attention of the media and the public. That’s why BAMFI is now offering a live virtual media training session for families. During this training, you will learn how to effectively communicate with the media to get your loved one’s story heard and reach a wider audience. By sharing your loved one’s story through various media channels, you can increase the chances of finding them and bringing them home. Sign up for the media training today. Space is limited to first 250 participants. Register here https://streamyard.com/watch/AzSXie5iVv7A
Expansion of the Volunteer Program
The Black and Missing Foundation needs your support as we expand our volunteer program to new cities and introduce new initiatives. This means that more communities will have access to the organization’s resources and support, and more individuals will be able to get involved and make a difference. Stay tuned for more details.
June 1 at 8AM - National Harbor, MD
Hope without Boundaries 5K Walk-Run
Mark your calendars for the upcoming Hope Without Boundaries 5k Walk-Run at the National Harbor. This event is not only an opportunity to get your heart pumping and enjoy the great outdoors, but it is also a chance to support our efforts to help us find us. To stay updated on the latest event details, visit hwb5k.org. For sponsorship opportunities, contact the race director at hwb5k (at) bamfi.org.
Thank you again for your unwavering support of BAMFI. We look forward to continuing our work together and making an even greater impact in 2024.