In just 5 years, NABJ has lost out on more than $5 million through its misguided investment strategy. This wasn’t money spent on programming, staffing, or member services — it was money earmarked for investment, squandered in low-performing strategies that lagged the market year after year.
This matters. Those millions — money easily within our grasp — could have transformed our organization:
- Doubled scholarships to future journalists
- Created and funded fellowships at local, regional and national companies
- Increased funding for local chapters and NABJ task forces
- Hired staff to improve convention planning and daily operations
- Revamped our website and digital infrastructure
- Strengthened Black News & Views with more editors and reporters
- Launched new protections for Black journalists facing layoffs, harassment and retaliation
This isn’t theoretical. It’s math. Put simply: The money matters.
NABJ does not disclose its financial investments, however, the organization is forced to disclose its investment returns. From 2019 to 2023, NABJ’s investments returned just 1.4% annually. The stock market over that same span? 17.4% per year on average — a gap that cost us more than $1 million per year.
The missed investment gains during this five-year period could have paid for all of NABJ’s program service expenses for multiple years.
To give just one example of the impact of this underperformance, let’s look at 2021. In that year, NABJ invested $4.4 million and got back $93,000 — a 2.1% return. A basic S&P 500 index fund would have returned $2.23 million with the same money. That’s over $2 million in missed gains.
We cannot go back in time, but we can fix this — and we must.
Today, NABJ holds more than $8 million in assets — yet it has $2.4 million sitting in a checking account, earning nothing. Transfer that money to a basic high-yield savings account? The resulting interest alone could have funded all NABJ scholarships for both 2022 and 2023, with money to spare.
This is why financial literacy, transparency, and vision are at the heart of my campaign for NABJ President.
Let me be clear: My opponents have still not addressed this financial mismanagement and have no plans to do so.
But I will. Here’s how we change things and immediately get NABJ back on track:
My First 100 Days as NABJ President:
1. Move Idle Funds into High-Yield Accounts We’ll shift millions currently sitting in zero-interest checking into federally-insured high-yield accounts — earning real returns with the same protections.
2. Adopt Smarter, Simpler Investments We will divest from opaque, underperforming portfolios and reinvest in low-cost, high-performance index funds that have beaten 90% of the world’s best asset managers over the past 20 years. No hedge funds. No gimmicks. Just smart, proven strategy.
3. Leverage Our Balance Sheet We’ll open NABJ’s first-ever business lines of credit with trusted financial institutions, using our reserve strength to:
- Lower convention costs
- Seed regional/local events
- Fund a rapid-response team to protect our members
- Hire professional staff with experience driving organizational excellence
4. Commit to Full Financial Transparency We will publish clear quarterly reports on NABJ’s website — no more digging through tax filings. Members deserve to know how much money we have and where it’s going.
Every dollar NABJ fails to manage well is a missed opportunity for journalists on the ground — from students looking for scholarships to veterans facing newsroom layoffs.
Mistakes were made. Now we fix them — and build an NABJ that protects, uplifts and empowers its members at all levels.
It’s time to invest in us — smarter, bolder, and more transparently.
Let’s do this — together.
I’m running for NABJ President to make it happen.