In 1985, the Black United Fund of Illinois (BUFI) became the sixteenth independent affiliate of the National Black United Fund (NBUF). BUFI has continued to develop the idea of charitable fundraising in African American communities; an old and honorable tradition dating back to the Prince Hall Masons.

The current President/CEO, Henry L. English, is supported by a board consisting of nineteen (19) members and lead by its Chairman, Robert Starks, Ph.D. The board represents a cross section of the African American community.

BUFI’s purpose for existing is to provide philanthropic support to projects and programs that address their efforts to the critical needs of African American communities. Among these needs are the effects of federal, state, and local budget cuts in Chicago and across the state. These cuts have devastated many communities turning them into economic and social disaster areas; African American communities are often the hardest hit.

The National Black United Fund (NBUF), headquartered in Newark, New Jersey, is a non-profit, tax exempt federation of affiliates which started more than thirty years ago. It has grown from eight local Black United Funds in 1975 to twenty-three affiliates located in several major cities throughout the United States. They are: