Social Justice Fund Northwest supports organizations that are community based and that use community organizing to achieve their goals. Our grantees are led by people from the communities most impacted by injustice and inequality.
American Friends Service Committee | Seattle, WA: The American Friends Service Committee’s Community Justice Program will use this funding for three connected youth initiatives: Freedom School, Youth Undoing Institutional Racism (YUIR), and End the Prison Industrial Complex (EPIC) campaign.
The Freedom School focuses on building social consciousness and leadership skills needed to become critically engaged in community issues. Through Youth Undoing Institutional Racism (YUIR) the work of the Freedom School is transformed into an incubator for community engagement. The young people who are part of YUIR are encouraged to acknowledge their lived experience and inherent power, and to insert themselves in the conversation the city has about them. Initiated by the YUIR group, The End the Prison Industrial Complex (EPIC) Campaign is now a mutigenerational project with a focus on confronting the issues of racism and over incarceration in the King County juvenile justice system while proposing and advocating for alternatives to juvenile detention.
Clatsop-Nehalem Confederated Tribes | Seaside, OR: Clatsop-Nehalem Confederated Tribes’ mission is to revitalize its Tribal Heritage and Culture, and to gain Federal Restoration. This grant will fund the tribe’s “push” to be restored to a federally recognized Tribe by having House Bill, 5215 re-introduced in Congress and passed. The tribe will use the funds for economic strategic planning, community organizing, travel to Washington D.C. to testify, and support in making changes to the bill if requested by Congress, and for protecting and helping Tribal Restoration keeping them free from maltreatment as they work move this historic bill forward to restore the tribe as a recognized Indian Tribe.
Catalyst For Kids Parents Advocacy Committee | Seattle, WA: Catalyst for Kids will support the Washington State Parent Advocacy Committee, a statewide committee of parents which is administratively supported by Catalyst for Kids. The Washington State Parent Advocacy Network is a statewide organization of parents who are “veterans” of the child welfare system. They have personal experience with Child Protective Services (CPS), first losing, then regaining custody of their children. Having reclaimed their own lives and families, they now advocate for parents entering the child welfare system. This entails peer advocacy that helps parents address barriers to safely reunifying with their children and policy advocacy that addresses the root issues underlying the barriers those parents face. The grant will support WSPAN organizing, leadership development, coalition building and policy advocacy.
CAUSA Oregon | Salem, OR: Causa is Oregon’s statewide Latino immigrant rights organization with a mission to foster a society that recognizes the contributions of immigrants and upholds the values of democracy, equality, and respect.
Colectiva Legal del Pueblo | Burien, WA: Funding from Social Justice Fund will support Colectiva’s work with Families Organizing to Stop Deportations, a project formed in response to the Spring 2014 hunger strikes at Northwest Detention Center. Immigrant detainees organized the strike to demand better treatment, the opportunity to fight their cases from home, and an end to deportations. Families of detainees play a critical role in supporting the strike by acting as a conduit for communication, and by becoming public about their own struggles. Strikers’ families are connecting with other families and have expressed that their actions are for all immigrants.
Community to Community Development | Bellingham, WA: Community to Community Development (C2C) is a place based, women-led grassroots organization working for a just society and healthy communities. We are committed to systemic change and to creating strategic alliances that strengthen local and global movements towards social, economic and environmental justice. We believe that another world is possible and we are active participants with other popular people’s movements. We strive to reclaim our humanity by redefining power in order to end settler colonialism, capitalism, and patriarchy, in their external and internalized forms. We prioritize the analysis of women of color, and the actions and solutions proposed by the most directly-affected immigrant, farmworker, low-wage worker, youth, LGBTQ communities in rural Whatcom and Skagit counties. We cultivate deep solidarity relationships with sister organizations through larger regional, national and global coalitions that move social, economic, environmental, racial, and gender justice forward.
Duwamish River Clean Up Coalition/Technology Advisory Group (DRCC/TAG) | Seattle, WA: DRCC/TAG is a community-led organization representing low-income and diverse residents, Tribes and fishing families affected by the Duwamish River Superfund site. In the next 2–3 years, EPA will make final decisions about the river cleanup and associated public health interventions. DRCC/TAG is working to represent the directly affected communities, particularly native Spanish and Vietnamese speakers in South Park and fishing community members from South Seattle and South King County to ensure the EPA’s accountability to, the communities directly affected by the Superfund site.
The Equality State Policy Center (ESPC) | Casper, WY: ESPC works through research, public education and advocacy to hold state and local governments accountable to the people they represent, and help Wyomingites participate effectively in public policymaking. ESPC will use funds to expand reach throughout the state, build progressive coalition, and particularly to work with low-income, minority, and working people in Wyoming. ESPC’s goal is to work towards more equitable public policies and enhanced transparency in state and local government. ESPC will use several strategies, including educating the public through media and online communication, empowering and mobilizing supporters to speak out on these issues, and pressuring policymakers on specific solutions.
Gabriela Seattle (formerly Pinay sa Seattle) | Seattle, WA: GABRIELA Seattle is a collective of Filipino women celebrating our multifaceted identities, revolutionary history and rich culture. We work to build a community in the Seattle area invested in educating, defending and advocating for the human rights of Filipinas all over the world. We were founded in 2006 by a group of Filipino American women in Seattle who saw the need to organize their community into a political force with an anti-oppression and anti-imperialist vision.
Gender Expansion Project | Missoula, MT: The Gender Expansion Project’s mission is to promote gender inclusive education and awareness surrounding transgender, transsexual, intersex and gender diverse people through evidence based care, education, research, advocacy, public and private policy and respect in transgender health and wellbeing. We, as an organization, envision the future of the project bringing together diverse professionals dedicated to developing best practices and supportive policies and programs throughout Eastern Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and the Dakotas which promote health, research, education, respect, dignity and equality for transgender, transsexual, intersex and gender diverse people of the rural northwest and beyond.
Got Green | Seattle, WA: Got Green’s mission is to ensure that low income communities and communities of color in Seattle and South King County gain equal access to and reap the benefits of the green movement and green economy: green jobs, healthy food, energy efficient and healthy homes, and quality public transportation. They do this by cultivating community leaders to organize, educate, advocate and build coalitions.
Idaho Community Action Network (ICAN) | Boise, ID: Funding will further ICAN’s work to combat criminalization of immigrant communities using leadership development tactics, direct actions, legislative visits, educational forums, civic engagement work, and a rural strategy. In addition to other campaigns, ICAN’s families are fighting for social, racial and economic justice by supporting immigration reform. We are focusing on is the ever increasing criminalization of immigrants through the immigration enforcement system.
ICAN’s goals include launching a Civic Engagement Campaign where we will register 2,500 new citizens and provide education on the issues facing our community. Through ICAN’s radio station we will fortify weekly programming with issue education of criminalization and build public support for all campaigns.ICAN will continue to build power for the Fair Licensing Campaign in preparation for the legislative session. This includes collecting 7,000 petitions, hosting educational forums, movement building and youth trainings, and creating coalitions with unlikely allies such as sheriff’s and insurance agents. We will also release a report that not only strengthens the economic and statistical argument, but elevates the stories of Idaho immigrant families.
Incarcerated Mothers Advocacy Project | Seattle, WA: IMAP provides legal education to incarcerated mothers and engages incarcerated mothers in developing policy strategies to reduce the chances of family separation as well as incarceration of women in Washington State. This grant will support establishing and making sustainable, a currently un-funded and volunteer only project that organizes women in prison. The grant would support providing a leadership training for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated mothers in WA, by Women on the Rise Telling Herstory (WORTH), a New York based advocacy/consultant group comprised of currently & formerly incarcerated women.
Indian Peoples Action (IPA) | Butte, MT: IPA’s mission is to work in Montana urban areas, and border towns of several Indian reservations to organize for social, economic and racial justice. IPA is deliberate through its training and listening sessions to cross the boundaries of race and class among those participating. Indian People’s Action is organizing to address the practices that lead to a disproportionate number of native people being imprisoned in Montana and the poor treatment of Indians imprisoned and paroled in Montana. The goal is to organize for a state investigation to publicly expose the poor practices within the private prison and parole systems resulting in the termination of contracts and begin to build toward a commitment to creating alternative sentencing.
Momentum Alliance | Portland, OR: Momentum Alliance is a youth-led non-profit, with experienced coaches, whose mission is to inspire youth to realize their power individually and collectively and to mentor future social justice leaders. We have two programs, Student Alliance Project, our “pre-apprenticeship” leadership program and Leveraging Momentum, our “journey level” leadership network that support underrepresented youth to become our public, private and non-profit sectors’ next leaders, decision makers, advocates and organizers. This grant supports Reproductive Justice camps, development of reproductive justice analysis, curricula, and resources, and other ongoing reproductive justice work.
Montana Immigrant Justice Alliance (MIJA) | Helena, MT: The Montana Immigrant Justice Alliance (“MIJA”) is a statewide organization dedicated to giving voice to the immigrant communities in Montana and working to improve their lives over the long term. MIJA works to educate the public about our migrant communities, and provide services to empower these communities. Funding will be used to expand and continue our grassroots organizing, public education and advocacy efforts in the criminal justice arena. Montana is a small state and the funding will have a greater impact in Montana because it will affect the entire state rather than a large locality.
Montana Women Vote (MWV) | Missoula, MT: Montana Women Vote is a statewide coalition that works to engage, organize, and mobilize low-income women as informed voters, policy advocates, and community leaders. Montana Women Vote believes that civic action, policy change, and leadership development can together shift the balance of power and improve the lives of those in poverty. This grant will provide general support to allow Montana Women Vote to expand and deepen their economic justice work through community organizing, electoral engagement, and leadership development with low-income women in Montana. Montana Women Vote’s work covers multiple issues, including access to health care, voter rights, LGBTQ equality, and more. MWV and MHRN, both SJF grantees, and a number of other coalition partners, lost in their attempt to get Medicaid expansion on the ballot in MT this year. They were unable to collect enough verified signatures to qualify. They are re-grouping and are optimistic about taking Medicaid Expansion to the legislature during the 2015 session. Medicaid expansion in MT would mean 70,000 more people insured
Native Youth Leadership Alliance (NYLA) | Multiple Tribal Nations – NYLA invests in young Native American leaders to create culturally based community change. through a foundational leadership program that provides culturally based training, resources, and a community of support; to help young Native leaders create positive change in their communities. Grant supported by the Next Generation Giving Project
The 8 NYLA fellows in Washington are from the Lummi, Yakama and Dine’ Nations, Wanapum, Nooksack and Kaw Tribes and majority are affiliated with Northwest Indian College. The 5 NYLA fellows in Montana are from the Blackfeet Nation, Apsaalooke (Crow) Nation, Northern Cheyenne Nation, Winnebago Tribe and Ft. Belknap Indian Community and affiliated with Salish Kootenai College.
Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc. | Portland, OR: Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc. is dedicated to promoting success for women in the trades through education, leadership and mentorship. TOOLS (Tradeswomen Organized for Outreach, Leadership & Support) is a membership driven program that mobilizes diverse tradeswomen’s leadership and activism skills to advocate for quality, safe, and equitable workplaces and communities. This provides an avenue for tradeswomen, OTI, and community allies to directly combat institutional and systemic barriers in the building trades, address racial and gender equities in the trades, become engaged citizens, and fight for gender, racial, economic, environmental and social justice for all.
OPAL – ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE | Portland, OR: Bus Riders Unite (a project of OPAL) is the premier transit rider union in Oregon, working in Portland metro to empower transit-dependent riders to raise their collective voices to influence transportation decision-making to ensure equitable outcomes. This grant provides resources to support continued leadership development, assisting with community education, organizing, and mobilization to build power for transit justice and civil rights.
PFLAG Portland Black Chapter | Portland, OR: Portland’s African-American/Black PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) chapter promotes the health and well-being of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons, their families and friends through: support, to cope with an adverse society; education, to enlighten an ill-informed public; and advocacy, to end discrimination and secure equal human rights. PFLAG provides an opportunity for dialogue about race, sexual orientation and gender identity, and acts to create a society that is healthy and respectful of human diversity.
Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste | Woodburn, OR: PCUN is Oregon’s farmworker union dedicated to improving working and living conditions in farm labor by empowering workers to understand and take action against systematic exploitation and all of its effects. PCUN works to institutionalize a fair labor system. Members of PCUN participate in marches, rallies, forums and civic hearings on issues such as immigration, labor rights, fair housing and discrimination.
Q/TPOC Birthwerq Project | Seattle, WA: The Q/TPOC Birthwerq Project is a collective of queer and trans* people of color (Q/TPOC) committed to continuing a reproductive justice movement that is grounded in its roots within poc communities and is skilled at supporting transgender and queer people. We define RJ as when all people have the social, political, and economic power and resources to make healthy decisions about our gender, bodies and sexuality for ourselves, families and communities. This grant supports an ongoing cycle of workshops and facilitated circles to teach and share about labor support, reproductive justice, and trans-competent pregnancy support for q/tpoc communities across the U.S. Our focus will be on cultivating reproductive awareness and skill in poc communities, with an emphasis on queer and trans experience.
Red Lodge Transition Services (RLTS) | Portland, OR: Promotes and develops culturally competent pre and post incarceration programs that aid in prevention, foster responsibility, and promotes respect and the empowerment of the individual, family and community.
Rural Organizing Project | Scappoose, OR: ROP’s mission is to strengthen the skills, resources, and vision of primary leadership in local autonomous human dignity groups with a goal of keeping such groups a vibrant source for a just democracy. ROP seeks to put rural communities at the center of the fight for economic justice with an aspirational view of the small town “Commons.” ROP will use a Rural Oregon Listening Project and Living Room Conversation to develop shared analysis that connects the dots between Right-wing strategies to divide and dominate our communities for corporate profit. ROP will work with member human dignity groups to develop local economic justice organizing campaigns that push-back against corporate control of politics, the economy and our democracy.
Seattle Young People’s Project (SYPP) | Seattle, WA: Seattle Young Peoples Project (SYPP) focuses on youth-led organizing and movement building in Seattle and greater Seattle area. They are working to build up Seattle’s capacity and knowledge of the School to Prison Pipeline (STPP) and best strategies to use during police encounters as well as direct actions you can take against police brutality. SYPP addresses root causes of the STPP by organizing towards institutionalizing Restorative Justice in two Seattle public schools as well as organizing to encourage Seattle politicians to shift laws.
SpectActors | Gresham, OR: Develops leadership, organizing and advocacy capacity for collective action to dismantle institutional oppression through creating knowledge, and practicing methodologies that assure everyone’s participation.
Statewide Poverty Action Network (SPAN) | Seattle, WA: Funding from Social Justice Fund will support SPAN’s work to engage, train, and support people with low incomes and people of color statewide as they promote legislative and structural change. In particular, funding will support member-driven campaigns to: 1) enact comprehensive reform to Washington state’s Legal Financial Obligation (LFO) system that keeps people who have been incarcerated and their families stuck in cycle of poverty, and 2) tell the stories of people living in poverty and connecting them to policy priorities.
Standing Against Foreclosure & Eviction (SAFE) | Seattle, WA: SAFE is a community organization whose mission is to fight for racial, social and economic justice and gender equality by fostering working class power through direct action, coalition building, education, and advocacy. SAFE’s efforts are primarily focused on those facing unjust foreclosures and bank evictions in the greater Seattle area. This funding will be used to hire paid staff for SAFE’s growing organization. This staff member would serve as a communications coordinator between Outreach, Message, and Tactical working groups and bring progress reports to the Board.
Village of Hope (VOH) | Seattle, WA: Village of Hope works in cooperation with other organizations and with elders, children, youth and adults to build and experience a strong, healthy community where people are liberated to live powerfully in every aspect of their lives. Their goal is to support leaders re-entering community who have actively participated in the Black Prisoners Caucus to connect and strengthen criminal justice organizing work in the community. VOH works closely with a number of organizations working to deconstruct the “womb to prison” pipeline using an anti-racist approach.
Voz Workers Rights Education Project |Portland, OR: Funding will support local collaborative efforts within the Not One More Deportation Campaign, Activists Coming Together (A.C.T.) Network to end Police/ICE Collaboration in Multnomah County in Oregon, and mobilizing for Oregon Driver’s Card ballot in Oregon.
Women’s Housing Equality and Enhancement League (WHEEL) | Seattle, WA: WHEEL is a grassroots organizing effort of homeless and formerly homeless women working to increase dignity, safety and resources for homeless women and to advocate for systemic changes towards ending homelessness. We formed in 1993 to advocate for more shelter and safety for homeless women in an empowering and dignified way that engaged women in creating and operating programs to address their own problems. WHEEL’s mission hasn’t changed but our work has grown and diversified with many more projects to engage a larger and more diverse group of women and to meet more women’s specific skills and strengths. Our vision is empowerment through social engagement. WHEEL gives voice and empowerment to women to engage them in creating and changing programs to fit their own needs. We know that the people affected by a problem must be involved in the solution.
Women Restored | Fort Washakie, WY: Women Restored is a community education, engagement and awareness organization. This includes but is not limited to: Seeking to end sexual and physical violence against women and children, and all violence; strengthening community attitudes on the traditional sacredness of women, children and all life; revitalizing culture and a healthy identity; fortifying tribal self-governance; enacting restorative justice practices; reinforcing kinship ties and dignity of every community member that includes self-determination; supporting safe, healthy, and happy families as our ancestors intended for us; and practicing the values of our Shoshone and Arapaho grandmothers and grandfathers so that they may live on through us and in future generations. This grant supports work to support empowerment of two-spirit youth and community members within the Wind River Indian Reservation and prevent gender violence. We will organize to create space for this target population to gain equitable power and resources by changing community norms and attitudes through research, strategic culturally-relevant social marketing campaigns, raising the visibility and skills of two-spirit allies, and creating meaningful leadership roles for more two-spirit youth and individuals within our organization.