Our funding strategy: social change from the bottom up

The Social Justice Fund prioritizes community organizing because we believe lasting change comes from the bottom up, affecting not just the political and economic system, but also the culture of communities. The Fund gives highest priority to organizations led by people who are on the downside of power relations—those who have suffered from a historical pattern of discrimination resulting in impoverishment, economic exploitation, continuing social prejudice, or outright disenfranchisement. We prioritize these groups because addressing their extreme vulnerability to injustice demands the most broad-reaching reforms with the most far-reaching political, economic, and social impacts.

The Social Justice Fund seeks to distribute funds broadly throughout our region. While most community organizing funding criteria advantages urban organizations, we give special consideration to rural groups. This ensures the most even distribution of funds possible within our strategic priorities.

*Note: Totals do not add up to 100% because many organizations are in more than one category. For example, the dollars awarded to racial justice work also include some grants to immigrant rights and youth organizations.

Funding Racial Justice in the Northwest and Northern Rockies

The Social Justice Fund NW gives a high priority to groups addressing racial justice issues, especially to those based in communities of color. This reflects both a moral and strategic commitment among our members to combat racism by building political power in communities of color. Among organizations with primarily white constituencies, our grantmaking prioritizes those that actively participate as allies in racial justice struggles. As a result of this commitment, in 2005 we distributed $602,374 — or 73% of total grant dollars awarded — to racial justice organizations. Of this, 41% went to urban organizations, and 59% to rural organizations. Following is a further breakdown of our racial justice funding:

Racial Justice Dollars Awarded by Constituency

NOTE: one grant of $1,200 to an Arab American organization is not reflected below, because it is too small an amount to be statistically significant.

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Racial Justice Dollars Awarded by Issue Area

NOTE: the total amount of dollars shown below is 23% more than the actual total granted because of issue overlap — that is, some groups work on more than one issue.