New Grants Training Inspires Grantmakers

On a rainy Saturday on January 7th, 15 enthusiastic members of the Basic, Three-Year, Cultural, and Technical Assistance grants committees attended a day-long training at the Yesler Community Center in Seattle. The event was designed to review the Social Justice Fund NW's grantmaking strategy, to inform the committee members about progressive organizing in our region, and to practice evaluating sample grant proposals.

This was the first year that members from different grant committees have attended a training together. This new approach to our Grants Training was met with resounding approval by the attendees, who valued the interaction between different committee members and the opportunity to address issues that come up in each grant cycle. Members also appreciated how the training explicitly highlighted the Fund's commitment to progressive values, and that it acknowledged the racial and class-based tensions that exist in philanthropy - even at the Social Justice Fund. "So many trainings I've attended pretend these dynamics don't exist," said one participant. "It's such a relief to put this all out on the table at the very beginning."

The training not only focused on process but also on protocol for the evaluation of grant proposals. The agenda also included a discussion about progressive organizing in our region. Soya Jung Harris, the Grants and Program Director at SJF, gave a synopsis of the organizing efforts in the five-state region of Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. This included a demographic, economic, and political snapshot of each state, and an explanation of some of the social trends that we have seen over the last few years. Committee members appreciated this component of the training and felt that it was useful to hear about the organizations that have received funds from SJF and the issues that they are working to address.

Part of the day was also used to discuss the history and the strategies of the political Right. Scot Nakagawa, the Grants and Program Manager, has done extensive research on how the political Right has developed their identity and influence, and how they have come to be successful in obtaining funds and organizing constituencies around anti-immigration measures, attacks on LGBT communities, attacks on affirmative action, etc. By using examples of how the Right has operated in the SJF region, this discussion reminded committee members about why our role as progressive grantmakers is essential. One committee member remarked, "I learned a lot today- especially about the Right. It is useful to know how it all happened and to better understand what my role is in countering rightwing strategies".

Inspired by the training, new Three-Year Grant Committee member Sarita Sisquieros has taken the initiative to spark more relationship building before the grant cycle starts, by hosting a social get together for her committee later this month. If you are a member of SJF and are interested in serving on a grantmaking committee in the future, please contact Soya Jung Harris at soya@socialjusticefund.org. If you are not a member, and wish to become one, please visit our Get Involved page for more information on how to get involved.