Educating and engaging youth in community activism is vital to accomplish social change. Two Social Justice Fund grantees, Seattle Young People’s Project (SYPP) and the Lummi CEDAR Project, have focused their efforts on organizing youth through political education and leadership development. These two organizations, serving different communities in different ways, truly embody SJF’s values, employing grassroots leadership and community organizing as a vehicle for social change.

This month’s member profile focuses on Sharon Gary-Smith. Sharon is the Chair of the People of Color Caucus of the National Network of Grantmakers. NNG is a membership organization that provides a place for inquiry, leadership development, and best practices to individuals working to achieve more progressive philanthropy.

A coalition of over 40 civil and human rights groups in Washington State declared victory on July 7th when Initiative 946, an anti-immigrant measure, failed to gather enough signatures to qualify for the ballot this November. “We are encouraged that the people of Washington State rejected I-946,” said Michael Ramos, longtime human rights advocate and chair of From Hate to Hope, a statewide coalition that formed last summer to counter the threat of anti-immigrant ballot measures.