2006 Three-Year Capacity Building Grants

2006 Three-Year Support Grants

Organizations selected receive $15,000 a year for each of three years.

Wind River Alliance, Ethete, Wyoming

The Wind River Alliance is a community-based, Native American-led, nonprofit organization based on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming, which is home to the Northern Arapahoe and Eastern Shoshone tribes. WRA works to build a grassroots movement to address environmental racism on the reservation, through community education, collective action, and leadership development. It has active leadership from members of both tribes, with broad community trust and participation in its work. Recently, both tribes decided to hold off on allowing coal bed methane development on the reservation, after WRA held extensive community meetings and education forums on the impacts of such development on the community. One of the main issues that WRA addresses is water rights. The Wind River is being de-watered as a result of non-tribal irrigation that diverts water off of the reservation. During the summer, portions of the river dry up completely, devastating not only the land and wildlife, but also the surrounding community, whose culture and economic security depend on traditional hunting, fishing, and crops. In addition, both tribes have long suffered from environmental health hazards due to polluted air and contaminated drinking water. WRA will use its Support Grant to begin community surveying and water quality testing, and also to start air quality testing near the sulfur plant. Their approach is grassroots and participatory, involving high school students and community members who will be trained to carry out the testing, while learning about environmental health issues. (2006-2008)

Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroseste (PCUN), Woodburn, Oregon

PCUN is a democratically organized, membership-based organization that has long been an anchor for immigrant rights organizing in our region. It is Oregon’s only union of farm, nursery and reforestation workers, and is also the state’s largest Latino organization. PCUN seeks to institutionalize better working and living conditions, to redress the power imbalance between growers and workers, and to establish respect, fairness and dignity as the bases for agricultural employment. This is a critically important time in the life of PCUN and in the history of the immigrant rights movement nationally. In response to unprecedented anti-immigrant legislation at the federal level, millions of immigrants and their allies have taken to the streets in protests across the country. PCUN will use its Support Grant to operate a low-power FM radio station. The request is extremely timely, given the historically unique moment that the immigrant-rights movement is in, and given the foundation of grassroots leadership and support that PCUN has built over the last two decades. The Prometheus radio project is planning a national conference of low-power FM (LPFM) radio advocates in Woodburn in August in support of PCUN’s campaign. Prometheus has been instrumental in the development of two other LPFM stations that the Social Justice Fund has supported – La Radio Montanesa Voz de la Gente in Laramie, Wyoming; and Thin Air Community Radio in Spokane, Washington. (2006-2008)

Seattle Young People’s Project, Seattle, Washington

SYPP is a grassroots, youth-of-color-led organization working to build political power for social justice among young people in Seattle. SYPP has 600 youth members, ages 13 to 19, and is on the cutting edge of youth-led, antiracist organizing in our region. It pursues its mission and goals through popular education, leadership development, and organizing, bringing young people together to identify common issues and problems, and to create shared strategies for addressing them. They are committed to fighting oppression, and as such, incorporate anti-oppression work into their leadership development activities. SYPP is driven by, and accountable to, its youth members. Its youth leadership model moves young people up through the organization through various tiers — from general members to more active youth participants who serve as fundraising interns and potential lead youth organizers, and who undergo SYPP leadership, organizing, and anti-oppression trainings; to lead youth organizers who undergo more intensive political education and training, and who actually lead projects, facilitate meetings, lead political education workshops, etc. SYPP will launch an education campaign about the WASL this fall, and is creating curriculum on the WASL for its Project Liberation program, which develops core youth trainers to lead anti-oppression organizing workshops in schools and at SYPP’s summer Youth Organizing Institute. A Three-Year Support Grant will provide general operating funds. (2006-2008)

2006 Cultural Grants

Grants of $10,000 each to build the capacity of social justice organizations to use arts and cultural expression to achieve social change goals through partnerships with artists. These grants will be awarded later this year.

Center Pole Foundation- Garryowen, MT - $6,000

The Center Pole Foundation’s mission is to preserve and raise awareness of traditional Crow Indian ways and to promote equal opportunity and a just society for the Native American people by providing access to information and resources. This grant will help support the foundation’s efforts to create a digital arts and cultural archive from Crow cultural items that are held in museum collections across the country. By documenting and studying artifacts of their historical culture, they also want to reclaim the original art and craft work. They believe that relearning the traditional arts and crafts of their people will build and strengthen their identity as a people.

Community Alliance of Lane County- Eugene, OR - $6,000

CALC is dedicated to working for a society that is free of bigotry and that upholds human rights and human dignity for all. This grant will support CALC cultural work, which includes creating youth murals and replacing hate graffiti with art; circulating two photo exhibits, student art, essay and poetry contests, and hosting commemorations of the birthdays of Martin Luther King Jr and Cesar Chavez.

Justice Works! – Lake Stevens, WA - $7,350

Justice Works!’ mission is to undo racism in the criminal justice system as experienced by African Americans. This grant will support their “Set Up To Fail” play by increasing public exposure by adding audio and video productions and broadening the audience across the state. Justice Works! is a volunteer-driven organization of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals and their families, friends, and supporters.

Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center- Seattle, WA - $2,500

The Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center serves as Seattle’s authentic, positive and community-driven voice for African American arts and culture work. This grant will support their annual African American Film Festival in April of 2007. This annual event provides films by or about black people from independent filmmakers and features panel discussions, screenplay readings, and in-depth chats with filmmakers. Funds from SJF will allow the LHPAC to bring artists and film critics to the festival for post-screening community dialogue.

Seattle Young People’s Project- Seattle, WA - $2,150

SYPP is a youth-led, adult supported social justice organization that empowers youth to express themselves and take action on the issues that affect their lives. This grant from SJF will support the event planning costs of their Martin Luther King Jr Hip Hop Show. This annual event is a venue for young people to express themselves and raise consciousness about issues they see and experience.

Seattle Debate Foundation– Seattle, WA- $4,500

The Seattle Debate Foundation empowers youth by providing debate training and opportunities to public school students and teachers. This grant will help train students on how to use Hip Hop in public debates and weekend tournaments as a way to challenge and switch the traditional and elite code of debate and develop and articulate critical perspectives on their experiences as under-served youth.

UNETE, Center for Farm worker Advocacy- Eugene, OR- $7,500

UNETE is a movement of farm workers and immigrants that strives to empower and enrich their lives through education and advocacy, representation in issues that affect their lives and organizing to defend immigrant rights. This grant will assist Latino youth in using their creative resources to reduce inequities in educational access and opportunity through the Encuentro de Raices project.

2006 Basic Grants

Basic grants are $7,500 one-year grants awarded for general support or project-specific needs. This is the best entry point for general operating funds for new or emerging groups.

Total - $120,000

Lummi CEDAR Project, Bellingham, WA

The Lummi CEDAR Project is a youth-led organization founded in 1993 by tribal leaders to promote healthy lifestyles supported by traditional values. The organization seeks to improve the health and well-being of the Lummi community through the respect and recognition of the role of traditional values in supporting healthy choices, by building bridges between youth and elders and through youth leadership and community organizing.

Piegan Institute, Browning, MT

The Piegan Institute is an Indian Reservation community inspired nonprofit chartered in 1987 to research, promote and preserve Native American Languages, especially the tribal language of the founders. The Piegan Institute seeks to respond to the destruction of their Mother Tongue, a social injustice by revitalizing, preserving and speaking tribal languages.

Asian and Pacific Islander Women and Family Safety Center, Seattle, WA

The Asian and Pacific Islander Women and Family Safety Center is a grassroots, community-based organization founded in 1993 by women in the Asian and Pacific Islander and domestic violence services provider communities who were concerned about the prevalence of violence against women, including several murders of API women. The Safety Center envisions a community free from violence. The Safety Center’s mission is to organize communities; educate, train and provide technical assistance and comprehensive culturally relevant services on domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking to Asian and Pacific Islander community members, survivors and their families.

A Legacy of Equality, Leadership and Organizing (LELO) – Seattle, WA

LELO is a 34 year-old, grassroots workers organization led by people of color in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1972, LELO represents the coming together of three grassroots workers’ organizations made up of Black construction workers, Asian Pacific American and Native American cannery workers and Latino farm workers. Their mission is “to empower workers of color, low income and women workers to assert our rights, improve our working conditions and gain a voice in our workplaces, unions and communities here in the US and across the globe.”

Idaho Women’s Network Research and Education Fund, Boise, ID

The Idaho Women’s Network Research and Education Fund was created in 1988 to protect and promote the equality of women through grassroots organizing to impact public policy. The Idaho Women’s Network unites the voices and interests of Idaho women, families and communities through community organizing, advocacy and education.

People’s Institute Northwest, Seattle, WA

People’s Institute NW is a multi-racial, people of color led organization dedicated to engaging all communities in the struggle to create an anti-racist society with equal opportunity for everyone. People’s Institute is involved in coalition building and community organizing, and provides workshops and technical assistance aimed at addressing racism within individuals and moving them to take action against institutional racism.

Statewide Poverty Action Network, Seattle, WA

SPAN organizes Washington State’s most disenfranchised low-income people to engage in meaningful civic action as leaders, educating the public and advocating for public policy to eliminate poverty and create social change. SPAN is a major force in facilitating the participation of low-income people in local, state and national elections.

VOZ Workers Rights Education Project, Portland, OR

VOZ works with low-wage immigrant workers and their allies, with a special focus on day laborers. VOZ is building community leadership to advance humane immigration policy and defend workers’ rights through community organizing, popular education, leadership development training, and community-building activities.

Unete, Center for Farmworker Advocacy, Medford, OR

Unete is a movement of farmworkers and immigrants in rural Southern Oregon that is educating their community and advocating for workers’ rights, humane immigration policy, and full participation for immigrant workers in the decision-making processes affecting their lives. Unete is the only Latino-led non-profit in Oregon’s Rogue Valley, home to one of the fastest growing Latino communities in the region.

Latinos Unidos Siempre, Salem, OR

LUS is a Latino youth-led grassroots organization that works in Salem and surrounding mid-Willamette Valley communities to advance the educational, cultural, social and political development and participation of Latino youth. LUS involves youth in community organizing on a range of issues including racial profiling and criminal justice reform; educational access and equity; and humane immigration policy.

The Interfaith Alliance of Idaho, Boise, ID

The Interfaith Alliance is a statewide organization made up of progressive clergy and people of faith who have united to challenge those who distort and manipulate religion to advance extreme political agendas. TIA promotes the positive role of religion as a healing and constructive force in public life through such programs and Interfaith Forums; Interfaith Religious Leaders Network; Interfaith Youth Alliance; and Finding Common Ground: Undoing Oppression.

Chaya, Seattle, WA

Chaya is a diverse organization led by South Asian women and their allies that exists to accomplish two goals: 1) to serve South Asian women experiencing domestic violence and abuse, and 2) develop and support the leadership of South Asian women in the struggle to end domestic violence through educating and mobilizing individuals and families within the South Asian community to address domestic violence issues.

Community to Community Development, Bellingham, WA

Community to Community Development is a women-led, grassroots organization committed to creating strategic alliances that strengthen local and global social and economic and environmental justice. Community to Community Development is currently involved in organizing and immigrant leadership group to advocate for humane and just immigration reform, continue and expand their legal observer program, and continue community education concerning the vigilante anti-immigrant Minuteman Project in Whatcom County.

Community Alliance of Tenants, Portland, OR T

he Community Alliance of Tenants is a multi-racial, tenant-led, membership driven organization that organizes and empowers low-income renters in Oregon to demand and obtain safe, affordable and stable rental housing. CAT conducts building-based and issue campaigns addressing issues of concern to renters, and a volunteer-staffed Renters’ Hotline.

Center for Intercultural Organizing, Portland, OR

The Center for Intercultural Organizing was originally created to combat widespread anti-Muslim sentiment after 9/11/2001. Today, the Center has grown into is a diverse, grassroots organization working to build a multi-racial, multi-cultural movement for immigrant and refugee rights through education, policy advocacy, community organizing and mobilization, and intergenerational leadership development.

Montana People’s Action, Missoula, MT

Montana People’s Action is a diverse organization of low to moderate income Montanans working together to achieve social, economic, and racial justice through organizing for direct action. MPA is building a working collaborative between their low-income white members, urban Indians, and Montana tribes to address their common interests in changing public attitudes and public policies to benefit working poor people in Montana.

2006 Rapid Response Grants

In 2006, Social Justice Fund supported 17 organizations with Rapid Response grants of up to $1000, totaling $16,250.00.

American Friends Service Committee- Seattle, WA

AFSC received a $500 Rapid Response grant to support the “Solidarity March for Human Rights and Economic Justice” held in Seattle on September 4, 2006. AFSC is a Quaker organization that includes people of all faiths and backgrounds who share a commitment to peace, social and economic justice and humanitarian aid.

Bitterroot Human Rights Alliance- Hamilton, MT

The Bitterroot Human Rights Alliance received $1000 to respond to the holding of a US House of Representatives Resources Committee hearing on immigration in Hamilton, MT. BHRA protested the hearing by picketing and leafleting, and organized a counter-hearing and press conference to educate the community on the devastating effects of the proposed House and Senate bills.

CAUSA- Salem, OR

A grant of $1,000 was awarded to CAUSA to help cover the mobilization and material costs for two events held in February and March of 2006. CAUSA participated in a press conference on February 14th to release a regional report on the state of immigrant rights in the Northwest. On March 4th, CAUSA joined coalition partners in Portland to participate in a rally and march against H.R.4437- the Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act (“Sensenbrenner bill”), an anti-immigrant piece of legislation passed by the House of Representatives an considered by the Senate Judiciary committee.

Comite Pro Amnistia General y Justicia Social- Seattle, WA

The COMITE received $1,000 from Social Justice Fund to respond to national mobilization calls for the National Day of Action on April 10, 2006. COMITE works to educate, organize and mobilize members of the Latino community to work on behalf of comprehensive immigration reform. The COMITE organized two major marches and rallies in Seattle, which attracted thousands of supporters and new community members.

Community to Community Development- Bellingham, WA

C2C is a women-led, grassroots organization working to build healthy communities and a just society. C2C received $1000 to organize against the National Minuteman Project’s (MMP) efforts to conduct armed border watches on the U.S./Canadian border. C2C responded to this by organizing community opposition to the Minuteman Project and establishing a Legal Observer Program to educate the community on the MMP and their agenda.

Idaho Community Action Network- Boise, ID

ICAN received $1000 from the Social Justice Fund to organize the “March for Immigrant Justice” on April 9th, 2006 in Boise. ICAN works to build a powerful grassroots multi-racial movement dedicated to social change by working with immigrants, people with disabilities, and low-income Idahoans to organize campaigns for social, racial and economic justice in Idaho.

Military Families Speak Out- WA Chapter - Kent, WA

The local Washington Chapter of Military Families Speak Out received $1000 to mount a campaign to have Seattle become the 101st city to pass a “Bring the Troops Home Now Resolution” and to become a City for Peace. MFSO is a national organization comprised of military families whose loved ones have served, or are serving in Iraq.

Mujeres Luchadoras Progresistas- Woodburn, OR

MLP received $1,000 to support the mobilization of community members for a May 1st march for immigrant rights in Salem, OR. This march coincided with the Day of Action in conjunction with nation-wide efforts to coordination a work stoppage, where immigrants withheld their economic power for one day by not going to work or purchasing anything. Funds assisted MLP with the costs of radio ads and transportation to and from the rally.

Nodutdol- Woodside, NY

Nodutdol promotes the self-determination and unification of the Korean people through community development and grassroots organizing. Nodutdol received a $1000 Rapid Response grant to support a mass-mobilization in Seattle in opposition to the Korea-US Free Trade Agreement. Nodutdol and other collaborating organizations picketed the FTA negotiation site every morning, held public rallies and marches, workshops, and forums to exchange ideas and strategies.

Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste (PCUN)- Woodburn, OR

PCUN received a $1,000 Rapid Response grant to support mobilization, media, and logistical expenses for the march and rally held in Salem, OR on April 9th. PCUN is Oregon’s farmworker union, dedicated to improving working and living conditions by empowering workers to understand and take action against systematic exploitation.

Social Change Caravan- Seattle, WA

The Social Change Caravan organizes with Hurricane Katrina survivors to exercise their rights to return to New Orleans. In commemoration of the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, SCC members traveled to New Orleans to assist with ongoing relief and reconstruction efforts. SCC received $1,000 to help defray travel costs of 50 participants.

The Tenants Union of Washington- Seattle, WA

The Tenants Union received $1,000 from Social Justice Fund for an emergency campaign to fight against a resurgence of racial discrimination at a housing complex in Renton, WA. In 1998, The Tenants Union assisted African American mothers who faced unfair evictions from the Avalon Ridge Apartments win a fair housing legal victory in federal court. In 2006, stories of racial discrimination in the same apartment complex began to resurface, prompting The Tenants Union to reorganize on behalf of the affected tenants. This Rapid Response grant funded 40 hours work for organizers to educate tenants on their rights, conduct a strategy meeting, and research potential legal action to pursue.

Unete, Center for Farm Worker Advocacy- Medford, OR

Unete received a $1000 Rapid Response grant to help organize immigrants in response to the Sensenbrenner bill by organizing various actions throughout Medford, OR, and in collaboration with other groups working on the Oregon coast. Unete is a volunteer-led movement of farm workers and immigrants in rural Southern Oregon, working to enrich and empower their lives through education and advocacy.

United for National Health Care- Bellingham, WA

A grant of $750 was awarded to United for National Health Care to help mobilize and educate citizens about single-payer health care through a “Citizen/Congressional Hearing” event in March. UNHC advocates for comprehensive health care for all in the United States, and convened a panel of local, state and national advocates for a national health care system.

Unity Coordinating Committee- Seattle, WA

The Unity Coordinating Committee represents a coalition of organizations active on immigration rights issues. They received $1000 to support the work of their coordinator, Rosalinda Guillen, to mobilize the community to participate in meetings that took place during the Congressional summer recess.

VOZ Workers’ Rights Education Project- Portland, OR

Social Justice Fund awarded $1000 to VOZ Workers’ Rights Education Project to mobilize their constituency to participate in the march and rally against the Sensenbrenner bill in March. VOZ organized a street theater program to educate the community, and hosted educational forums in the weeks leading up to the march to increase turnout at the protest.

Your Family, Friends and Neighbors- Boise, ID

YFFN received $1,000 to hire a membership coordinator to assist with administrative duties as the organization prepares to respond to the anti-LGBT marriage amendment on the ballot in November, 2006. YFFN has organized Idaho’s LGBT community in response to this measure by forming a statewide coalition of LGBT groups and allies by facilitating statewide communication, hosting trainings, and launching a statewide membership campaign.

2006 Technical Assistance Grants

Center for Intercultural Organizing- Portland, OR

The Center for Intercultural Organizing is a “diverse grassroots organization working to build a multi-racial, multi-cultural movement for immigrant and refugee rights through education, policy advocacy, community organizing and mobilization.” The Center received a TA grant of $2,500 to support their video documentation work by purchasing a new laptop computer and software.

Communities Against Rape & Abuse- Seattle, WA

CARA is a multi-racial, multi-gender, intergenerational organization which advances “a broad agenda for liberation and social justice while prioritizing anti-rape work at the center of their organizing”. CARA was awarded $2,000 to help members increase their fundraising capacity by developing a grassroots donor based infrastructure, and to increase the leadership skills of CARA’s membership.

Community Alliance of Tenants- Portland, OR

CAT’s mission is to “organize and empower low-income renters in Oregon to demand and obtain safe, stable and affordable rental housing”. CAT received $3,000 to support the improvement of their website and overall technological infrastructure.

Connections- Bozeman, MT

Connections works with people “directly affected by the criminal justice system so that they can build and create positive change.” By working with prisoners and formerly incarcerated individuals, Connections educates providers and agencies about the drug using culture, HIV/HepC testing and counseling, as well as voter registration projects. Connections received a $3000 TA grant to assist with Board of Directors development, website and technology upgrades, and to lease a new copier/printer.

From Hate to Hope- Seattle, WA

From Hate to Hope mobilizes pro-immigrant activists and organizations to “educate voters about anti-immigrant ballot initiatives, build political power for immigrant and refugee communities, and to develop a progressive think tank around social justice issues”. From Hate to Hope received a TA grant of $1500 to attend the National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights training in Portland, OR in April. This funding allowed 10 WA state participants to attend.

Jefferson Center- Portland, OR

The Jefferson Center creates opportunities for rural working people to develop skills to work for systemic change. They received $3,000 to purchase interpretation-transmission equipment for their multi-cultural, multi-lingual Contingent Works in Natural Resources program.

Longhouse Media- Seattle, WA

Longhouse Media “catalyzes indigenous people and communities to use media as a form of self-expression, cultural preservation and social change.” Through their Native Lens program, Longhouse Media encourages Native young people to document their own images and tell their stories. They were awarded a $2000 TA grant to help build an operational plan that will fortify their internal capacity.

Northwest Communities Alliance- Silverdale, WA

The NW Communities Alliance is “dedicated to supporting the sovereignty and treaty rights of indigenous peoples and opposes organized and institutional attempts to curtail the inherent rights of trips to self-determination through an integrated research, public education, and organizing program.” They received a TA grant of $3,000 to assist them in registering the organization with the WA Secretary of State, establishing an address, phone, email and fax number, and to begin to develop an overall organizational work plan.

Mano a Mano Family Center- Salem, OR

The Mano a Mano Family Center is a community based organization “whose mission is to educate, organize, and advocate for the Latino community in the Salem-Keizer area”. They received a $3,000 TA grant for the CAPACES Project- a collaborative of nine sister organizations in the farm worker and immigrant community that works to increase the capacity of individual leaders, strengthen interconnections of leaders in different organizations, and encourage organizational and interpersonal collaboration.

Portland Central America Solidarity Committee- Portland, OR

PCASC was awarded a $2,900 TA grant to purchase simultaneous translation equipment for meetings and events, a photocopier, and a digital video projector. PCASC works to educate and mobilize the Portland community to take progressive stands on legislation affecting Latin America and immigrants.

Seattle Young People’s Project- Seattle, WA

SYPP is a youth-led social justice organization that “empowers youth to express themselves and take action on the issues that affect their lives”. SYPP was awarded $1300 to support development of their Board of Directors and build the foundation for a high-functioning board by increasing the size and responsibility of it’s members.

Western States Center- Portland, OR

The Western States Center is an 8 state regional organization that provides training, technical assistance, networking, education and strategic support to progressive grassroots organizations. Social Justice Fund grants $10,000 each year to the Center’s Community Strategic Training Initiative scholarship fund.

Working for Equality and Economic Liberation- Helena, MT

WEEL works to “eradicate the myths, stereotypes, and stigmas” of people experiencing poverty by creating programs and policies that “equalize access to power and resources for all people”. WEEL received a TA grant of $2,800 to fund the development of their website and provide staff members with computer technological support.