Giving Projects
Building strong coalitions to win policy change, shift the political landscape, and build strong cross sectoral progressive movements is key to achieving social change. This grant will support coalition strategies that prioritize leadership and representation from grassroots community organizing groups that are led and directed by the people most impacted by the issues they work on. Coalition work can look a variety of ways, including ongoing sustained organizations with structured membership, shorter term tactical alliances formed in the face of intense opposition, and other models.
As a member of the Coalitions & Alliances Giving Project you’ll learn about and have a concrete impact on a wide variety of coalition efforts and gain a deeper understanding of why coalitions and alliances are especially strategic in this current political moment. All while developing your own leadership, building community, gaining analysis, and learning new skills.
For examples of organizations that receive funding from SJF, take a look at our grantee list.
“I learned a ton, there’s so much more that we get out of the giving projects than just the grants. It’s a great way to plug into the organization, learn about cool organizations, contribute money, and gain useful tools to take away.” – (Tesia Forbes, Environmental Justice Giving Project member, 2011)
Commitment: February 24th, 2018 – September 5th, 2018 (All meetings will be in Portland, OR – exact locations TBA)
Schedule
Saturday, February 24th
10am-5pm
- Get to know one another
- Establish commitments, expectations, and goals
Wednesday, March 7th
6pm-9pm
- Learn about coalitions & alliances from experts in the field
Saturday, March 24th
10am-5pm
Sunday, March 25th
10am-5pm
- Build shared analysis of race and class
- Learn about racism and classism in context of environmental justice
- Begin to build a cross-class, multi-racial, progressive philanthropic community
Saturday, April 7th
10am-5pm
- Learn the nuts and bolts of grassroots fundraising
- Learn SJF’s grantmaking process
- Practice with the group
- Set personal fundraising goals and accountability structure
**Participants begin fundraising and reading and screening grant applications****
Saturday, April 21st
11am-3pm
- Learn directly from SJF grantees about their organizing strategies and funding challenges
- Open to the public
Wednesday, May 2nd
6pm-9pm
- Continue to learn about and practice grassroots fundraising and social justice grantmaking skills
Saturday, June 2nd
10am-5pm
- Democratic grantmaking process to decide which applicants will get site visits
**Site visits as scheduled (participants commit to at least one)**
Saturday, August 18th
10am-5pm
- Review site visit reports
- Democratic grantmaking process to review site visit reports, discuss finalists, and choose grantees
Wednesday, September 5th
6:30pm-9:30pm
- Celebrate our success and evaluate the process
Giving project structure
- All Giving Projects have the same basic structure:
- A cross-class, multiracial group of 15-25 volunteers commits to the entire process.
- Each person makes a meaningful gift — whatever that means for you.
- Through workshops and trainings we develop a shared analysis of race, class, and the issue focus of this Giving Project.
- We train you in grassroots fundraising and provide lots of hands-on support as you raise money from your friends and family.
- We train you in our grantmaking process and support you as you read and score proposals, participate in site visits, make collective deicisions, and move money to some of the most inspiring, effective social change work in the region.
“One thing that sticks with me is how much I enjoy and get energy from these issues. I came in tired, and now feel energized.”