In late 2016, Social Justice Fund NW launched a new Rapid Response and Seed Grant program to respond quickly to the political climate and to support new and emerging groups. We’re excited to say that it has been hugely successful: our second full year of grants bolstered urgent work in the region and brought new, grassroots groups into our orbit.

We’ve set a goal to raise $30,000 before the end of the year that will go entirely toward the 2019 Rapid Response and Seed Grant Fund. As part of that final push, a generous donor has committed $20,000 to match all gifts to that Fund.

Will you make a donation by December 31 to help reach that goal?

Here are a few examples of groups that received SJF Rapid Response grants in 2018, helping communities respond to fast-moving attacks and opportunities:

• Cottage Grove Community United in Oregon, which organized in response to the arrival in their community of a business with ties to the neo-Nazi group American Front
• The Montana Racial Equity Project, which contested harassment, racism and anti-Semitism in a Bozeman area high school
• APANO, which supported more than 120 immigrant detainees seeking asylum in Oregon’s Sheridan federal prison

And here are a few examples of new groups or coalitions that are just beginning to organize together and received Seed Grants from SJF in the last year:

• What’s Next Washington, which is challenging housing policies that discriminate against formerly incarcerated individuals
• The Idaho Tenants Association, which formed a coalition engaging rental tenants and manufactured homeowners on local and state policies protecting long-term affordability, accessibility and safety

In 2018, SJF made 24 Rapid Response and Seed grants totaling $48,000. Our goal is to continue or even increase that level of special grantmaking in 2019 – but we need your help to do it!

As part of final push, a generous donor has committed $20,000 to match all year-end gifts to the Rapid Response Fund.

Will you make a donation now to take advantage of that match and set our grantees up for success in 2019?

If you’ve already supported SJF this year, we thank you and ask that you consider making an additional gift to support our Rapid Response Fund in 2019. And if you haven’t yet made your gift to SJF, this is a great way to jump in and do something that will create positive change in the year to come.