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2024 Native-Led Organizing Grantees

Serving a five-state region, SJF allocated a significant portion of funding to major urban centers like Seattle and Portland in the past. The 2024 Native-Led Organizing Grant expanded its scope to intentionally include rural, small-town, and reservation organizing communities in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, particularly emphasizing those directed by and supporting LGBTQ+ and 2 Spirit…

Honoring Hispanic Heritage Month in 2024

National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 to October 15) is a time to celebrate the rich cultural contributions of Hispanic and Latinx/e communities across the U.S. In the Pacific Northwest (PNW), you can find a range of events and activities that highlight these cultures. Here are some ideas on how to celebrate: 1. Attend Cultural…

Celebrating Black August 2024 🌟

The photo above is of George Jackson, a Black American activist, author, a member of the Black Panther Party, and cofounder of the Black Guerrilla Family who was slain by prison guards in 1971. SJF will be closed from August 26 to August 30 to honor Black August, a month-long observance dedicated to commemorating Black resistance,…
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Announcing 2024 Base Building Grant!

THIS CYCLE IS CLOSED. The page will remain up for archival purposes. Thank you! SJF is pleased to announce the 2024 Base Building Grant, open to grassroots organizations in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and/or Wyoming.  Key Details: SJF is pleased to announce the 2024 Base Building Grant, open to grassroots organizations in Idaho, Montana, Oregon,…
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2024 SJF Seattle Chinatown-International District Scavenger Hunt

  In the first week of June, SJF’s Asian staff caucus organized and led an all-staff outing in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District (CID) to honor Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, starting with lunch at Honey Court Seafood which is a staff favorite (honey walnut shrimp, anyone?). We also put together a scavenger…

In Honor of World Refugee Day

The Complexity of Becoming an United States Citizen On the 27th of March 2024 just before 12:30pm I, along with roughly 50 other immigrants, officially became a United States citizen at the immigration office in Tukwila, Washington. A reality that held complexities for me, as the United States has historically been a land of refuge…

2024 SJF House Party + Member Meeting

Another year, another hybrid Member Meeting! Please join us for the SJF House Party + Member Meeting taking place on June 7th, 2024. As with every year, you can expect to learn more about SJF's financial standing; hear about our challenges and accomplishments in the previous year, and get a sneak-peak for what's unfolding in…

2024 SJF Changemakers Summit

Register today for the 2024 Changemakers Summit taking place on October 26th, 2024 at the historical El Centro de la Raza in Seattle Washington. We hope you will join us for this special event where we'll be launching new programs, uplifting the amazing community organizing happening in our region, and have lots of opportunities to…

The 2024 Environmental Justice Giving Project Grant

Thank you all for your tremendous patience and support as we've officially launched this grant! While the grant was originally intended to open in 2023, by delaying this Giving Project and grant we were truly able to center abundance and wellness in our team and in our community. Details Grant Awards: 2-year grants of $50,000…
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Saying good-bye to long-time Development Director

(SJF staff photo from 2023, with Burke Stansbury & Alison Cheung) After 7 and a half years working at Social Justice Fund NW, February 22 will be my last day on staff.  I can’t tell you how honored I’ve been to serve in this role. I was deeply committed to SJF when I came on…
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SJF is on pause!

It's that time of year again—SJF is going on our month-long pause! Our staff are out of office starting today, Monday, December 18th and will return the week of January 15, 2024. During this time, expect delayed responses from our entire team as we prioritize rest and healing as part of our Black Liberation and…
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Sustained Solidarity with Palestine for the Holiday Season

SJF will be on pause from December 18-January 12. We adopted this practice as one part of our effort to position Black liberation and wellness as guiding principles for our organization. Our rest is explicitly political, a response to racialized capitalism’s demands on our individual and collective wellbeing to maintain its chokehold on power. But…
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Announcing the awardees of the 2023 Reproductive Justice Grant!

SJF is excited to announce the awardees of our 2023 Reproductive Justice Grant! A panel of five community members from Idaho, Oregon, and Washington came together for a decision-making session to select the awardees. We are so grateful for their labor to fund and support these amazing grassroots organizations. You can read more about the…
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SJF’s new organizational values — exploring Abundance with Valériana Chikoti Bandua Estes

Check out Valériana's speech at SJF's 45th Birthday Party in October, 2023; her speech, which addresses many of the themes in this blog post, brought down the house! Content warning: this blog post references abuse, gender-based violence, death, and anti-Black violence. My name is Valériana Chikoti Bandua Estes. I am a deeply melanated Black woman…

A determined, grounded, and hard-fought joy: SJF’s Fall Appeal

Y’all, in full transparency, the transition into Fall hasn’t been easy for a lot of us. Life has been lifing heavily and at times showing up in unexpected ways this year: some of them beautiful, some of them heartbreaking. It feels like we’ve been saying “these past few years have been hard” for a long…

SJF’s new organizational values — exploring Collective Power by Precious Arney

When asked to write about collective power, my initial thoughts take me back to how I experienced collective care during my childhood. When my mother became sick from cancer and was paralyzed on her left side, my grandparents and aunts from the Philippines came to live with my family here in the U.S. to take…
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Two-Part Anti-Racist Giving Workshop with CARW

Social Justice Fund, the Coalition of Anti-Racist Whites (CARW), and Plymouth Church will lead a two part workshop to address questions like: How do we decide when, where, and how much to give? How do our social and racial identities shape our relationships with money and giving? What does it look like to center the…

You, SJF, and 45 Years of Grassroots Power: Recapping our 45th Birthday Party!

Over three years into this pandemic (with the majority of SJF staff still working from home!), it is a rare treat to experience, real-time and multiplied by every face we had the pleasure to greet, the brilliance, humor, dedication, and passion of our community. The SJF staff sends a big THANK YOU to everyone who…
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SJF is recruiting participants for the 2024 Environmental Justice Giving Project!

SJF is thrilled to announce that we're recruiting for our next Giving Project: the 2024 Environmental Justice Giving Project! The 2024 EJGP is open to anyone living in our five state region (ID, MT, OR, WA, WY) and will take place from January 23-July 14, 2024. All sessions will be online via Zoom. Click here…
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In solidarity with Palestine

Over the years, SJF and many of our members, grantees, and partner organizations have supported and organized within the decades old movement to free Palestine. It is devastating and demoralizing to organize for so long and still be where we are today. But it’s important to continue to strategize, organize, move money, attend protests, and…
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Announcing the 2023 Community Wealth Building Grant!

Applications for this grant closed on October 26, 2023. We will keep this page up for reference. SJF is pleased to announce the 2023 Community Wealth Building Grant! This grant cycle will fund organizing that aims to address economic injustice, build power to transform unjust systems, and overcome barriers to wealth for individuals, families, and…
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SJF’s 2023 Annual Celebration! 45th Birthday Party

You're invited to SJF's 45th Birthday Party on Saturday, October 7th! This will be another special hybrid event so whether you join us in-person in Seattle at the historic Washington Hall or attend virtually, we're excited to build community with you. Because this is an extra special celebration, we're shaking things up: this year we'll…
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Workshop: Making a Will That Reflects Your Values

SJF is hosting a workshop for those who want to bring social justice values to the creation of a will. The workshop will include an overview from a progressive estate lawyer about creating a will and vehicles for “planned giving,” as well as a panel of people who have prepared wills and included bequests or…
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SJF’s new organizational values — exploring Black Liberation

Happy Black History/Futures/Liberation Month, folks! This is Marc Mazique, Operations Manager for SJF, offering up this perspective on our recently adopted organizational value of Black Liberation. This is the second in a series of blog posts we’ll be publishing over the next several months, providing reflections on each new value and how we understand it…
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Now announcing the 2023 Reproductive Justice Grant!

Applications for this grant closed on Monday, June 20, 2022. We will keep this page up for reference. SJF is pleased to announce the 2023 Reproductive Justice Grant, open to grassroots organizations in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and/or Wyoming. Please read the following information carefully before beginning your application. Key details: Grant amount: One-year grants…
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Meet SJF’s newest staff members!

Question: Who is as cool as an ocean breeze, luminous as the sun, and exciting as a wide open summer day? Answer: SJF's amazing new staff members Join us in welcoming our four newest staffers, Adiza Ameh, Emily Chu, Muz Afzal, and Precious Arney! Based in Seattle and Portland, these staffers round out SJF's Development,…
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Take the 2023 Member Survey!

Each year, we ask members of Social Justice Fund NW -- who play a critical role within the organization  -- to take our member survey. (Review what it means to be a SJF member here). We do this because we want to learn more about our members, hear about how you currently engage with the…
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Black August Community Kickback

Social Justice Fund is excited to invite all of our Black (African American, African Immigrant, etc.) community members to join us for our Black August Community Kickback event on Saturday, August 19th at the Y-WE Office from 3:00-6:00 PM. This event is intended to center Black joy through delicious food, good music, and lively discussions.…
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SJF’s 2023 Member Meeting & Summer Social

This year the SJF Annual Member Meeting is a hybrid event in conjunction with our Summer Social. RSVP TO ATTEND Annual Member Meeting 4:30 PM PT HYBRID! Online via Zoom & at Coyote Central in Seattle, WA The SJF member meeting is an opportunity to learn more about the state of SJF, vote on new…
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SJF’s new organizational values — exploring Transformation

Hi all! This is Amy Truax, and I’m the Data & Finances Coordinator at SJF. I started here just last year, in June of 2022, when we were in the midst of revamping our organizational values. It’s been delightful to see these values getting put into practice throughout our work over the past year, and…
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Apply for Rapid Response and Seed Grants

SJF's Rapid Response & Seed Grants are officially open for the year, and will remain open through November or until we have exhausted the funding available for these grants. Rapid Response grants ($3,000) help SJF support organizing in response to urgent situations and Seed grants ($5,000) are for emerging grassroots collectives who might not yet…
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More Audacious Than Ever | SJF’s 2023 Spring Appeal

Can you believe that it’s been 45 years since Social Justice Fund NW (SJF) was established? Back in the day SJF was originally called A Territory Resource (ATR); we were founded in 1978 and have been distributing funds to grassroot progressive led organizations ever since. During its first year, ATR awarded $14,000 in grants to…
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Announcing the awardees of the 2022-2023 Native Led Organizing Grant!

Earlier this month, Social Justice Fund and Potlatch Fund released a joint newsletter announcing the Native Led Organizing Grant, a grantmaking collaboration that supports Native-led community organizing throughout our overlapping five-state region. Our goal is to continue to work together collaboratively for greater impact, supporting the social justice efforts such as MMIWP, LGBTQIA2S+, Environmental Justice,…
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RDCCL Article Club, BIPOC Only

Radical Donors of Color for our Collective Liberation (RDCCL), formerly SEADoC is bringing back our Article Club. The RDCCL Article Club, like book clubs, is an opportunity for the community to come together to discuss a shared article, passage, or other literature. As the conversations are curated for folks who identify as Black, Indigenous, and…
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Anti-Racist Giving Workshop

How do we decide when, where and how much to give? How do our social and racial identities shape our relationships with money and giving?  What does it look like to center the giving of money as part of our anti-racist practice? SJF (Social Justice Fund), CARW (Coalition of Anti-Racist Whites) and Plymouth Church have…
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Allow RDCCL to reintroduce ourselves!

Allow us to reintroduce ourselves! Radical Donors of Color for our Collective Liberation (RDCCL, pronounced like "radical") is excited to introduce ourselves to the SJF community! We were formerly known as SeaDoC and we are a network of donors of color who function under the umbrella of Social Justice Fund Northwest. We are building a collective,…
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Workshop: Moving Beyond DAFs to Redistribute Wealth

Join Social Justice Fund and Seeding Justice for a conversation on moving beyond DAF's and imagining new ways of redistributing wealth. This workshop will happen over Zoom; the meeting link will be sent out closer to the event date. We'll explore - What are Donor-Advised Fund (DAFs) and why are they important? - What are…
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Potlatch Fund and SJF partner on Native Led Organizing Grant

A message from Valériana Chikoti-Bandua & Cleora Hill-Scott: As the Executive Directors of Potlatch Fund and Social Justice Fund NW (SJF) we are proud to announce a new initiative that began in 2022: the Native Led Organizing Grant, a grantmaking collaboration that will support Native-led community organizing throughout our overlapping five-state region. SJF and Potlatch…
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Delayed: 2023 Environmental Justice Giving Project Grant

In the spirit of transparency, we want to share an update regarding our recently announced 2023 Environmental Justice Giving Project Grant. We have decided to delay the start of the EJ Giving Project until early 2024. This is a difficult decision as it will mean pushing back the awarding of those grants until the second…
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Announcing SJF’s 2023 Funding Opportunities

SJF is excited to announce our slate of funding opportunities for 2023! We want to thank our community of grantees, donor organizers, and supporters for informing our focus areas. Based on community feedback, our strategic plan, and an evaluation of the current political moment, our upcoming funding opportunities will center grassroots reproductive justice efforts, Native-led…
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SJF’s new organizational values — how did we get here?

Hello world! This is Alison Cheung, Communications Manager at SJF coming at you with the first in a series of blog posts covering the development and thought process behind Social Justice Fund NW’s updated organizational values, officially launched in November of 2022. We’ll publish one post a month written by myself and SJF Operations Manager…
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Community Happy Hour in Portland

SJF invites you to join us in Portland, Oregon on Friday, April 7th for a community happy hour! We'll use this time to connect, build relationships, and have fun together. Location: Tropicale 2337 NE Glisan St. Portland, OR 97232 Space is limited so please register today.
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Stayed on Freedom: A Book event with Michael Simmons and Dan Berger

Tacoma Arts Community Center 1102 S 11th St, Tacoma, WA 98405 Sponsored by Social Justice Fund NW. The Black Power movement is often associated with iconic spokespeople, but its momentum was due, in part, to the work of those with untold stories. UW-Bothell Professor and historian Dan Berger’s new book Stayed On Freedom: The Long…
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Announcing the awardees of the Queer Justice Momentum Giving Project!

There are few things more sacred than a small collective of people putting their hearts and minds together to change something for the better with love, fierceness, and dedication. We saw this magic in action in the Queer Justice Momentum Giving Project cohort, an almost entirely queer collective of donor organizers who, over the course…
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SJF’s Winter Social

Featuring grantee updates, games, food, drinks, and more! In-person: Seattle, Washington Hall 153 14th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122 Online via Zoom Time: 5:30 - 7:30 pm The SJF Winter Social will be a space to connect and have fun with other members of the SJF community while learning more about our recent programming (including the…
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Anti-Racist Giving Two Part Workshop

Happy new year! Kick off your giving intentions for 2023 by joining our upcoming two-part Anti-Racist Giving Workshop in collaboration with CARW and Plymouth Church. In this interactive online workshop, we'll discuss questions like... How do we decide when, where, and how much to give? How do our social and racial identities shape our relationships…
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SJF’s 2022 Pause and Reflections on Rest

Heads up! In one month, SJF will take an organization-wide wellness pause from December 12, 2022 through January 6, 2023. In this period, staff will not be working and we'll take a break from sharing updates about our work on social media and by email. If you have questions or matters to close out before…
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Welcoming SJF’s newest board members!

The days are getting shorter, the leaves are putting on a show, and the rain is coming down — we’ve reached peak cozy season in the Pacific Northwest. It’s the perfect time to warmly usher in SJF’s newest board members, six radical, powerful, and visionary leaders who are deepening their commitment to SJF through leadership:…

Honoring Indigenous Peoples’ Day as Donor Organizers

SJF is excited to celebrate the brilliance, power, and ongoing struggle for sovereignty of the Indigenous peoples of the so-called United States this coming Monday, October 10! Our Seattle office is on occupied Coast Salish territory, specifically that of the Duwamish, Suquamish, and Stillaguamish peoples. Our Portland office is on the occupied territory of the…
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Announcing the awardees of the 2022 Rural Community Organizing Grant!

We are thrilled to announce the awardees of the 2022 Rural Community Organizing Grant! These ten grassroots organizations represent powerful movements alive throughout Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, from robust mutual aid networks, Indigenous language and cultural preservation projects, and LGBTQIA+ advocacy to community-led organizing for affordable housing, food, and immigration justice, grassroots mobilization against the…
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2022-25 Strategic Plan & Values Launch!

Big news! SJF is preparing to launch our shiny new 2022-2025 Strategic Plan and Organizational Values this coming November. These projects were a labor of love: the culmination of years of internal transformation and many months of collaborative creation. We're proud of our progress and want to share it with you! In that spirit, we…
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SJF’s 2022 Annual Celebration!

We invite you to join us on Saturday, October 1, 2022 for SJF's Annual Celebration — for the first time as a hybrid event! Join us in person at the beautiful Block 41 space in Seattle or tap in virtually for our interactive online option. Either way, we can’t wait to be in community with…
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Recapping Ecosystems of Change: SJF’s 2022 Annual Celebration!

We can't believe it happened and we're blown away by your love and support — the SJF staff sends a huge THANK YOU to our community for turning out last Saturday at Ecosystems of Change: SJF's 2022 Celebration! When we first started planning for this year's event, we had no idea what to expect: would…
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Launching our 2021 Annual Report!

We're very excited to share our 2021 Annual Report with you. 2021 was a year of transition and transformation for SJF. We continued adjusting to a pandemic world, said goodbye to old staff, hello to new staff, had a record-breaking Giving Project, and began to re-write our internal policies from the ground up. Inside the…
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Announcing SJF’s new Executive Director! 💐

On behalf of the SJF board, we are excited to share the news that Interim Executive Director Valériana Chikoti-Bandua Estes has accepted a permanent role as Executive Director at SJF. The new title is effective August 1st. The board’s decision to offer this permanent leadership role took into consideration a few factors. Notably, Valériana received…
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Anti-Racist Giving: Two Part Workshop

Social Justice Fund, CARW, and Plymouth Church are back with our popular Anti-Racist Giving Workshop — but this time we're going deeper by splitting it into two parts and putting the lessons in practice, together. Over two sessions on Monday, 9/12 and Monday, 9/15 from 5:30-7:30PM, we'll explore questions like... How do we decide when, where,…
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Meet SJF’s new staff and contractors!

We're coming at you today with a very joyful post! Over the past four months a truly incredible group of people have joined the team at SJF, rounding out our organization with humor, data superpowers, deep community expertise, and fresh energy and perspectives. Some people have joined as full time staff; some are contractors, working…
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Save the date! SJF’s 2022 Annual Celebration

You're invited! Save the date for our annual celebration — we are SO excited to announce that this year's event will be online *and* person in Seattle! WHEN: Saturday, October 1, 2022 WHERE - IN PERSON: Block 41, 115 Bell St, Seattle, WA 98121 WHERE - ONLINE: Zoom, registration details to come Registration details soon…
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What can donor organizers do right now for abortion rights?

On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that legalized abortion in the United States. Reproductive justice organizers have been preparing for this event for over a decade. SJF absolutely condemns this horrifying attack on the humanity, bodily autonomy, and self determination of birthing people. There is so…
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Now announcing the 2022 Queer Justice Momentum Giving Project Grant!

Applications for this grant closed on Wednesday, August 3, 2022. We will keep this page up for reference. SJF is pleased to announce the 2022 Queer Justice Momentum Giving Project Grant, open to queer-led grassroots organizations in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and/or Wyoming. Please read the following information carefully before beginning your application. For more information…
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SJF’s 2022 Member Meeting — Part 2

If you are a member of SJF (see member info below), you're invited to join us on August 31. This year SJF is doing our annual Member Meeting in two parts! The first session on June 30 focused on recent internal transformations at SJF, new organizational values and a changing culture that centers wellness. This…

SJF’s 2022 Member Meeting – Part 1

The SJF member meeting is an opportunity to learn more about the state of SJF, have the opportunity to vote on new board members, review and reflect on our programming for the year, and hear about some of our plans for what’s ahead. This year SJF is doing our annual Member Meeting in two parts!…
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Deadline extended for the 2022 Rural Community Organizing Grant!

Heads up organizers in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming! SJF has extended the deadline for the 2022 Rural Community Organizing Grant to Monday, June 20 by 10:59PM MT / 11:59PM PT. We're hoping this extension can help get the word out even further and allow more time for those still working on applications to complete and…
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Thinking emergently, imagining audaciously, moving nimbly: Our Rapid Response & Seed Celebration and Appeal!

Over the past few years you’ve heard us talk about the trials and challenges we’ve faced as a community and as an organization. We navigated through turnover, the uprooting and rebuilding work necessary to center Black Liberation and Indigenous Sovereignty, and battled the continuing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, however, marked a turning…
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Now announcing the 2022 Base Building Grant awardees!

In January of 2022, freshly returned to work after a month long pause and excited to ring in the new year, SJF announced the second and final round of our Fund 4 the Frontlines Base Building Grants. Now, 5 months later, we are elated to announce the awardees: Creative Justice, Firelands Workers Action/Acción de Trabajadores, Na’ah…
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Anti-Racist Giving Workshop

The next Anti-Racist Giving Workshop is coming up on June 2! Set your justice-centered giving intentions for the rest of the year in this interactive, cross-class virtual workshop. Developed in partnership with the Coalition of Anti-Racist Whites (CARW), this 2.5 hour workshop explores questions like... How do we decide when, where, and how much to…
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Announcing our 2022 funding opportunities!

SJF is thrilled to announce our full slate of funding opportunities for the remainder of 2022! First and foremost, we want to thank our community of grantees, donor organizers, and supporters for informing our focus areas. Based on community feedback and organizational value priorities, our current and upcoming funding opportunities will center grassroots base building,…
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2022 Rapid Response & Seed Grants are open!

Hi community! We're thrilled to announce that our Rapid Response & Seed Grants have officially reopened for the year, and will remain open through November or until we have exhausted the funding available for these grants. First launched six years ago, these small grants help SJF support organizing in response to urgent situations and emerging…
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Now announcing the 2022 Rural Community Organizing Grant!

Applications for this grant closed on Monday, June 20, 2022. We will keep this page up for reference. -- SJF is pleased to announce the 2022 Rural Community Organizing Grant, open to grassroots community organizing projects in Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. Please read the following information carefully before beginning your application. For more information about this…
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Social Justice Giving Workshop with SeaDoC – 5/14/22

Join us for a free workshop open to people who are Black, Indigenous, and people of color on aligning your giving with social justice movement work on Saturday, May 14 from 2-4PM PST. From mutual aid to rising collectives to urgent fundraisers, many of us have upped our giving over the past few years. Giving…
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SJF is shifting to a four day work week!

Hello community! Beginning this April (next week!) Social Justice Fund will begin operating on a four day work week, with our virtual office open Monday through Thursday. Reducing working hours is a key part of holistically supporting staff wellness, the central focus of our project to revamp SJF’s HR policies. Underlying this focus is our…
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A spring of transformation

It's been an agonizing last month — from the leaked Supreme Court opinion pointing to the end Roe v. Wade, to devastating mass shootings in Uvalde and Buffalo, the latter by an avowed white supremacist. We've seen the lack of change from powerful institutions and a frightening right-wing backlash. But when I shift my gaze…
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Resource Fund Organizing: How SJF shifted our development strategy to start living up to our values

Join SJF for a virtual presentation on our transformed approach to development strategy and donor organizing, the theories behind it, lessons we've learned, and our recommendations for how you can begin moving toward new strategies with similar principles in mind. What is the difference between mainstream fundraising and grassroots fundraising strategies? How do we understand…
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Now hiring: Communications Manager

SJF has opened up our Communications Manager position. You can review the .pdf description of the role by clicking here. Communications Manager Fully remote, must be based in SJF 5-state region | $81-86,000 DOE | Applications due May 5th Working closely with the entire SJF staff, the Communications Manager will be responsible for ensuring clear…

Staff update: celebrating Essex Lordes and Lady Anderson in their new positions!

We're happy to announce two staffing changes within SJF: the transitions of Essex Lordes from Project Manager to Grants Database Manager and Lady Anderson from Program Director to Director of Collective Capacity Building! Essex Lordes, Grants Database Manager Essex joined SJF in August of 2019 as a Project Manager, supporting curriculum development, facilitation, and grantmaking…

On days like these

At SJF, we try to send an email once a week. Besides the tactical considerations for engagement (yada yada), it genuinely feels essential for us, as a community-based foundation, to maintain relationship with you by sharing our excitement, our progress, the stories of our grantees and members, and the things we're learning. But there are…

Meet the Base Building Grant grantmaking panel!

We're excited to introduce the Base Building Grant grantmaking panel, SJF community members who will review applications, meet with prospective Base Building Grant grantees, and democratically select the final awardees. We love how deep our panelist's roots go: we've got representatives of grantee organizations, artists, educators, and organizers. Their expertise and perspectives are vital to…
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Displaced Tenants grant over $5.3 million to grassroots housing justice projects

"When a community organizing campaign wins monetary resources, what do they do with it? How can they allocate those resources back to the communities most impacted in an accountable and democratic way?" Origins In 2015, a group of low-income tenants took a behemoth to court and won. A private developer had purchased two low-income apartment…
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Honoring Michaelynn Hawk, Native organizer in Montana & Director of Indian People’s Action

The SJF community mourns the loss of Michaelynn Hawk, an extraordinary community organizer and Native leader from Montana, who passed away on February 3 at the age of 61. Michaelynn was an enrolled member of the Crow tribe. She was the long-time Executive Director of the organization Indian People's Action (IPA) which worked to empower…
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Black History Month: Spotlight on Black community care, through fundraising and beyond

"We have been givers since the beginning of time... Black collective giving is something that's inherent in us." — Tracey Webb of Black Benefactors As a foundation working at the crossroads of wealth and liberation and striving to orient around Black liberation, we must constantly challenge ourselves to think beyond the limitations of "philanthropy." We…
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Anti-Racist Giving Workshop

We're kicking of 2022 with our popular Anti-Racist Giving Workshop on Tuesday, February 1! Set your justice-centered giving intentions for the year in this interactive, cross-class virtual workshop. Developed in partnership with the Coalition of Anti-Racist Whites (CARW), this 2.5 hour workshop explores questions like... How do we decide when, where, and how much to…
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SJF is on pause!

SJF is taking an organization-wide wellness pause from December 13 - January 10 to rest, reflect, and spend some much needed time with our loved ones. After nearly two years of the pandemic and other hardships along the way, we know that in order to fully serve the movements we are part of, we must rest.…
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Help grow our Rapid Response and Seed Grant Fund for 2022!

Five years ago Social Justice Fund launched a new Rapid Response and Seed Grant program with the goal of supporting emerging organizations as well as more urgent, quick-turnaround grants. The program has been very successful; in 2021 we made 22 Rapid Response and Seed grants for a total of $86,000! We've set a goal to…
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Announcing the 2022 Fund 4 the Frontlines Base Building Grant!

Applications for this grant closed on February 18, 2022. We will keep this page up for reference. These grants of $250,000 ($50,000 a year for five years) will support base building strategies across our region; there will be 10 total grants made. The first round of six grants were awarded in 2020. This second round…
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SJF’s 2021 Community Appreciation Party

This one's for you — for the donors, members, grantees, and community that support and sustain SJF, and for all the people who remind each other to rest and dance and eat good food. We're holding our annual Community Appreciation Party to celebrate your joy and power on Wednesday, December 8 from 6-7:30pm PST. Come…

The power of a meaningful gift | SJF’s 2021 Fall Appeal

I'm not going to lie: these last few years have been difficult for Social Justice Fund, as well as for many of our grantees and partners. It's been a challenging time politically, with the right continuing to distort, sabotage, and manipulate power; the effects of climate change are becoming more apparent every day; and an…
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Announcing SJF’s Interim Executive Director, Valeriana Chikoti-Bandua Estes!

Over the past year and a half, you've heard us mention more than a few times that SJF has been going through a significant transition. A big part of that has been figuring out what kind of leadership structure best embodies our vision for liberation while supporting staff and organizational needs. We're grateful to have…
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Check out Solidarity Toward Liberation: Three Grantee Stories!

We are SO excited to share our newest storytelling video project, Solidarity Toward Liberation: Three Grantee Stories! Featuring the brilliance of SJF grantees Wa Na Wari, Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste (PCUN), and Freedom Project, this video explores the roots of these organizers' work, how the pandemic has affected them, and the worlds they…

Recapping SJF’s 2021 Celebration

Thank you for being on this journey with us. Sharing this inspiring series of events to celebrate the interconnected solidarity that forms our movement has been a true source of joy for me and SJF staff and board! An extra special thank you to those who came to our events and to those of you who gave. (You…
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Solidarity Toward Liberation: SJF’s annual celebration, October 2, 2021!

Join Social Justice Fund NW and friends for a virtual evening of community and fundraising to celebrate the solidarity that forms the constellation of our movement. Hear from SJF staff and grantees, local artists, and an exciting keynote speaker as we reflect on the power of solidarity to connect our struggles and bring us closer…
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Movement Solidarity: A Grantee Panel

Join us for an engaging panel conversation with current Social Justice Fund Grantees! It's back! In 2020 we changed things up at our annual celebration by introducing the grantee panel: a space for grantees to speak on the beauty, challenges, and lessons of their grassroots movement work. As an organization, SJF is honored to lift…
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Launching our Annual Report

How do you even begin to sum up 2020? As it says on the opening page of SJF's annual report, we are "grateful, encouraged and buoyed by the outpouring of love, support and trust we received in 2020." It was a year of huge undertakings: our biggest year of grantmaking on the books with an…

Workshop: Making a Will That Reflects Your Values

Social Justice Fund NW is hosting a workshop for those who want to bring social justice values to the creation of a will. The workshop will include an overview from an estate lawyer about creating a will and vehicles for "planned giving," as well as a panel of people who have prepared wills and included…
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Sign up to be a Table Captain at SJF’s 2021 Celebration!

  Thank you for your interest in being a Table Captain at SJF's 2021 Annual Celebration! This year, we’ll be using the “Group” feature on Eventbrite to help Table Captains invite, manage, and communicate with their guests. “Groups” and “Tables” are the same thing. Be sure to email Andriana ([email protected]) to let us know you're…
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Deadline extended! Displaced Tenants Fund applications due 8/23/21

Note: the deadline has for submitting applications has passed. We are happy to announce that the application deadline for the 2021 Displaced Tenants Fund has been extended to Monday, August 23, 2021 at 5pm PST! Click here to view the application and begin your submission. We know this grant is pretty different than our usual…
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SJF Member Meeting — August 12

If you are a member of SJF (see member info below), you're invited to join us at our 2021 member meeting. The SJF member meeting is an opportunity to learn more about the state of SJF, have the opportunity to vote on new board members, review and reflect on our programming for the year, and…
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Fund 4 the Frontlines: Campaign Breakdown 2016 – 2021

  "What is the audacious vision or goal that will not only help us through these next four years, but really build on the movement that's already started?" Ubax Gardheere, F4tF Public Phase Committee Member       Campaign Origins In 2018, Social Justice Fund NW launched Fund 4 the Frontlines (F4tF), an ambitious fundraising…
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Announcing the Awardees of the Innovative, Just, & Equitable Housing Momentum Giving Project!

SJF is excited to announce the awardees of the Innovative, Just, & Equitable Housing Momentum Giving Project! These 1-year grants of around $18,000 will support grassroots organizations working to resist housing injustice and create new, innovative, and equitable approaches to housing for their communities. The project’s small-but-mighty cohort came together in March of 2021. Made…
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The 2021 Displaced Tenants Fund for Housing Justice & Affordability

Note: the deadline has for submitting applications has passed.   --------- Due to the origins of this funding, this grant is open to Seattle based groups and organizations Contact: Please review the information below thoroughly. For questions and information, contact Karen Toering Fund Consultant at [email protected]. If you have additional questions, schedule a call with Karen.…

Goodbyes…and a hello!

Social Justice Fund is a community foundation; the identity of our organization is inextricable from the community around us and the people who offer us their time, treasures, and talents — especially our staff. In the past few months, SJF has said goodbye to three amazing staff members: Akoth Ombaka, Operations Director; Magan Do, Grantmaking…
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Announcing the 2020 Black Led Organizing Giving Project Awardees!

SJF is thrilled to announce the 12 awardees of the 2020-21 Black Led Organizing Giving Project! From October 2020 to May 2021, the project’s cohort — a group of cross-class, multigenerational Black folks living in Oregon and Western Washington — met to build community, learn together, and gather resources for Black liberation. The project was…
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Social Justice Giving Workshop

SJF believes that giving to social justice movement work, especially work led by Black, Indigenous, and people of color, is necessary to confront the full spectrum of white supremacy, hate, and inequality and build momentum towards a better, more just world in our region and beyond. One way to do that is by making a…
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Announcing the 2020 Forced Migration & Displacement Giving Project grantees!

SJF is thrilled to announce the 9 awardees of the 2020 Forced Migration & Displacement Giving Project (FMDGP)! In October of 2020, the FMDGP cohort came together for the first time: a cross-class, multi-racial, multigenerational group of people, each with personal stakes in the issue at hand. Over the next six months, they worked together…
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Announcing the first round of 2021 Rapid Response & Seed grants!

We are excited to announce the first six grantees of the 2021 Rapid Response and Seed grants! Grassroots organizers have responded to the crises of the past year (plus a few months) with imagination and power. They've connected with their communities, asked people what they need, and dreamed up plans of action rooted in collective…

On the Atlanta spa shootings, anti-Asian violence, and liberation

These are the names of the eight victims of the Atlanta spa shooting. Rest in power: Park Soon Chung 박순정, age 74 Kim Hyun Jung Grant 김현정, age 51 Kim Sun Cha 김순자, age 69 Yoo Yong Ae 유용애, age 63 Tan Xiaojie 谭小洁, age 49 Feng Daoyou 冯道友, age 44 Delaina Ashley Yaun, age…

Anti-Racist Giving Workshop

How do you decide when, where and how much to give? How do social and racial identities shape relationships with money and giving? What does it look like to center the giving of money as part of an anti-racist practice? SJF and CARW (Coalition of Anti-Racist Whites) have teamed up to present this interactive workshop…
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Upcoming grantee webinars

Social Justice Fund has two upcoming opportunities for prospective grantees to connect with us, learn about our grantmaking process and eligibility requirements, and ask any questions you need to feel confident applying. We're excited to connect with you! Prospective Grantee Webinar - Wednesday, February 17, 4-5:30pm PST Register here Designed for prospective grantees, this webinar…
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2021 Rapid Response and Seed grant applications are now open!

We're excited to announce that the 2021 Rapid Response & Seed grants are now open for applications! These grants allow us to respond quickly to the political climate, attacks, and opportunities, and to support new and emerging groups. Before applying for either of these grants, read our eligibility criteria here. You can email Shardé Nabors with questions or schedule a…
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Now recruiting for the Innovative, Just, and Equitable Housing Momentum Giving Project!

We're excited to announce that Social Justice Fund NW is now recruiting participants for the Innovative, Just, and Equitable Housing Momentum Giving Project, open to Giving Project alumni living in ID, MT, OR, WA, and WY. This project runs from March 10 - June 30, 2021, with all sessions online via Zoom. The priority deadline for…
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Announcing the Innovative, Just, and Equitable Housing Momentum Grant!

Updated 3/4/21: Applications for the Innovative, Just, and Equitable Housing Momentum grant have closed. Open grants will be posted on the Current Grant Opportunities page and on the News + Events section of our website Housing is a human right and yet many are denied this right. The COVID-19 pandemic and its short and long…
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Social Justice Giving Workshop

The first few weeks of 2021 have demonstrated with intense clarity the very real and very well resourced threat of white supremacy. We believe that giving to social justice movement work, especially work led by Black, Indigenous, and people of color, is necessary to confront the full spectrum of white supremacy, hate, and inequality. Momentum…
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An abundance of power in 2021

One of the things we're proudest of in our last five years is the Rapid Response & Seed program. Started in 2016, these grants allow us to respond quickly to the political climate, attacks, and opportunities, and to support new and emerging groups. In 2020 we've seen recipients of this grant do some seriously incredible…
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Announcing the Eradicating Anti-Blackness & Covid Recovery Grantees

In the past year, COVID-19 and the Black Lives Matter uprising have exposed even more plainly the many places where society is failing Black, Indigenous and other people of color. We knew grassroots organizers were thinking and planning beyond the early months to address the long-term impacts on their communities, often stepping up with their…
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Our 2019 Annual Report

We're excited to share our 2019 Annual Report! As we get ready for the new year around the corner, we're reflecting back on the ways 2019 laid the groundwork for SJF in 2020.   Click here to read the 2019 Annual Report   We want to give a special shout out to the grantee organizations profiled within: Heartspark…

Closing out 2020, Some SJF Accomplishments for the Year

For SJF, 2020 has been an intense, confounding, challenging and at times inspiring year. You’ve stuck with us through the best and worst of it, and we appreciate all the support we’ve received — much of which we’ve been able to pass on in the form of grants to grassroots organizations, making 2020 our biggest…

Announcing the 2020 Rapid Response & Seed Grants grantees!

It's been nearly four years since we launched our Rapid Response & Seed Grant program in 2016! Last year, we set a goal to increase grantmaking through this program, and with the support of our incredible community, we more than doubled the number of grants made, 34 in total. That's over $100,000 to resource new…
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Voices from the Frontlines: An Interview with WAISN

The Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network (WAISN) was formed in November of 2016 after the election of Donald Trump, but their work responds to injustice that runs far deeper than the presidency. WAISN protects immigrants and refugees by collecting and analyzing data on ICE's violent activities, interrupting arrests and deportations, providing free know-your-rights trainings, accompaniment programs,…

Watch: Voices from the Frontlines grantee panel

Recording of the Voices from the Frontlines grantee panel on Wednesday, September 16 2020, the first event in SJF's 2020 week of celebration. We heard from four grantees of the Fund 4 the Frontlines, all Black, Indigenous, and People of Color led organizations doing powerful basebuilding in their communities. Featured panelists: Sierra Parsons, Washington Building…
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Watch: Launching the final phase of Fund 4 the Frontlines!

We premiered this video at SJF's 2020 week of celebration to mark the public launch of the final phase of Fund 4 the Frontlines. Giant thanks to everyone involved — our amazing Fund 4 the Frontlines committee members, staff, and SJF's beautiful community for helping us celebrate the campaign. Featured: Allister Byrd Carolanne Sanders Margo…

Year-End Community Appreciation Event

Join SJF for a celebration of our accomplishments in 2020 and a look ahead to next year and beyond. December 3, 2020 -- 6 to 7:30 pm Online (RSVP and you'll receive additional details & a Zoom link the week before the event) We want to thank you -- SJF members and donors -- for…
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Anti-Racist Giving Workshop

How do we decide when, where and how much to give? How do our social and racial identities shape our relationships with money and giving? What does it look like to center the giving of money as part of our anti-racist practice? SJF (Social Justice Fund) and CARW (Coalition of Anti-Racist Whites) have teamed up…
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SJF’s Annual Celebration 2020

Things are looking a little different this year, but we can't wait to party with you! We've expanded our annual celebration to include three events: Voices from the Frontlines Grantee Panel, Wednesday 9/18, 6-8PM Our centerpiece Annual (Virtual) Dinner, Saturday 9/26, 7-8:30PM Virtual Dance Party + Fund 4 the Frontlines Campaign Launch, Sunday 9/27, 1-2:30PM We've decided…

Webinar: Undoing Anti-Black Resourcing in BIPOC Spaces

There is no liberation without Black liberation. How do we transform anti-Black resourcing in BIPOC spaces? Join Seattle Donors of Color for webinar discussion on anti-Black resource distribution and liberatory strategies in BIPOC spaces. We'll dig into how fundraising looks different for Black people, apply intersectional analysis, and engage in how we as Black, Indigenous, and People of…
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What we did, together! Recapping our 2020 week of celebration

To get right to the point, our annual fundraiser was a huge success! We set a goal that felt considerable given the state of the world, $50,000, and you all showed up by helping us raise over $92,000!   But let’s also talk about how we got here. We originally planned on an in-person event,…
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Recruiting participants for our 2020-21 giving projects!

SJF is seeking participants for our 2020-21 giving projects, Black-Led Organizing in Portland and Forced Migration & Displacement in Seattle! -------- 2020-21 Portland Black-Led Organizing Giving Project This project will support community organizing led by and for Black communities and communities of African descent who are working to end anti-Black racism and discrimination, support and…

Webinar: Transforming Philanthropy Towards Black Liberation

NOTE: This event is open specifically to descendants of the African diaspora (Black, African, African-American, Afro-Caribbean etc) ------ Black Liberation is the future. Is there a place for philanthropy in it? Though philanthropy is largely a white dominated sector, many grassroots movements were funded by Black people and continue to be resourced by folks working…
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An Interview With Karen

In May of this year, our beloved Interim Program Director, Karen Toering, retired after 8+ years with Social Justice Fund. Her brilliance, spirit, and expertise has been a guiding light for SJF over the years. From developing and leading Giving Projects in their early iterations to current form to karaoke outings with staff, Karen's influence…
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Welcoming new SJF board members!

At SJF's 2020 Member Meeting in August we were excited to vote in four new board members! Here are their profiles so that you can get to know them: Aaron Oravillo Aaron was raised between Seattle and the Bay Area in California. He currently works at Nia Tero, a nonprofit with the mission of “Securing…
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SJF Member Meeting — August 18

If you are a member of SJF (see member info below), you're invited to join us at our 2020 member meeting. The SJF Member Meeting is our annual check-in with members on the state of SJF. As part of the SJF Member meeting on August 18 you'll have the opportunity to vote on new board…
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Social Justice Giving Workshop

COVID-19 and the Black Lives Matter uprising have swept the country, revealing with increased clarity all of the ways in which our government and society are failing Black, Indigenous, and people of color. Momentum to defund and abolish the police and build a better and more just world is mounting in our region, led by…
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Announcing the Eradicating Anti-Blackness & Covid Recovery Grant

In the past four months, COVID-19 and the Black Lives Matter uprising have exposed even more plainly the many places where society is failing Black, Indigenous and other people of color. The pandemic has been especially catastrophic for trans folks, people with disabilities, low-income and essential workers, and people living in areas with less access…
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Announcing the 2019-20 Economic Justice Giving Project grants!

In 2019, twenty-three committed volunteers joined the 2019-2020 Economic Justice Giving Project cohorts in Portland and Seattle, beginning a journey of political education, donor organizing, and grantmaking. Learning at the intersections of race, class, and gender, the two cohorts raised $380,177 to fund vital organizing for economic justice in our region and made two-year grants…
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Black Liberation, Through Protests and Beyond

George Floyd. Breonna Taylor. Tony McDade. Ahmaud Arbery. The murders of Black people at the hands of police — and former police, in the case of Mr. Arbery — galvanized demonstrations of grief and rage that spread from Minneapolis across the nation over the past week. Black communities grapple with and fight against the terror of…
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Announcing the 2020 Fund 4 the Frontlines grantees!

In 2018 Social Justice Fund NW launched the initial phase of Fund 4 the Frontlines, an ambitious major gifts campaign with a singular focus: to level-up our region’s grassroots organizing by resourcing powerful, long term base building for people working at the frontlines of struggle. By January of this year we had raised enough towards…

Rising together in 2020

In early March, as the COVID-19 pandemic set in, Social Justice Fund NW went into action the way we know best: rapidly moving money to grassroots organizations, and, as the crisis wore on, raising more funds from our community for emergency grantmaking. In a month we raised over a half million dollars and made 100…
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COVID-19 Social Justice Giving Plan Workshop

COVID-19 has swept the country, revealing with increased clarity all of the gaps to resources we need to survive this crisis together. The impacts of this pandemic will become even more apparent in the coming weeks, especially for the most vulnerable in our communities. That’s why it's time to step up our solidarity by giving…
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Announcing the 2019-2020 Criminal Justice Giving Project Grants

With all the turmoil in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, we almost missed the opportunity to announce our most recent slate of Criminal Justice Giving Project grants. Back in early March, a cohort of nine dedicated volunteers completed their 6-month project, making grants of approximately $30,000 each to seven organizations doing incredible work across…
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An Update on our Grantmaking Amidst the Covid-19 Crisis

In mid-March Social Justice Fund NW launched our COVID-19 Crisis Fund to move resources to grantees in our region, helping to offset the impacts of the pandemic on groups that work in the margins to build power. This fund, created through combining SJF general operating funds, foundation grants, and individual gifts, has so far moved…
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Announcing 2020 Grant Cycles

Social Justice Fund NW is excited to announce our upcoming Grant Cycles in 2020. As you may know, since early March SJF has been moving rapid grants through our Covid-19 Crisis Fund. With many SJF grantees having received money through that fund we are now transitioning to other, longer-term crisis grants. Meanwhile, our Economic Justice…

Solidarity & Stepping Up During Coronavirus

Everyday the effects of the coronavirus pandemic are becoming more severe. Just yesterday here in Washington state the governor announced a “stay at home” order, following other states like Oregon in mandating the closure of non-essential businesses and instructing people to stay put in order to stem the spread of the virus. Since the beginning…
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COVID-19 Crisis Fund

Request support from the COVID-19 Crisis Fund Donate to the Crisis Fund In response to coronavirus/COVID-19, Social Justice Fund launched an emergency fund to support Social Justice Fund grantees working to respond to the crisis. Initial grants are $3,000 and can support a variety of strategies to meet community needs and support mutual aid. We…
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Postponed: Fund 4 the Frontlines Public Launch

You're invited to a special party introducing SJF's Fund 4 the Frontlines campaign -- an opportunity to build a stronger base for social justice movements through multi-year grants that are much larger than any we've ever made before. The public launch will include grantee presentations, organizers perspective on base-building strategies, SJF's vision for the future…

COVID-19 & Related Updates from SJF

In light of the recent news regarding the coronavirus (COVID-19), we wanted to send an update to our community about steps Social Justice Fund NW is taking as we carefully monitor recommendations from local public health officials and work to better understand the implications. In response to the emergent COVID-19 epidemic, SJF is working to…
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Social Justice Giving Plan Workshop

How do you put your social justice values into action? How do you give money without reinforcing oppressive dynamics? What does a good plan look like? This interactive, cross-class workshop will help you to think through these questions and get you on the path of a giving plan that challenges you while aligning with your…
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A New Chapter – for SJF and for Mijo

At Social Justice Fund NW we believe in activating donors and funding progressive movements. This process would not be possible without change. For many, the New Year is a time of reflection, change and new beginnings.  At SJF we will embark on a new chapter in 2020 as our Executive Director, Mijo Lee, has decided…
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Leaderfull Movements Giving Project Grants $120,000 for Groups Prioritizing Leadership Development

Social Justice Fund NW is proud to announce the grant awards for the Leaderfull Movements Giving Project that wrapped up in December. The Leaderfull Movements project was designed to support organizations that prioritize leadership development as a key part of their overall organizing strategy. This project was unique in that we embarked on a proof of concept structure,…
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Announcing the 2020 Fund 4 the Frontlines Base Building Grant

Announcing a special grant opportunity: The Fund 4 the Frontlines Base Building Grant. These grants of $250,000 ($50,000 a year for 5 years) will support base building strategies across our region. The first round of 3-6 grants will be made in May 2020; please read this information carefully as it is quite different from our…
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Support SJF’s Rapid Response and Seed Grant Fund for 2020

2019 marked our third full year of Rapid Response and Seed Grants since launching the program in late 2016. These grants allow us to respond quickly to the political climate and to support new and emerging groups, helping communities respond to fast-moving attacks and opportunities. We’ve set a goal to raise $20,000 before the end…
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Join SJF at our December Donor Appreciation Event

You're invited to the Social Justice Fund NW year-end Donor Appreciation Event! We want to thank you -- SJF members and donors -- for helping make our grantmaking and donor organizing work successful in 2019. The event is not a fundraiser but an opportunity for us to share accomplishments, see familiar faces, meet new people,…
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Rural & Small Town Organizing Giving Project Raises $423,346 for Grassroots Organizing

In March, our Seattle-based Rural & Small Town Organizing Giving Project set out to support community organizing in our region, specifically outside of Seattle and Portland. We came together to learn about strategic organizing outside of the two biggest cities in our region (where wealth is concentrated). We focused on rural communities, small towns, smaller…
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Displaced Tenants Fund 2019 Grants

Social Justice Fund Northwest is proud to announce the second round of grants from the Displaced Tenants Fund, a partnership between the Displaced Tenants for Accountability & Transparency (DTAT) and SJF. In September, 2019 the Fund granted over $2.4 million to six organizations working to increase high quality, affordable, accessible, environmentally sustainable, and community-controlled housing…
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SJF’s Annual Dinner Celebration – Photos and Recap

On October 5th, the Social Justice Fund community celebrated together during our annual dinner "The Change We’re Making.” We had a joyous time making new friends and reconnecting with each other, celebrating the work of our grantees, the success of our Giving Projects, and the social change and movement building we're helping to create throughout…
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Social Justice Fund NW Welcome New Staff Members

SJF is thrilled to announce our recent staff additions! Sewheat Asfaha Program Associate Sewheat was born and raised in the Seattle area, and has experience in youth development, college access, and nonprofit development/admin support. She is passionate about grassroots organizing and came to SJF as a member of the Black Led Organizing giving project. She…
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SJF’s Annual Dinner — Oct. 5, 2019

SJF's Annual Dinner is sold out! We are thrilled to have Edgar Villanueva, author of "Decolonizing Wealth," as our 2019 keynote speaker. Edgar Villanueva weaves a provocative analysis of the dysfunctional colonial dynamics at play in philanthropy and finance and offers a prescription for restoring balance and healing our divides using the guidance of indigenous…
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Seattle Giving Plan Workshop

In this challenging political climate, many of us are ready to support those on the front lines of the fight for progressive change. We know that donating to grassroots, social justice organizations is one way to engage. But how do we decide when, where, and how much to give? Should the urgency of the current…
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Announcing the 2019 Civic Engagement & Strengthening Democracy Grants

This 2019 Civic Engagement and Strengthening Democracy Grant process took place from July to October. It was the first panel of its kind for a full-length grant since starting Giving Projects, because unlike a Giving Project, the grant committee was not responsible for fundraising. Each committee member was also a member of SJF and engaged…
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SJF Member Meeting

If you are a member of SJF (see member info below), you're invited to join us at our 2019 member meeting. The SJF Member Meeting is our annual check-in with members on the state of SJF. As part of the SJF Member meeting on August 14 you'll have the opportunity to vote on new board…
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SJF Portland Cookout

Social Justice Fund NW invites you to our Portland Cookout on Sun, Aug. 11, to fund our movements, to connect with one another and to celebrate our grantees' work building power for lasting change. Tickets include food (vegan, vegetarian and meat options) as well as beverages (beer and non-alcohol options). Join us because you know…
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2018 Annual Report Now Available

We are excited to share Social Justice Fund NW’s 2018 Annual Report, which highlights the work of our Giving Project members to raise over $1.1 million in grants to support grassroots organizing in the Northwest. This work comes at a critical time for not just the Northwest but U.S. and the world at large. SJF’s…
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SJF Seattle Summer Social July 29 ?

Join recent Giving Project alumni and other Social Justice Fund NW members for a summer gathering in Seward Park. Enjoy snacks and cold drinks, jump in the lake, bring kids for fun on the nearby playground, and bask in the sun or shade of a midsummer afternoon in Seattle. RSVP The Summer Social is a…
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You’re invited to the Social Justice Fund NW Donors of Color Happy Hour!

You're invited to the Social Justice Fund NW Donor of Color Happy Hour! Come spend time with us and other Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) to have casual conversations about giving, moving resources, and supporting our own liberation. We'll talk more about networking as an organizing strategy Thursday, June 13 from 5:30-7:30pm. Because space…
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Black Led Organizing Giving Project raises $325,000 for grassroots organizing by and for Black communities

The Black Led Organizing Giving Project is a groundbreaking project for SJF and consisted of 18 amazing community members living in Seattle. The all-Black Giving Project raised $324,528 from 240 donors to fund organizations led by and organizing Black communities in the Northwest. This all-Black Giving Project was unprecedented for Social Justice Fund NW, the…
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Three Giving Projects raise nearly $1 million for Spring grants

Social Justice Fund NW is excited to share the fundraising and grants that resulted from the work of 67 Giving Project members across three Giving Projects: the Black Led Organizing Giving Project, the Environmental Justice Giving Project and the Gender Justice Giving Project. These three projects combined were able to raise nearly $1 million funding…
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Seattle Giving Plan Workshop

In this challenging political climate, many of us are ready to support those on the front lines of the fight for progressive change. We know that donating to grassroots, social justice organizations is one way to engage. But how do we decide when, where, and how much to give? Should the urgency of the current…
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Displaced Tenants Fund for Housing Justice and Affordability Accepting Grant Applications

Announcement Date: March 25, 2019 The Displaced Tenants Fund for Housing Justice and Affordability is now accepting applications for the 2019 grant cycle! The Displaced Tenants Fund, a donor advised fund of Social Justice Fund NW, seeks to increase high quality, affordable, accessible, environmentally sustainable, and community-controlled housing for low-income tenants in the city of…

Funding Our Own Liberation: Grassroots Fundraising Workshop for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color

Building collective power, raising money, and leveraging those funds to sustain movements is crucial to liberatory work. However, there are many systemic barriers to economic access for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)*. Whether you're new to fundraising, experienced but need a reboot or refresher, or are in the middle of a fundraising campaign right…
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SJF New Staff and Promotions

KAREN TOERING Interim Program Director Interim Program Director, Karen Toering, previously spent seven years leading Giving Projects as an SJF Senior Project Manager and Project Manager. She is a grassroots organizer, cultural worker, and consultant for non-profit arts and social justice organizations. Her work includes base-building and collaboration on media justice and media policy initiatives…
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A New Approach to Funding Coalitions

By Magan Do SJF Board Member Rob Cato at the Coalitions and Alliances site visit to Cheyenne, Wyo. Social Justice Fund NW has always funded coalitions as part of our strategy for funding community organizing in the Pacific and Mountain West, but last year, we made a deliberate decision to dedicate two Giving Projects to…
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Election 2018: Wins, Losses and Building Movement Power

Huy Ong of OPAL Environmental Justice Oregon at the SJF Donor Appreciation event. In early December, the executive director of OPAL Environmental Justice Oregon, Huy Ong, came to Seattle and spoke at SJF’s annual Donor Appreciation event. Huy talked about the election victories in Oregon, and about OPAL’s strategic vision for continuing to build on…
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SJF POC Winter POCLuck

You're invited! Let's spend time together with good people and good food.Please join us on March 26 in Seattle for an evening to enjoy good food, learn about upcoming events, share ideas, see old friends, and meet new people of color! There will be a brief agenda but mainly we want to hang out with you.When: Tuesday, March…
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SJF Honored: Wins 2018 Outstanding Philanthropic Organization

SJF Executive Director Mijo Lee accepts the Outstanding Philanthropic Organization award. On November 1, Social Justice Fund was honored as the 2018 Outstanding Philanthropic Organization at the National Philanthropy Day event in downtown Seattle. More than 600 people were on hand, and SJF Executive Director Mijo Lee spoke to the crowd about the importance of…
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Announcing SJF’s 2019 Giving Projects in Seattle & Portland!

In 2019 Social Justice Fund will lead over 100 people through a process of learning, community building, fundraising, and grantmaking for social change through our 2019 Giving Projects . We’re excited to offer the following Giving Projects in Seattle and Portland to support and guide the program of grants below. Our Giving Project model continues to be…
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Seeking participants for the Rural and Small Town Organizing Giving Project

SJF is looking for participants for Social Justice Fund NW’s 2019 Rural & Small Town Organizing Giving Project! This project will meet in Seattle and welcomes people living in rural areas or in Seattle. We’ll be funding grassroots organizing that builds power in ANY cities outside of Seattle and Portland, with priority given to organizations in…
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Missoula Giving Plan workshop

In this challenging political climate many of us are ready to support those on the front lines of the fight for progressive change. We know that donating to grassroots, social justice organizations is one way to engage. But how do we decide when, where and how much to give? Should the urgency of the current…
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Help grow our Rapid Response and Seed Grant Fund for 2019

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,…
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Fall Progress Report

Click below to download our 2018 Fall Progress Report
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POC Political Giving: A Free Workshop for People of Color

Join us Wednesday for an evening workshop on political giving for people of color, hosted by Progress Alliance and Social Justice Fund. We’ll explore how people of color are giving, and why politics is one part of a multi-faceted strategy for your giving. Hear from Kirsten Harris-Talley, Program Director of Progress Alliance and former interim…
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2024 Grant Opportunities

Open Grants Currently we have no open grant opportunities, thank you for your interest and subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date! You can subscribe here: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/Yju9RVp/sjfnews. 2024 Basebuilding Grant - 2 year grant of $50k, 100k total Deadline: CLOSED Base Building as a community organizing tactic that grows the breadth and depth…

Celebrating Victories, Standing Strong Against Hate

It’s been nearly two weeks since the 2018 midterm elections and he results have now crystallized into a significant defeat for the right. But they also show that our country continues to be deeply divided: in many places and in some key races the Trump agenda was thoroughly rebuked; in other ways, the right was…

Welcome new staff (and position changes)!

SJF is thrilled to announce two staff additions and a staff promotion. We are delighted to welcome Marc Mazique, as the Operations Associate, and Rahel Gaguro, as the Finance Associate. Marc and Rahel are both accomplished community members are we are excited to welcome them to the team. We are also happy to share that…

Celebrating Victories, Standing Strong Against Hate

It’s been nearly two weeks since the 2018 midterm elections, and the results have now crystallized into a significant defeat for the right. But they also show that our country continues to be deeply divided: in many places and in some key races the Trump agenda was thoroughly rebuked; in other ways, the right was…
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Climate justice momentum builds through I-1631 organizing

Community to Community Development's Edgar Franks. Edgar Franks is the Civic Engagement Program Coordinator at Community to Community Development (C2C), an SJF Grantee based in Bellingham, Wash. Edgar and C2C were early members in Front and Centered, a coalition of people-of-color led environmental justice organizations in Washington, which played a crucial role in the recent…
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Thank you for celebrating with us at our Annual Dinner!

  In challenging moments – and indeed, the last few weeks have been tough for all who care about and fight for social justice – what we need most is to come together as a community: to be inspired by leaders on the front lines of that fight, to share joy and laugh with others,…
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Coalitions and Alliances Giving Project Awards $297,000 in Grants

About six months ago, our Portland and Seattle-based Coalitions and Alliances Social Justice Fund NW Giving Projects embarked on a social justice philanthropy journey centered around coalitions and alliances. We came together to learn about the strategic nature of these organizing models (especially in today’s political climate), how they exist in a variety of ways,…
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2018 SJF Summer Newsletter Justice Notes Now Online

Check out the 2018 summer edition of SJF's newsletter Justice Notes. Inside, you will find stories about grantee work on immigrant rights, staff updates, and a look at SJF's 40th anniversary celebration. 2018 SJF Summer Newsletter

40 Years of Transformative Funding

On June 3, over 300 people gathered at Washington Hall in Seattle for Social Justice Fund NW’s 40th Anniversary Celebration. It was a historic occasion, marking four decades of grantmaking to grassroots community organizations in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. In 1978, SJF was founded by a group of progressive donors and originally named…
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Justice for Immigrant Families

By Palmira Figueroa In May, the Trump administration introduced its “zero-tolerance” immigration policy, calling for the prosecution of all individuals who cross the border into the United States without documentation. This policy had the immediate effect of separating thousands of parents from their children when they enter the country together, because parents are referred for…
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Updates from 2018 Annual Member Meeting

In mid-August, SJF held our 2018 annual member meeting. A stalwart group of members and donors participated in the meeting and heard reports on our member survey, progress on program and Giving Projects, as well as financials and the strategic plan. The group also voted in our three newest board members. Thanks to everyone who…
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Creating Your Social Justice Giving Plan Workshop (January 2019)

In this challenging political climate many of us are ready to support those on the front lines of the fight for progressive change. We know that donating to grassroots, social justice organizations is one way to engage. But how do we decide when, where and how much to give? Should the urgency of the current…
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2017 Annual Report: Looking back, pressing ahead

The past few weeks have been disheartening to say the least. The steady barrage of news - on immigration and family separations, the Supreme Court vacancy and court decisions that will affect generations - can feel overwhelming. But as distressing as these events have been, our communities are fighting back. Every day for the last…
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Seattle Summit: Organizing to Build a Collective Vision

By Victoria Kaplan If you are intrigued by SJF, and want a clearer understanding of the challenges and opportunities of building a base for substantive change, the best thing you can do is attend a grantee summit. I met SJF when it was still ATR, at a time of transition from its groundbreaking beginning with…
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2017 Annual Report celebrates $1 million in grants

The 2017 SJF Annual Report is out and we are excited to share that in 2017, we granted $1 million to grassroots orgs in the Northwest, as Executive Director Mijo Lee said, "For 40 years we’ve been building [our] strength and we are on track to do even more. In 2017 we granted over $1…
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Portland Happy Hour

Please join us to celebrate a year of exciting growth for SJF in Portland--including our first year of being featured in the Willamette Week Give!Guide. You're invited to reconnect or to meet us for the first time at our upcoming Happy Hour gathering at The Oregon Public House. SJF events are always a fun time and…
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Creating Your Social Justice Giving Plan in Portland

In this challenging political climate many of us are ready to support those on the front lines of the fight for progressive change. We know that donating to grassroots, social justice organizations is one way to engage. But how do we decide when, where and how much to give? Should the urgency of the current…
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An Unforgettable Celebration of Social Justice Fund NW’s 40 Years

“I have come to understand that hope is active. It’s something that we have to build, piece by piece, everyday. Not just because it feels good… Sometimes the world feels too bleak, walking through the downpour of setbacks and assaults is too much, and hope seems foolish at best and suicidal at worst. But I’ve…
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SJF’s Annual Dinner and Dance Party

SJF's Annual Dinner and Dance Party (SOLD OUT) Oct. 6, 2018, 6-11 pm Block 41, 115 Bell Street, Seattle, WA, 98121 Our dinner is SOLD OUT. If you already purchased tickets and have questions  email [email protected] This year, we are thrilled to feature three incredible speakers and artists: Daniel Pak Monserrat Padilla DJ SassyBlack MONSERRAT…
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Creating Your Social Justice Giving Plan Workshop

In this challenging political climate many of us are ready to support those on the front lines of the fight for progressive change. We know that donating to grassroots, social justice organizations is one way to engage. But how do we decide when, where and how much to give? Should the urgency of the current…
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UPDATE: Funding Opportunities to support Black Led Organizing, Environmental Justice, and Gender Justice!

UPDATE: Deadline extended to Sept. 21 for Black Led Organizing grants Social Justice Fund provides essential resources to organizations in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming to strengthen grassroots efforts in the broad-based movement for progressive, systemic social change.    We have three exciting grant opportunities coming up with deadlines in August and September. Please help…
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SJF Portland Barbecue

Social Justice Fund NW invites you to a BBQ in Portland on Sun, Aug. 12, to fund our movements, to connect with one another and to celebrate FOUR decades of building power for lasting change. Tickets include food (meat, vegetarian and vegan options) as well beverages (beer and non-alcohol options). Join us because you know SJF…
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SJF Grantee Summit in Portland: ‘We Are in Our Rightful Place’

by Callie Lambarth & Melody Martinez On a warm and sunshiny Saturday in Portland, the SJF Grantee Summit in Portland filled the house of the Curious Comedy Theater. On April 21, about 85 grantees, community members and organizations, SJF staff, board members, and Giving Project members and alums showed up to share part of the…
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Announcing the 2017-2018 Economic Justice Giving Project grants

We are thrilled to announce the recent Economic Justice grants made by the Seattle and Portland 2017-2018 Economic Justice Giving Projects. Here's a little about both groups: The Portland Economic Justice Giving Project is a small but mighty group of 12 volunteers including nonprofit workers, urban farmers, social workers, public health workers, data analysts, parents,…
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SJF 40th Anniversary Celebration

Join Social Justice Fund NW in celebrating 40 years of building power for lasting change. Go here for details and to get involved. Go here to purchase your tickets today.
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A Message from Program Director Yasmeen Perez

Dear SJF friends and comrades, What an amazing experience it has been to serve as SJF’s Program Director the past three years. It’s been truly inspiring work and such a privilege to work with so many dedicated and courageous grantees and donor organizers. So it’s with bittersweet feelings, that I’m writing to let you know…
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Justice Notes: A Visit With Grantee Mujeres Luchadoras Progresistas

Members of the Immigration Justice Giving Project with leaders of Mujeres Luchadores Progresistas. By Shardé Nabors Early one Sunday morning, I led a group of volunteers to visit SJF grantee Mujeres Luchadoras Progresistas (MLP) in Woodburn, Oregon. MLP recently received a grant from the Immigration Justice Giving Project, but as a potential grantee for our…
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Funding Our Own Liberation – POC Fundraising Workshop in Portland

We know how crucial it is to build collective power, raise money, and leverage those funds into our own communities. We also know there are many systemic barriers to economic access for people of color. Whether you're new to fundraising, experienced but need a reboot or refresher, or are in the middle of a fundraising…
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SJF Grantee Summit in Seattle

The SJF Grantee Summit in Seattle brings together grassroots leaders from across our five-state region for discussions on gender justice, environmental justice, racial justice, mass incarceration, native-led and black-led organizing, rural organizing, movement strategy, and more. The summit is a fantastic space to hear organizers, radical thinkers, and leaders share their work and ideas on…
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Creating Your Social Justice Giving Plan in Portland

In this challenging political climate many of us are ready to support those on the front lines of the fight for progressive change. We know that donating to grassroots, social justice organizations is one way to engage. But how do we decide when, where and how much to give? Should the urgency of the current…
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Criminal Justice Giving Project grants $285,000 to 14 organizations

On Jan. 29, 2018, 21 members of Social Justice Fund NW’s 2018 Criminal Justice Giving Project convened for the first time. Together, we embarked on a transformational six-month journey in building a collective understanding of how race, class, gender, sexuality, and other axes of oppression intersect with the criminal justice system. Galvanized by this framework…
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Eastside Tech Happy Hour

You're invited to join us for our upcoming Eastside Tech Happy Hour. On Thursday, April 23, Social Justice Fund NW will gather people from the tech industry on the Eastside interested in innovative, sustainable, and impactful ways of funding grassroots work, and have like minded people network while building strategies on investing toward social good.…
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SJF Grantee Summit in Portland

You're invited to register for Social Justice Fund NW's Grantee Summit in Portland! The Grantee Summit brings together grassroots leaders from across our five-state region for discussions on gender justice, environmental justice, racial justice, mass incarceration, Native-led and Black-led organizing, rural organizing, movement strategy, and more. Spend an afternoon in social justice community learning about…
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Justice Notes: Board and Staff News

Welcome New SJF board Co-chairs Kim and Molly SJF is excited to officially welcome Kim Powe and Molly Chidsey as the co-chairs of our Board of Directors. Molly Chidsey Molly is currently the Community Partnerships Project Manager for Metro regional government in Portland, where she leads efforts to incorporate racial equity into the regional garbage…
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Justice Notes: Ubax Gardheere, in Love With the Work

By Palmira Figueroa Ubax Gardheere is the Equity Strategies Manager for the City of Seattle by day. She is a fierce fighter for justice by heart who exemplifies all of what Social Justice Fund NW is about. Ubax is also SJF’s outgoing Board co-chair. This month we are honoring Ubax and and her outstanding job…
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Justice Notes: Growing Donors Through Giving Projects

From the Spring 2018 "Justice Notes" newsletter. Photo: Members of the 2018 Criminal Justice Giving Project in Seattle. SJF’s innovative Giving Projects model has been embraced by a group of six participating funders called the Giving Project Learning Community, transforming the philanthropic approach of the community’s members. In an article published in the most recent edition…
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Introducing our new website!

We are thrilled to launch SJF's new website! We wanted to create a mobile-friendly, intuitive, improved website experience to better serve the needs of our grantees, Giving Project members, donors, and SJF members. Some key features of the new website: Grantee Directory: Through the grantee directory, you can see all the organizations who have received…
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Announcing 2018 Immigration Justice Giving Project Grants

The 2017-2018 Immigration Justice Giving Project brought together 22 activists, cultural workers, students, mothers, musicians, nonprofit administrators, plant lovers, counselors, and more. Many are immigrants. Among their loved ones are refugees, green card holders, DACA recipients, U.S. citizens, and people without U.S. documents. Meet two of the members of the Immigrant Justice Giving Project: Jose Vazquez,…

Funding Our Own Liberation: Fundraising Workshop for People of Color

Because of popular demand Social Justice Fund is holding another Funding Our Own Liberation, a fundraising workshop specifically for people of color on Sunday, April 15. Especially today we know how crucial it is to building collective power, raise money, and leverage those funds into our own communities. We also know there are many systemic…

SJF Workshop: Creating your Social Justice Giving Plan

Register here In this challenging political climate many of us are ready to support those on the front lines of the fight for progressive change. One way to engage is by donating to grassroots, social justice organizations. But how do you decide how much and to who? Should the urgency of the current moment change…
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SJF 40th Anniversary Celebration

Join Social Justice Fund NW in Celebrating 40 Years of Building Power for Lasting Change at our Anniversary Celebration! Tickets on sale NOW! Celebrate 40 years of engaging members in a participatory process of grassroots fundraising to support community-based organizations that use community organizing to achieve their goals for social change. Questions? Contact [email protected] or…
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SJF staff featured in Rainier Valley Corps podcast on fundraisers of color

From the Rainier Valley Corps website: "In our final installment of this series, we are bringing you a different style of post. We interviewed over 12 fundraisers, working in the Seattle area. We asked them to share their experiences of working in this field. Thank you to everyone who was apart of this series! Click…
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Event: Who Profits From Philanthropy?

You're invited to join us for an interactive and educational event on alternatives to big philanthropy! Speakers will include representatives of CAGJ, Social Justice Fund NW, Resource Generation and Thousand Currents. Who Profits From Philanthropy? SPEAKERS: Burke Stansbury - Social Justice Fund NW Simone Adler - Community Alliance for Global Justice AGRA Watch Ruth Sawyer…
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Remembering Alan Rabinowitz

On Nov. 29, Social Justice Fund NW lost a dear friend and member of our family. Alan Rabinowitz was one of the earliest members of Social Justice Fund NW (then called A Territory Resource). It’s no exaggeration to say our organization would not exist today without his support and leadership. Much more than a donor…

Announcing Social Justice Fund NW’s 2018 Grant Opportunities

We are pleased to announce our 2018 grant cycles and funding opportunities. The Criminal Justice Grant application is due on February 1st and is now available through our online grant portal.   Criminal Justice Grant (Due Feb. 1, 2018 5:00pm PST) Two-year grant of $10,000 per year. This grant will support community organizing work that addresses the intersections of…
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Building Together: Giving Project Convening Highlights Growth of Model

We are pleased to announce our 2018 grant cycles and funding opportunities. The Criminal Justice Grant application is due on February 1 and is now available through our online grant portal. Criminal Justice Grant (Due Feb. 1, 2018 5:00pm PST) Two-year grant of $10,000 per year. This grant will support community organizing work that addresses…
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Announcing SJF’s 2018 Giving Projects in Seattle & Portland!

In 2018 Social Justice Fund will lead over 100 people through a process of learning, community building, fundraising and grantmaking for social change through our 2018 Giving Projects. We’re excited to offer the following Giving Projects in Seattle and Portland. Our Giving Project model continues to be incredibly successful in developing leadership and moving money…
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Announcing the Building Grassroots Power Grants from the Intergenerational Giving Projects

We are honored to present the grants awarded from our 2017 Intergenerational Giving Project cohorts (Portland and Seattle). The two giving projects supported organizations that intentionally build leaders through their organizing work and use leadership development as part of a larger movement strategy. Combined, including a $40,000 match from the Satterberg Foundation, the groups gave and fundraised $303,324 for a…

A Call to Action: Funding a Force for Good

You’ve seen the news. I’m guessing you feel the same way I do — 2017 has been a difficult year. The extent of human suffering we’ve witnessed this year is heartbreaking. Every week, you’ve seen the Trump Administration waging another brutal attack on immigrants, LGBTQ communities, Medicaid recipients, or working families. You’ve also seen unprecedented…

Annual dinner a huge success

What a night! With the help of our supporter and sponsors, we were able to build a stronger social justice movement for the Northwest by raising over $97,000 , surpassing our goal of $85,000! The brilliance and passion of the speakers, musicians, and our grantee organizations made the night especially inspiring. Representatives from 16 SJF funded organizations…

SJF Oregon Staff Updates

It is with mixed emotions we share that our beloved Oregon Director Dianne Riley has taken a new position with the City of Portland. Dianne, over the past four years, built a dynamic and thriving Social Justice Fund NW community in Oregon. With her commitment to the work and to people, Dianne grew the organization's…

Building Together: Giving Project Convening Highlights Growth of Model

On Aug. 8-9, Social Justice Fund NW was honored to host representatives from the six funds that make up the Giving Project Learning Community, plus a new fund in Detroit exploring the Giving Project model. Over the past two years, the six participating funds have formed a learning community to spread the Giving Project model…

Panel Discussion on Replication of Giving Project Model – August 7, 2017

Giving Projects have gone national! At our August 7 member meeting, participants had the opportunity to hear how SJF has helped donor organizing grow into a national model through the Giving Project Learning Community. Representatives from Crossroads Fund in Chicago, Headwaters Foundation for Justice in Minneapolis and Bread & Roses Community Fund in Philadelphia, shared…

Sold Out – Reserve Tickets Now! Social Justice Fund Annual Dinner 2017

October 7, 2017 You're invited to our annual dinner & dance party. It's a community celebration of your hard work and vital support as Social Justice Fund NW friends, members, and grantees! Reserve tickets here! Block 41, 115 Bell St, Seattle, WA 98121 Evening Program 5:30 pm - Doors open - Grantee Fair and Cocktail Hour 7:00 pm - Dinner and Program…
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Four orgs receive Rapid Response, Seed grants

Social Justice Fund NW awards Rapid Response grants to U.T.O.P.I.A. Seattle, Portland Rising Tide / Base Camp NW, Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition/Technical Advisory Group; awards first Seed Grant to Naakw Dancers. Seed Grant Naakw Dancers in Seatac, WA, $2,000 Seed grant Náakw (Medicine) is a Tlingit dance group that meets weekly to celebrate ancestry, community empowerment and proper protocols…
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2017 Momentum Giving Project’s Native Led Organizing Grants Awarded

Social Justice Fund is pleased to share the 2017 Momentum Giving Project's Native Led Organizing grant awards! These grants were made possible by a small but mighty group of Giving Project alumni who worked very hard over just a few short months to reach their fundraising goal. In total, they raised $73,870 from 110 donors. In addition…
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Rapid Response Grants Awarded to Three Organizations

Grant of $2,000 to Verde, Portland, OR Verde serves communities by building environmental wealth through Social Enterprise, Outreach and Advocacy in Portland's Cully neighborhood. Verde operates Outreach and Advocacy programs, including the Living Cully collaboration of four nonprofit organizations that focus on the low-income, diverse Cully neighborhood of NE Portland. Verde's Rapid Response grant request Verde requests…

Tragedy in Portland and the Work Ahead

Photo: Portland MAX station memorial, photo courtesy of Jacob Simmons. We at Social Justice Fund NW were horrified to learn of the deaths on Friday of two men and the injury of another after they tried to intervene against racist and Islamophobic attacks on two young women on a Portland TriMet train. Their attacker had a long…
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An EPIC Success

After six years of phenomenal growth, the Seattle Foundation is changing its approach to GiveBIG. Your generosity during GiveBIG in the past few years has made a BIG difference in Social Justice Fund NW's ability to support our grantees. As the number of GiveBIG participating organizations dramatically increased, the value of the "stretch pool" decreased, and…

Voz, Portland Jobs With Justice Receive SJF Rapid Response Grants

The Rapid Response Grant screening committee awarded a grant of $2,000 to Voz Workers' Rights Education Project (Portland, OR) and a $1,500 grant to Portland Jobs With Justice. Voz Workers' Rights Education Project SJF is awarding a Rapid Response grant of $2,000 to Voz Workers' Rights Education Project in Portland, OR. VOZ is a worker-led organization that empowers diverse day laborers…

OPAL Environmental Justice Oregon to Receive First 2017 SJF Rapid Response Grant

The Rapid Response Grant screening committee awarded a grant of $2,000 to OPAL Environmental Justice Oregon (Portland, OR). OPAL's mission is to "build power for environmental justice and Civil Rights in our communities: the places where we live, work, learn, play and pray. We advocate for a just transportation system, inclusive housing and investment without…
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What’s It Like to be in a Giving Project? A Q&A With a Member

The Giving Project experience is different for every person. But to find out what it was like for one member of the Gender Justice Giving Project, read Jasmine Fleenor's story. Why did you sign up for the Gender Justice Giving Project? Was there anything about gender justice in particular that prompted you to join? I…
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Announcing the 2017 Gender Justice Giving Project Grantees

Social Justice Fund is proud to announce that the Gender Justice Giving Project broke a Giving Project record for giving and fundraising: they brought in $223,149 from 355 donors, which added to a $68,500 Satterberg Foundation match for a total of $297,781. Included in that giving and fundraising total is the hard work of 15…

Social Justice Spring: Learn, Connect and Build with SJF

April 12 Seattle Social Justice Giving Plan Workshop "Creating a Social Justice Giving Plan During Turbulent Times" is an interactive, cross-class workshop to think through how to get started with creating a giving plan that aligns with your values. LEARN MORE April 19 Social Justice Giving Plan webinar w/Resource Generation This webinar, co-presented by Resource Generation, is an interactive…
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New Rapid Response and Seed Grants Address Critical, Urgent Needs

Social Justice Fund NW is proud to announce the launch of two new funding opportunities for social justice organizations doing critical organizing work in the greater Northwest.  Applications are now available for our NEW Rapid Response & Seed Grants. The Rapid Response Grant will provide fast, small grants of up to $2,000 to help local communities respond…
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When Movements Win Money: The story of Granting Over $950K to Support Zero Detention & Housing Justice

When a community organizing campaign wins monetary resources, what do they do with it? How can they allocate those resources back to the communities most impacted in an accountable and democratic way? For nearly 40 years, Social Justice Fund NW (SJF) has organized donor activists to give strategically and fund community organizations in Idaho, Montana,…
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We Mourned, Now We Organize! SJF Grantees in Action

In the wake of the President Trump’s inauguration, it was tempting to fall into a feeling of despair or helplessness. But Social Justice Fund grantees took the opposite approach, using the moment to galvanize and mobilize their members in opposition to the administration’s policies and to advance their vision for social justice. Some examples of…
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Announcing Naomi Ishisaka, Social Justice Fund NW’s new Communications Director

Social Justice Fund is excited to welcome Naomi Ishisaka as the organization’s first Communications Director. Naomi comes to the organization after a number of years as communications director for the SEIU 775 Benefits Group and former SJF grantee OneAmerica. She spent many years working as a journalist for Puget Sound newspapers. Naomi is a longtime member and supporter of Social Justice Fund after…
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Our new Rapid Response Fund

Imagine...you’ve just learned white nationalists are planning a rally in your town. You can’t sit back and watch this happen. With just a couple weeks notice, you and your neighbors decide to organize a counter-protest. You need buses to bring in community supporters along with food, child care, translators, and the list goes on. Just $500 would…
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Meet Burke, SJF’s new Development Director

Dear friends, Last week, I started as the Development Director here at Social Justice Fund NW. It’s an extraordinary political moment to be stepping into this movement role, the perfect culmination of the organizing work I’ve done over the past 15 years. At the annual dinner in October I told some SJF members about my…
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A message from Ailene Richard, Criminal Justice Giving Project Member

Dear SJF Community, I am happy to say that I, along with 16 other participants, just completed the 2016 Criminal Justice Giving Project that began in May.  Together, we raised $213,245 for community organizing groups working on criminal justice issues in the Northwest.  You can see the full list of organizations we funded here. As someone who grew…
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Announcing the 2016 Rural Justice Giving Project Grantees – a message from RJGP Member JulieAnne Behar

Dear Social Justice Fund community, I’m honored to share with you the work that our Rural Justice Giving Project did together over the past six months. With an ambitious team of 14 people, we exceeded our fundraising goal and got to fund an incredible group of grantees. Over the last six months, we committed to…

Diego Hernandez, Dancing, Delights – Social Justice Fund’s Annual Dinner on October 29th

Social Justice Fund Northwest is proud to present the party of the year - our annual Dinner & Dance Party on Saturday, October 29th, from 5:30-11pm.  This event is a celebration of the work of Social Justice Fund members and grantees and a gathering that brings 300 leaders, organizers, activists and philanthropists together from across the region. …

Paid Internship: Be SJF’s Program Support Intern! Application due 8/29

We're looking for a fall start program support intern!  If you're looking for a temporary part-time position and have interests in philanthropy, community organizing, and/or social justice, please consider applying.  You don't have to be a student, but if you are, we will partner with you to ensure that you receive educational credits.  Please see…

Opportunity in Oregon: Join the Gender Justice Learning Group!

Are you an Portland-based individual who has a passion for organizing with a gender and identity-based analysis?  Perhaps you're a seasoned organizer but would like to learn more about organizing around these issues in the region?  Or maybe you're curious about SJF's model of philanthropy and want to know more?   If any of these descriptions fit you…

Join us at the 4th Annual Grantee Summit – Saturday, July 16th

Social Justice Fund NW would like to invite YOU - yes, you - to one of our favorite events of the year: our Annual Grantee Summit. The Grantee Summit brings together grassroots leaders from across the region for discussions on gender justice, criminal justice, rural justice, housing justice, building movements across identities, reporting back on…
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Announcing the 2016 Housing Justice Grantees

The 2016 Momentum Giving Project focusing on Housing Justice raised $127,662 to help fund organizations addressing root causes of displacement, renter exploitation, gentrification, and much more in the region.  This amount included a public screening of My Brooklyn in conjunction with Northwest Film Forum, which raised over $11,000 in a single night. Housing Justice Giving Project members Mano da…

New Grant Opportunity: The Displaced Tenants Fund for Housing Justice & Affordability

Social Justice Fund is proud to announce the release of a new grant cycle created by a donor advised fund known as the Displaced Tenants Fund for Housing Justice & Affordability. The purpose of this fund is to disburse $450,000 to support community organizing, education and outreach, and non-profit housing development that preserves and advances truly…
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We’re hiring for two new positions – Deadline March 3

Social Justice Fund is hiring for two positions, a full-time Development Associate and a part-time Operations Assistant. We need your help finding the right people! We envision our staff as a fully collaborative team in service to our mission. The Development Associate and Operations Assistant are integral parts of serving our members and grantees. The Operations Assistant is a…
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Fund the Movement

We leverage the resources of our members to foster significant, long-term social justice solutions throughout Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. Member Funded In 2015, Social Justice Fund engaged 1,900 donors at all giving levels to fund movements for progressive social change. Social Justice Fund Northwest relies on the support of our community to achieve…

Why 1,000 people joined Social Justice Fund this year.

We leverage the resources of our members to foster significant, long-term social justice solutions throughout Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.  Member Funded In 2015, Social Justice Fund engaged 1,900 donors at all giving levels to fund movements for progressive social change. Social Justice Fund Northwest relies on the support of our community to achieve…
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Announcing the 2015 Jeannette Rankin and Hunter-Pious Awards

Emiko Badillo and Michaelynn Hawk: Hunter-Pious and Jeannette Rankin Award Recipients Congratulations to Emiko Badillo! Emiko will be receiving the Hunter-Pious Award, given to a Social Justice Fund member who has devoted long-term service to Social Justice Fund and its work. As a participant of three Giving Projects, Emiko has been a significant support system for…
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Member Spotlight: Ellie Poley and Brittany Alsot

I’ve lived in Seattle for five years with my wife, Brittany. I’m a software developer who loves to bicycle and cook. I’m also an organizer, but not in the traditional sense that people think of. You won’t often see me knocking on doors or with a megaphone in my hand leading chants. Being part of…
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Member Spotlight: Nathan Silpakit

I am the child of Thai immigrants, born and raised in Washington, passionate about social justice and community building, and someone who finds joy in dance, food, and a nice pot of tea. Last year I was working someplace that had nothing to do with social justice and I was looking for a way to feed my…

Now accepting proposals for our Fall Momentum grant for Black-led Organizing!

The Fall Momentum grant will focus on Black-led Organizing: Building Capacity for Organizing Led by Black People (deadline September 10th at 11:59pm). In the past 18 months, the drumbeat of “Black Lives Matter” has been growing steadily as Black people and Black communities across the US rise up and demand "a world where Black lives are no…
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Announcing Executive Director Transition

​Dear Friends and Partners, On behalf of the Board of Directors of Social Justice Fund NW, I am writing to let you know that Zeke Spier has decided to transition out of the role of Executive Director at the end of December. We are excited to announce that the Board has selected Associate Director Mijo…
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Interview with Marcia Shanor of Equality State Policy Center in WY

One of our grantees, Marcia Shanor of Equality State Policy Center says, "In Wyoming, we often feel like we are out in the hinterlands and we are alone in our progressive work. So to be a part of this community...is energy building." Hearing Marcia's interview about Equality State Policy Center's work in Wyoming reminds us of…
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Interview with Ramon Ramirez of Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste (PCUN)

Ramon Ramirez is President of Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste (PCUN), Oregon's farmworkers union and one of Social Justice Fund's grantees. Ramon was a panelist at our 2015 Grantee Summit in Seattle last month where he shared both victories and challenges. He also shared how important Social Justice Fund's support is to PCUN's work. This support is…
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Interview with Krista Bustamante of Idaho Community Action Network

Krista Bustamante is the Organizing Director at Idaho Community Action Network, one of Social Justice Fund's grantees. Krista was a panelist at our 2015 Grantee Summit in Seattle earlier this month where she shared her community organizing work with Social Justice Fund members.   More interviews from grantees coming soon...

Environmental Justice Learning Group- Registration Open!

Join the 2015 Environmental Justice Learning Group with the Social Justice Fund NW! The focus of this Learning Group will be Climate Justice & Communities of Color. This group is open to all and there is no minimum experience or knowledge of the issue required.  Through readings, videos, and group discussion we will engage ideas…

We are proud to announce Grantees from our two most recently completed Giving Projects

The 2014 Economic Justice Giving Project was comprised of 17 amazing members who raised $106,300 from 263 of their friends and family! Find out who our Economic Justice Grant Awardees. Social Justice Fund's first ever Movement Building Giving Project raised over $125,000 with just 9 participants! Find out who received these two-year grants.

All 2015 Grant Cycles Open!

  We are excited to announce six grant cycles open in 2015 (including three two-year grants!).  Click here for all grant descriptions, deadlines, and eligibility criteria, and to begin your application.     Please contact us with any questions. Want to get involved? Check out our programs!

Announcing Our 2015 Programs!

In 2015 Social Justice Fund will lead over 200 people through a process of learning, community building, fundraising and grantmaking for social change through our 2015 Giving Projects and learning groups. We’re excited to continue offering Giving Projects in Seattle, Portland and Montana. We’re also thrilled to continue our flagship Giving Projects and launch two…
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New Environmental Justice Grants

The following grants are result of a six month process led by the members of our 2014 Environmental Justice Giving Project. The 2014 Environmental Justice Giving Project consisted of 12 members from diverse backgrounds who worked together to learn about movement building, environmental justice, and the intersections between race and class. This group spent six…

New Region-Wide Grants!

We just wrapped up two Giving Projects--the Next Generation Giving Project and the Social Justice Giving Project based in Portland.  They celebrated the end of their Projects knowing that their hard work resulted in new grants to underfunded communities around the region.  Together these two groups raised over $121,000 for grants to 11 grassroots organizations as part of our General…
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Gender Justice Grants

We began this process with the definition that gender justice exists when all people -- especially women, girls, and gender-variant people -- are able to identify and express their gender and sexual orientation without fear, discrimination or harm, and have the economic, social, and political power and resources to make healthy decisions for themselves, their families and…
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36th Annual Dinner Celebration

Don't miss Social Justice Fund's biggest event of the year!  The 36th Annual Dinner Celebration, "The Change We're Making," brings together 300 civic leaders, philanthropists, activists, and grassroots organizers from across the Northwest to celebrate years of leadership in social justice philanthropy. The evening starts with a happy hour reception, followed by an inspiring program,…
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Making history!

Members of the Criminal Justice Giving Project made history by being the first Giving Project to accomplish multi-year fundraising, and setting a record high of the most raised by a single Project!  Together, the group ended their five month Giving Project by collectively raising $252,000 in gifts (including support from the Riverstyx Foundation) and making…
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New grants to social justice orgs in Montana

(MIJA) - Helena, MT MIJA is a statewide non-profit organization working for immigrants rights. Montana has a rich history of immigration, but in recent years the contributions that immigrants have made to Montana have sometimes been overshadowed by negative stereotypes and false myths. MIJA works to educate the public about our migrant communities, and provide…
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We’re featured in GIFT Magazine!

We're excited to share the current issue of Grassroots Fundraising Journal, Deepening Donor Relationships featuring Social Justice Fund.   In this article, Executive Director, Zeke Spier shares very candidly how Social Justice Fund has gone from an organization on the brink of closing its doors, to an organization that's growing, thriving, and gaining national attention. Below, is an excerpt from the…

Development Director position

Our long-time Development Director, Estevan Muñoz Howard, will be leaving Social Justice Fund and joining the staff at ArtsCorp. We're sad to see him go but he will still be working with us on future projects, and we're excited to keep him connected to the Social Justice Fund community.  This means we're hiring!--check out the job…
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Epic road trips

Site visits are an important part of the grantmaking process because it gives grantmakers the opportunity to learn from potential grantees in ways that can’t be conveyed through a report or application.   For Social Justice Fund, the importance of this process is elevated because of the nuanced complexity that comes with grassroots organizing. For Rachel,…
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Hope and optimism

Raphaela, a member and two-time Giving Project alumnus, relfects on the Grantee Summit she just attended, and shares what she loves most about being part of the Social Justice Fund community. Organizing against oppression, injustice, and legislative measures that continue to pile up against equality and social justice is a fearless and often overwhelming charge   Yet, it’s impossible for anyone…
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Organizing for Medicaid Expansion

One of the things that makes Social Justice Fund unique is our five-state region. The reasons why are clear to our urban members once they participate in our grantmaking process and learn about the amazing work going on outside Seattle and Portland. The things that make rural organizing successful are important to all social change…

Mayor McGinn joins Social Justice Fund Board

March 5, 2014 - Mayor Mike McGinn has joined the Board of Directors of Social Justice Fund NW to continue working for progressive social change. McGinn says, "I'm excited about Social Justice Fund's innovative process that engages people from all backgrounds as philanthropists and grantmakers.” Social Justice Fund NW is a member-funded foundation that supports…

Committing to gender justice

Last week our staff spent the day participating in a Gender Justice training in our office led by Western States Center. This was the first run of a new training being developed for our inaugural Gender Justice Giving Project, starting in just a month.  I left the workshop inspired by the transformative potential of a Gender…

Announcing all 2014 grant opportunities

We have 6 funding opportunties open for application!  We have 6 grant cycles open to groups and organizations looking for funding (resources, details, and deadlines below).  Please help us spread the word, and share this info with people or groups that would be interested in applying.  Deadlines are approaching with the first deadline 3/17.     Here's some helpful info to pass along:  …
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The Change We’re Making

Last month, Social Justice Fund NW celebrated 35 years of social justice philanthropy at our Annual Dinner Celebration “The Change We’re Making” where 300 activists, organizers, and social justice philanthropists across Oregon, Washington, Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming came together to honor the work of our grantees and to recognize our role in building a sustainable movement…

Beyond Immigration Reform

This year has presented a significant opportunity for the immigrant rights movement.   The national conversation on Comprehesive Immigration Reform shed a spotlight on immigrant rights and the momentum of the movement has grown stronger.  To respond to the opportunity and to continue our commitment, Social Justice Fund NW added two Giving Projects into this year; the winter Immigration Reform Giving Project and the…

More grants and more resources to progressive organizations

Last week, our general grant cycle came to a close with 13 new grants totaling over $134,000 in more funding for community organizing and base building in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming.  We're proud to announce the newest set of grants from our general grant cycle.  Take a moment to read about some of the…
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Grantee Spotlight: Rural Organizing Project

Community organizing and base building are long term investments. While concrete policy wins are important, it’s the behind the scenes work, the one to one relationships, and honest conversations that help build movements. For Rural Organizing Project (ROP), this long and difficult work is transforming communities all across the State of Oregon. Amanda Aguilar Shank,…
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Courageous Conversations

In February of 2013, Burke Stansbury, a Social Justice Fund board member, invited his father, Michael, to participate with him in the Economic Justice Giving Project, and in March they jumped right in, becoming the first father-son team to engage in a Giving Project together. In the end, the Economic Justice Giving Project raised $115,000…

A new record high from the Criminal Justice Giving Project and more new grants!

We're breaking records with each Giving Project!  The Criminal Justice Giving Project engaged 312 donors (an all-time high) and raised $135,483 for 12 grants to community organizations building leadership and working towards justice in our systems.  We are incredibly proud of this group!  And we're also incredibly honored to support these organizations! Community to Community…

10 more NEW grants!

We have another set of impressive grantees! These grants are coming from the Economic Justice Giving Project.  A group of incredibly motivated volunteers who spent five months learning and engaging others in a dialogue about race, class, and its impact on economic justice.   They activated their own communities and raised $115,589 from 220 donors…
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5 New grants by the LGBTQ Giving Project

This small but mighty group of 11 participants was able to beat their fundraising goal of $50,000 and raised $52,576 from 208 donors! Together they learned about underfunded LGBTQ organizing happening around the region, explored issues of race and class in our community, and met directly with organizations doing the work. They wrapped up their…
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7 New Grants by the Environmental Justice Giving Project

The Environmental Justice Giving Project ended last week by delivering seven grants to seven amazing organizations. This group of 12 courageous people engaged over 200 donors in meaningful conversations and raised $82,511 to support organizations around the Northwest dedicated to moving the environmental justice movement forward. Our newest grantees of the year are (drum roll....)…

Immigration Reform Grant Cycle Open for Applications!

We are excited to announce our second Immigration Reform Grant Cycle this year, funding organizations in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming. Social Justice Fund NW is committed to supporting community organizing for immigrant rights and strong communities. We believe that because of the possibility of Comprehensive Immigration Reform that could lead to a path…

A Giving Project Story: Seth on the Immigration Reform Giving Project

Seth Otto, recent Masters of Social Work graduate and former Social Justice Fund Intern, shares his experience participating in the winter Immigration Reform Giving Project. The Immigration Reform Giving Project is an abbreviated version of a Giving Project which focuses on supporting organizations committed to immigrant rights and helping move Comprehensive Immigration Reform forward during…

Members! Did you know you can join a site visit?

We are excited to announce our second round of site visits for 2013 from the Economic Justice, Environmental Justice, Criminal Justice and LGBTQ Giving Projects. Site visits will start next week and will run until the end of July.  As a member of Social Justice Fund NW, not only are you absolutely welcome to join us on…
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2013 Community Summit

This has been an incredible year for Social Justice Fund!  We’ve grown our staff to support the success of our Giving Project Model, launched 8 Giving Projects, and in April introduced our first ever Community Summit.  Over 100 community members from around the Northwest came to Seattle to hear directly from Social Justice Grantees about organizing work…

The Power of Collective Organizing!

Social Justice Fund Grantees Voz Workers' Rights Education Project, Causa Oregon, and Jobs with Justice work collectively to fight for immigrant rights In Multnomah County, Oregon families have been experiencing the trauma and destruction created by Immigration Customs Enforcement “(ICE) holds”. ICE holds is a discriminatory process where local police holds a person in jail for…
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First Grant Announcements of the Year!

Immigration Reform Giving Project New Grant Announcements! 2013 marks a critical point for Immigrant Rights and we have a major opportunity to push the movement forward.   To respond to this once-in-a-generation opportunity, Social Justice Fund pulled together a group of volunteers for a shorter version of our unique Giving Project model. After only 10 weeks, we're proud to announce our first ever Immigration…
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May Day Marches: Record turnouts and a big victory in Oregon!

Just a week ago, thousands of us marched in solidarity... In Bozeman, Montana marchers gathered at Lindley Park to make signs and sign petitions while tour buses brought supporters from other Montana towns.  While organizing in rural Montana can be challenging, over 100 supporters from across Montana spent the day at Lindley Park to support immigrant rights.  Over…

6 Grant Cycles Now Open for Applications

We're excited to announce six grant cycles open for organizers working with Environmental Justice, Economic Justice, LGBTQ, Criminal Justice, and community organizing in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming.  All grant cycles will provide general operating support for community organizing led by the people most directly impacted by injustice and inequality.  Please read about our eligibility requirements,…

Site Visits for Immigration Reform Giving Project

Social Justice Fund NW is proud to have funded many organizations in the Northwest that have played a key role in getting us to this point.  2013 marks a once-in-a-generation opportunity for immigration reform and to continue our deep commitment to supporting immigrant rights, we've pulled together two Immigration Reform Giving Projects for the year.  Current Immigration…

Immigration Reform Grant – Due March 4!

We are excited to announce our Immigration Reform Grant (the first of two this year). Please note that proposals are due March 4. We apologize for the unusually short turnaround. In an effort to quickly distribute funding and make an impact on the current campaign for Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR), we have shortened our usual timeline for applicants. …

2013 SJF Member Meeting

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Big news: Social Justice Fund is growing!

UPDATE: as of 9/12/2013, the Communications and Membership Manager position and the Oregon Director position has been filled. The Montana Director position remains open. Friends, It is with deep gratitude, an abundance of caution, and a whole lot of excitement that we have decided to open up 3 new positions to begin in the New…
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Momentum

Dear Friends, Social change is a long term and gradual proposition, but sometimes we take a clear step forward. Last Tuesday was one of those days. Across the country we reaffirmed basic progressive values while reelecting our first Black president, a former community organizer. We know that an election will not bring justice and equality and that…

Final 2012 Grant Cycle Announcement

We are proud to announce our Social Justice Giving Project based in Portland Grants going to Idaho Community Action Network,  Latino Unidos Siempre and Right 2 Survive in Portland. CONGRATULATIONS to the Grantees and to the first 15 Giving Project members in Portland who raised over 28,000 to support Community Organizing in the NorthWest.

Announcing 7 new grants!

We are proud to announce our 2012 Next Generation Giving Project Grants going to Community to Community Development, Center Pole, Montana Human Rights Network, Partnership for Safety and Justice, Seattle Young People's Project, Umatilla Morrow Alternatives and Voz Hispana Causa Chavista.  Congratulations to the grantees AND to the 12 hardworking members of the Next Generation…

Announcing Montana Giving Project Grants!

We are proud to announce our 2012 Montana Giving Project Grants going to Indian People's Action and Native Action.  Congratulations to the grantees AND to the 5 hardworking members of the Montana Giving Project, who raised over $18,000 to support progressive community organizing in Montana!

4 Grants for Economic Justice Organizing!

We are proud to announce our 2012 Economic Justice Grants going to Got Green, Indian People's Action, Pineros y Compensinos Unidos del Noroeste (PCUN), and VOZ Workers’ Rights Education Project.  Congratulations to the grantees AND to the 12 dedicated members of the Economic Justice Giving Project, who raised over $44,000 to support community organizing for…
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Grantee Spotlight: Washington CAN!

With all the talk of corporate bailouts and Super PAC-funded political campaigns, it’s nice to know that someone is actually looking out for the rest of us. Especially when that someone is a 35,000 member advocacy organization, and the rest of us is, well, all of us. Washington CAN! is a grassroots organization that engages Washington…

Announcing 7 new grants!

We are proud to announce our 2012 Environmental Justice Grants going to Got Green, Hilltop Urban Gardens, Native Youth Leadership Alliance, Nickelsville, OPAL, Powder River Basin Resource Council, and the Tenants Union of Washington.  Congratulations to the grantees AND to the 12 hardworking members of the Environmental Justice Giving Project, who raised over $82,000 to…

Site Visits, Round Two!

We are excited to announce our second round of site visits for 2012, from the Economic Justice and Environmental Justice Giving Projects. Remember, if you are a member of Social Justice Fund, you are welcome to join any site visit. Call or email Magan (206.624.4081 x108 / magan[at]socialjusticefund.org) to find out how. Over the next…

Our first 10 grants of 2012!

We are proud to announce our first grants of 2012, thanks to the hard work of the Criminal Justice Giving Project and the LGBTQ Giving Project! Collectively, the 28 volunteers in these projects raised over $165,00 from 272 donors and made 10 exciting grants. Click through to see who we're funding!

One more grant cycle for 2012!

Announcing Social Justice Fund's final grant cycle for 2012: The General Grant will support community organizing for structural change, with no specialized issue focus, throughout ID, MT, OR, WA, and WY.   All application information and materials can be found here: Apply For A Grant.   Applications are due on July 13th  This grant will be funded and…

Montana Grant Cycle Now Open!

We are excited to announce another grant cycle today!  Apply here. The Montana Grant will fund community organizing for social change in Montana only. Applications are due June 29. In addition, the Economic Justice and Environmental Justice Grants are both still open; applications for those grants are due next Friday, June 8. All application materials…

Economic Justice & Environmental Justice Grant Cycles Now Open!

We are excited to announce two more grant cycles today!  Apply here. The Economic Justice Grant will fund work that addresses the root causes of economic inequity using community led solutions to build power among its members to advocate for and create thriving communities. The Environmental Justice Grant will fund organizations that strive for equitable…
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This week only: your gift is matched!

Dear SJF Community, Spring is warming up and so is our work at Social Justice Fund!  Giving Projects are in full swing, with over 100 long-time and brand new Social Justice Fund members dedicating their time and energy to help us build a progressive movement for justice in the northwest. Today marks the start of…

LGBTQ & Criminal Justice Grants – now accepting applications

Our first two grant cycles of the year are now open!  Apply here. The Criminal Justice Grant will fund organizations and projects addressing the systems that criminalize the lives of people of color and poor people). The LGBTQ Grant will fund LGBTQ organizations and organizations and organizations whose leadership includes LGBTQ-identified people, and whose work…

Grantee Spotlight: Got Green

When it comes to community organizing, it doesn't get much more grassroots than Got Green. Based in Seattle, WA, Got Green mobilizes members of the community around public policy advocacy and job training to ensure that low income communities of color are able to benefit from the burgeoning “green economy.” Their work in the community…

Participate in our 2012 Member Meeting electronically!

Calling all members!! If you would like to participate in our upcoming Member Meeting but will be unable to attend in person, feel free to click the link below and vote online! *Note: as it currently stands, members are donors who make gifts of $240 or more per year. http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/WJ98TJW

Member Meeting Agenda Announced

2012 Member Meeting The Member Meeting will be a great chance for SJF members to meet one another, participate in thoughtful discussion of social justice issues, make decisions that guide the future of this organization, and vote on our new board members. It’s going to be fun, and we’d love to see you there! *Note:…
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An Opportunity to be Inspired

Dear Social Justice Fund Community, I want to share an opportunity with you to be inspired, and to play a meaningful role in bringing justice, equality, and sustainability to our world. I’m happy to report that Social Justice Fund continues to revolutionize philanthropy and fund transformative organizations. We have been able to do this because…

Member Survey and Member Meeting Save the Date

Please take the time to participate in our 2011 member survey!Your input helps us understand the demographics of our membership and your ideas help us shape the future of this organization.    Take the Member SurveyThe survey takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. Share with us what Giving Projects you're interested in being a part of…

Occupy Wall Street and Organizing for Long-Term Change

Zeke SpierSocial Justice Fund Executive DirectorLike many of you, I have been watching the rise of the Occupy Wall Street movement with both excitement and lots of questions.   I imagine that seeing so much passion and action from all the people participating nationwide (and worldwide) has lifted the spirits of all of us that work…

The Sum of Our Stories: Gail Small

Gail Small, Executive Director of Native Action and former Social Justice Fund NW Board Member, shared her story with attendees of the Social Justice Fund 2011 Annual Dinner on September 17, 2011. Below are her prepared remarks: Peva Ea Shev. My name is Head Chief Woman, Ve Hon Naut, in the Cheyenne language and I…

The Sum of Our Stories: Dean Jackson

Dean Jackson, a 2011 LGBTQ Giving Project Member and founder of Hilltop Urban Gardens, a 2010 and 2011 SJF grantee, shared their story with the guests at Social Justice Fund's Annual Dinner on September 17, 2011. Below are their prepared remarks. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, tree hugger was a term given to the…
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The Sum of Our Stories: Victor Chudnovsky

Victor Chudnovsky, a 2011 Next Generation Giving Project Member, shared his story with the guests at Social Justice Fund's Annual Dinner on September 17, 2011. Below are his prepared remarks, reposted here from Victor's blog, Critical Exponent. As with many other people, my awareness of social unfairness began at home. My parents pointed out and…
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Grantee Update: Got Green, Women in the Green Economy Event

This article was originally printed in the International Examiner newspaper’s June 15, 2011 issue and can be viewed online at here. Tammy Nguyen is the founder and organizer of The Women in the Green Economy Project and Kristyn Joy is the Operations Director at Got Green. Got Green is a 2011 Next Generation Giving Project…

A relatively small and marginal group of organized and passionate people can make a real difference

The day after the 2010 mid-term elections, South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint, Tea Party darling, drew a line in the sand.  He stated flatly that Republicans would not vote for an increase in the debt ceiling unless it was tied drastic reductions in government spending and a balanced budget amendment.   The debt ceiling deal of…

Civic Action Giving Project Request for Proposals

The 2011 Civic Action Giving Project kicked off in May with group of 25 committed donor activists. Over the last few months Civic Action Giving Project participants have come together to share stories with one another, build an understanding of the interaction of community organizing, racial justice and civic engagement, and pledge their financial support…