Why did you decide to join these Giving Projects?

Gender Justice Giving Project seemed really interesting to me as well as criminal justice. At the time I thought it sounded cool. I like the GP model. I really liked being part of a GP. Also I got to become familiar with a lot of grassroots orgs in the NW and looking at it through that lens.

What were one or two meaningful experiences or takeaways for you from your Giving Project experience?

I always wanted to figure out a way to be active in social justice issues and what my action would be. I am not the kind of person who would be on the front lines and SJF helped me find that niche for me. I really liked networking and getting to know people in the work and connecting people to it and donate money. I saw myself as very active in it and it just felt right. Also too I just got to work with a lot of individuals I wouldn’t have been able to socialize with or get to know. The work we do is really powerful but let’s see how things are connected. I just got hooked, everything made sense to me and was awesome.

The biggest thing that stuck with me was learning about philanthropy and learning how grants work. Reviewing grants, evaluating grants, SJF helped me to see the bigger picture of how funding work. It made sense to me.

How do you hope to stay connected to Social Justice Fund NW and/or to the grassroots organizing you supported in this Giving Project?

I would like to do a GP again next year. My way to get back into it after grad school. I am always going to be part of SJF and SJF is going to be part of me.