Client News: 

“It’s impossible to dismantle systemic racism in a five-year period as an initiative…We really need a multigenerational entity that’s going to be able to exist in perpetuity and safeguard the rights and freedoms of Black people and be able to be an effective kind of catalyst within the racial justice movement.” Originally founded as an initiative to raise $100 million in five years to support Black power-building and movement-based organizations, California Black Freedom Fund is evolving into a standalone foundation to continue to provide much needed support for the state’s Black power-building ecosystem. Learn more in Inside Philanthropy.

We also hosted Part 2 of our Building Power Through Communications workshop series for Heising-Simons Foundation’s Human Rights Program grantee partners to equip them with the skills they need to combat mis- and disinformation online. In our 90 minutes together, we shared tips and tools to prepare to communicate strategically when a crisis or rapid response opportunity arises, provided participants the opportunity to apply learnings to their work, and practiced using the new tools. We deeply appreciate the engagement of the dozens of participants from grantee partner organizations across both workshops, and are so grateful for all the important work these folks are leading to win the justice we seek.

This week, our strategy team visited the RYSE Center to learn more about their amazing work and support services for young people of color in Richmond. Developed by and for young people of color, RYSE creates safe spaces grounded in social justice that build youth power for young people to love, learn, educate, heal, and transform lives and communities. During our visit, we heard from RYSE members about what makes their community special, their experience with the Center, and how they prefer to receive and share stories and information. We also heard the different ways RYSE is creating the future they want, today, through their programming and physical space.