See Forward Fund provides funding to 501(c)4 social justice organizations, particularly those rooted in low-income and BIPOC communities, that engage in and/or support grassroots organizing and movements toward building independent political power and advancing progressive governance. Founded in 2006, our current focus for 2021-2022 has sharpened.
After a lost election and failed coup, we can see that the right is frantically endeavoring to hold onto elite power by undermining and eroding democracy. Faced with an upswing in voting among the New American Majority, the right is seeking to further disenfranchise historically marginalized communities and create even greater barriers to their civic participation through wider spread voter suppression efforts than before.
However, at the same time, there is an upswell of grassroots democratic participation. Organizations rooted in low-income and BIPOC communities are leading the defense of our democratic system of government and are also endeavoring to build a new, deeply accountable, multiracial democratic system of governance. With what one grant recipient describes as a “joyous rebellion,” they are breathing life into a vision of a democracy that is truly of the people, by the people, and for the people.
At this critical political moment, with deep gratitude for the opportunity to contribute to the efforts to defend our democratic system of governance and to radically re-imagine what a truly multiracial democracy might be, the See Forward Fund has set the following priorities for 2021 and 2022:
The geographic focus for funding work related to voting rights is in Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, and nationally to national grassroots organizations. The focus for funding work related to progressive co-governance is New Mexico and the city of Minneapolis.
The See Forward Fund is glad to announce the recipients of the grants awarded in the July 2021 docket:
Our Voice Our Vote: Our Voice Our Vote is a member-led organization committed to advocating for lasting progressive public policies, building power by mobilizing voters, training the next generation of leaders, electing champions into office, and holding elected officials accountable. Our Voice Our Vote, and sister organization Arizona Coalition for Change, was founded by Reginald Bolding, an elected Arizona House Representative in District 27 in Phoenix, south central Maricopa County. Our Voice Our Vote invests in building power from the ground up with youth leadership development, targeted voter mobilization, and coalitional work for politically conscious civic engagement with multi-racial reach.
Rural Arizona Action (RAZA): Rural Arizona Action was founded in 2017 in response to the growing regressive forces hurting rural communities, particularly indigenous and communities of color., It seeks to create more equitable and just systems through advocacy, accountability, and leadership training in rural Arizonian communities.
Arizona Advocacy Network: Since 2002, Arizona Advocacy Network has been devoted to defending and deepening Arizona’s commitment to democracy. Their vision is a truly representative political system in which all Arizonans make their voices heard. They believe the cornerstones of such a democracy are meaningful voting rights and access to the ballot, political decisions driven by voters instead of money, and a fair and independent judiciary.
Black Voters Matter Fund: Black Voters Matter Fund (“BVM”) mission is to increase civic engagement and power building in marginalized, predominantly Black communities through year-round organizing. In conjunction with its 501(c)3 affiliate, Black Voters Matter Capacity Building Institute, BVM operates across 11 states, primarily in the Deep South. In Georgia, BVM works in major metro areas, but also has a strong presence in rural areas across the state.
New Georgia Project Action Fund: The New Georgia Project Action Fund aims to position Georgia for leadership in the South and across the country by engaging and mobilizing the “New Georgia Majority” to participate in every election, and to build grassroots political power in support of progressive candidates, policies, and issues. NGPAF does this by engaging in local and state political campaigns for Black, Latinx, Asian American and Pacific Islander, youth, unmarried women and the LBGTQ+ community in Georgia. Together with its 501(c)3 sister organization the New Georgia Project (NGP), they fuse civic engagement capacity building and advocacy to build permanent infrastructure that will help implement, defend, and expand the progressive agenda in Georgia and across the South.
People’s Action: People’s Action is one of the largest multiracial, people’s organizations in the country made up of 42 powerful state and local level member organizations with 600 local staff in 30 states. Their board of directors is composed of many Executive Directors from member organizations mobilizing on racial, economic and climate justice. They develop and coordinate strategies at the local, state, and federal levels to amplify the reach and impact of member organizations.
Working Families Power: Working Families Power, the 501(c)4 organization of the Working Families Party, is investing its resources and capacity in building a durable mass multiracial power building movement and united electoral front before, during, and after elections. Our grant to Working Families Power was for their federal work, as well as their work in Georgia.
Center for Popular Democracy Action: The Center for Popular Democracy Action (CPDA) partners with community organizations, progressive elected officials, and individuals in the fight for a responsive democracy that advances a pro-worker, pro-immigrant, racial and economic agenda that delivers on the promise of dignity and equality for all. CPD’s work grows out of its network of 53 affiliates and partners in 131 cities across 34 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, DC. CPD’s Voting Rights and Democracy program works with state affiliates and national partners to drive a proactive democracy agenda to increase access to the ballot, expand the electorate, and strengthen the voice of the New American Majority in the electoral process.
See Forward Fund
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Northampton, MA 01060
The See Forward Fund does not accept unsolicited letters of inquiry. Thank you for your interest.