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Grant Recipients List for the 2nd Cycle, 2004Border Action Network (formerly Southwest Alliance to Resist Militarization) $10,000PO Box 384 Tucson, AZ 85702 Border Action Network is a grassroots, membership organization that works to build a cross-border movement led by Latino and Mexican border communities to organize for the civil rights, dignity and healthy communities along the US/Mexican border. Funding was provided in support of their youth organizing and leadership development work. Californians for GE-Free Agriculture $5,000 15290 Coleman Valley Road Occidental, CA 95465 Californians for GE-Free Agriculture is a coaltion of farmers, sustainable agriculture, food safety and environmental organizations united to end genetically engineered agriculture in California. Their primary message is that GE presents an economic threat to California farmers. By developing a base of farmers who refuse to plant GE crops, working with consumers and farmers to convince food processors to refuse to process GE crops and convincing consumers to refuse to purchase GE crops, the coalition is focused on preventing the large-scale introduction of GE crops in California. Californians Together $10,000 525 E. 7th Street #117 Long Beach, CA 90813 Californians Together is a coalition of parents, advocates and educators that mobilizes communities to ensure adequate programs, materials, resources and teaching are available for the 1.5 million immigrant and language minority students in the state's public schools. Funding was provided in support of Parents Moving Forward, a project that will reach, train and mobilize hundreds of parents throughout California to advocate for a more inclusive and responsive public education system. Carolina Farm Stewardship Association $4,200 PO Box 448 Pittsboro, NC 27312 CFA is a network of farmers, gardeners, researchers, businesses and consumers who are working to create a local and organic food system for North and South Carolina by inspiring, educating and organizing farmers and consumers. Funding was provided in support of an incubation project for Anson County, an economically depressed area on the border between North and South Carolina. The project will assist African American farmers to start an organic growers cooperative and help them market their produce and livestock to the Charlotte, NC marketplace. Cascadia Wildlands Project $10,000 PO Box 10455 Eugene, OR 97440 CWP works to educate, organize and agitate for more responsible stewardship of the Cascadia Bioregion and defending old-growth forest and roadless wilderness from indiscriminate logging. Continued funding was provided for the Legacy Forests Campaign which focuses on organizing and outreach to diverse constituencies to raise the visibility of old-growth logging and advocate for alternatives. Center for Community Action and Environmental Justice $10,000 PO Box 33124 Riverside, CA 92519 CCAEJ works with and supports community-based groups that empower people to create safer, healthier and toxic-free places to live. Funds were provided in support of the Citizens for Chuckwalla Valley, a small, local group of citizens struggling to protect Joshua Tree National Park from a proposed mega-landfill, restoring lands taken for mining rights, and protecting from contamination the natural aquifers that are the only source of water for the community. Citizens For Safe Water Around Badger (CSWAB) $10,000 E12629 Weigand's Bay South Merrimac, WI 53561 CSWAB works in coalition with tribes, conservation organizations and social justice groups to empower and mobilize rural communities near Wisconsin's mothballed Badger Army Ammunition Plant to demand long term solutions to military toxins in their environment. Community Wellness Partnership of Pomona $10,000 1196 N. Park Avenue Pomona, CA 91768 CWP is a youth-led leadership and advocacy community organization that empowers young people to voice their opinions, educates them on issues relevant to their life experiences and brings awareness of available resources. Funding was provided in support of the Pomona Youth Commission, an officially recognized body reporting to the City Council, but coordinated by CWP. The Youth Commission will develop a Youth Master Plan for the city that will provide guidelines for the Commission to follow when adopting programs and plans for the youth of the city. Container Recycling Institute $10,000 1911 N. Fort Myer Drive Arlington, VA 22209 In order to reduce beverage container and other packaging waste (solid waste and wasted resources) CRI provides activists with the strategic information they need to campaign effectively in their respective states for corporate policies and consumer behavior that foster environmental sustainability. Currently, CRI is engaged in strategic campaigns to expand existing bottle bills in specific states and as well as block industry efforts to repeal them. Cougar Fund $2,000 PO Box 122 Jackson, WY 83001 The Cougar Fund works to increase cougar protection throughout the Americas and inspires people to action by bringing the plight of the cougar vividly to their attention through school-based educational programs, high profile media, photography and film. Delaware Housing Coalition $10,000 PO Box 1633 Dover, DE 19903-1633 DHC is a coalition of housing advocates, tenant groups, grassroots groups, and individuals that focuses on grassroots organizing and leadership development to advocate for safe, decent and affordable housing throughout the state. Funding was provided in support of a tenant organizer to help build more resident councils and to focus on organizing residents of manufactured homes on leased land. Equal Justice Center $10,000 510 S. Congress Avenue Austin, TX 78704 EJC engages in advocacy that supports workers' capacity to organize and lead the struggle for employment justice. Funding was provided in support of the Mississippi Poultry Workers' Center, part of a larger, regional Poultry Worker Justice Project and an effort to establish a model poultry workers' center in South Central Mississippi. Using campaigns that link civil rights and immigrant rights struggles, the Workers' Center will combat new and old forms of racism and economic injustice that keep workers divided, underpaid, and exploited. The Center will help workers build the knowledge, skills and resources to defend and advance their own employment rights. Glen Canyon Institute $5,000 450 S. 900 E. Salt Lake City, UT 84102 The Mission of Glen Canyon Institute is to restore a free flowing Colorado River through Glen and Grand Canyons. Funding was provided in support of a national public education campaign which will utilize an interactive, educational CD program. The CD will help redefine the public perception about dams and the purposes they serve, specifically the Glen Canyon Dam, and hopefully garner support for a Colorado River systemwide Environmental Impact Statement and the ultimate decomissioning of the dam. Green Worker Cooperatives $7,500 889 Hunts Point Avenue Bronx, NY 10474 The Green Worker Cooperatives is a new organization that aims to create a new "green manufacturing" industry and simultaneously help South Bronx residents transform themselves into an organized body of worker-owners who can serve as examples of an economic alternative. The first cooperative developed will be a Used Building Materials ReUse Center and DeConstruction Service. Hope Street Youth Development $10,000 1157 N. Piatt Wichita, KS 67214-3174 HSYD is a youth-run leadership development and organizing program. Funding was provided in support of "Students United", a recent effort to extend their youth organizing activities into Wichita area high schools through school based chapters. Idaho Community Action Network (ICAN) $10,000 3450 Hill Road Boise, ID 83703 ICAN works to build a democratic, statewide, grassroots organization of low-income residents. Using direct action, citizen participation, and grassroots lobbying to impact policies that effect them, ICAN makes sure low-income people have a voice in decisions that impact their lives. Funding was provided in support of the Intergenerational Organizing Project through a Summer Youth Institute training initiative. Neighborhood Pesticide Action Committee (NPAC) $10,000 PO Box 752 Jamaica Plain, MA 2130 NPAC is a growing group of citizens concerned about widespread pesticide use in Jamaica Plains' public spaces. Currently, NPAC is working with the public and decision-makers to transition Southwest Corridor Park into a pesticide-free park, to establish a comprehensive no-spray policy for mosquito control in JP, and to build their organizational capacity. New Jersey Parents' Caucus, Inc. $10,000 486 Rt. 10 West Randolph, NJ 7869 New Jersey Parents' Caucus works to ensure that parents and caregivers of children with emotional and behavioral challenges are given an effective voice in decisions that affect the services their children receive. Funding was provided in support of the Professional Parent Legislative Advocacy Training Program, which will provide three regional trainings to 150 parents and caregivers throughout the state and will certify 30 parents as trainers for their own local communities. New York City Coalition to End Lead Poisoning $10,000 2183 Amsterdam Avenue New York, NY 10032 NYCCELP is an organization composed of parents of lead-poisoned children, housing, environmental, health, children’s, legal and labor advocates dedicated to eradicating lead poisoning in NYC. Funding was provided in support of the Lead Action Program, a train the trainer, parent education and leadership training program which will educate parents about lead poisoning issues and their rights under the newly adopted "Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Act, Local Law 1". Parents will also conduct dust wipe surveys and generate reports and media events to hold government agencies accountable for enforcing this law. Parent Voices (San Francisco) $10,000 445 Church Street San Francisco, CA 94114 Parent Voices is a parent-led and run grassroots organization working to make quality child care and health care affordable and accessible to all families. By organizing parents and developing parent leaders, PV seeks to expand child care funding at state and local levels to meet needs of eligible families; to improve the quality of child care by advocating for better training, education, licensing and just compensation for child care providers; and to make sure that parent input is included whenever policy makers propose policy changes affecting child and health care. People Escaping Poverty Project (PEPP) $10,000 116 12th Street S. Moorhead, MN 56560 PEPP is a grassroots organization dedicated to community organizing for social justice. General support funding was provided to help increase the capacity of PEPP to become a trainer of community organizers and encourage the use of organizing as a strategy for social change by other community organizations in the area. PEPP will also develop a strategy for collaboration with other organizations and improve it's use of technology as an organizing tool. Rhode Island Parents for Progress (RIPP) $10,000 807 Broad Street Providence, RI 2907 RIPP is a statewide, grassroots membership-based welfare advocacy organization. They work to organize and empower low-income, poverty-level and below poverty-level individuals by promoting self-sufficiency through leadership development, job and welfare advocacy, and by affecting concrete public policy changes. Southeast Asian Community Alliance (SEACA) $10,000 1145 Wilshire Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90017 SEACA is a new organization created specifically in response to the lack of organizing and advocacy resources for the fast-growing Southeast Asian community in LA. SEACA engages in multi-ethnic community organizing through its Youth Leadership Project, which works with high school aged youth. Southwest Network for Environmental and Economic Justice $5,000 PO Box 7399 Albuquerque, NM 87194 The SW Network is a coalition of over 50 multi-racial, multi-issue people of color organizations in the environmental and economic justice movement in the West, Southwest and Northern Mexico. The SW Network exists to strengthen the work of member organizations through training, research assistance and leadership development. Funding was provided in support of the Youth Leadership Development Campaign, which refresh the environmental justice movement by continually training and incorporating a cardre of youth of color. Sunshine Project $10,000 101 W. 6th Street #607 Austin, TX 78701 The Sunshine Project researches and publishes to strengthen the global consensus against the use of biological warfare and ensure that international treaties effectively prevent the development and use of biological weapons. Funding was provided in support of the work of a national coalition of grassroots watchdogs of biodefense research. The coalition brings together arms control, biotechnology, health and justice organizations that share concerns about the US biodefense program. The coalition seeks to build a public dialogue on the risks of the recent and massive increase in biodefense research. Sustainable South Bronx $10,000 889 Hunts Point Avenue Bronx, NY 10474 SSB is a community organization dedicated to the implementation of sustainable development projects for the South Bronx that are informed by the needs of the community and adhere to the values of environmental justice. Funding was provided for the Green the Ghetto Toxic Tours Project, which educates fellow community residents about the ills and opportunities facing the environment and community, with the goal of inspiring them to action. Swell Cinema $10,000 182 Grand View Avenue San Francisco, CA 94114 Swell Cinema produces documentary films that challenge viewers to more closely examine their beliefs, values, lifestyles, and history in order to encourage their participation in social issues and deepen their connection to the natural world. Funding was provided in support of "Voting in America", a provocative collection of ten short films that aim to increase voter participation in the 2004 elections. The film will be used as part of a massive grassroots outreach campaign that will bring the film, in whole or in part, to schools, microcinemas, community centers, libraries, etc, and construct programs that encourage interactive discussions between the audiences, filmmakers, and proponents of voting in each community. Tenants Union $10,000 5425 Rainier Avenue South Seattle, WA 98118 The Tenant's Union organizes and empowers tenants to take control of their living situations, achieve better housing conditions for all, and change housing laws to ensure that basic human needs are met. Funding was provided in support of the South Seattle Justice Project which intentionally challenges and transforms the housing inequities that disparately impact poor people of color in South Seattle where tenants face seriously substandard housing. Tennesseans for Fair Taxation $10,000 2918 Magnolia Avenue Knoxville, TN 37914 TFT works to create a more fair and progressive tax structure in Tennessee that ensures adequate revenues for the benefit of all Tennesseans. Funding was provided to help strengthen the Workshop Facilitator Network, part of their overall strategy for base-building, which trains members and supporters as volunteer workshop facilitators. Grant money will be used to support the new facilitators both in terms of coaching and access to resources, workshop scheduling, developing systems for tracking workshops, and setting up peer learning and evaluation networks both on-line and through regional gatherings. Tri-Valley Communities Against a Radioactive Environment $10,000 2582 Old First Street Livermore, CA 94551 Tri-Valley CAREs is a grassroots organization founded by residents in Livermore, CA, who are directly affected by nuclear weapons activities and pollution at the Livermore Lab. Funding was provided in support of their organizing activities to curtail development of new nuclear weapons at Livermore and across the U.S. They are taking advantage of the once-in-a-decade "Site-Wide Environmental Impact Statement" just released for Livermore lab to call into question--both from a local level and on the national policy level--the need for new types of nuclear weapons. Vermont Forum on Sprawl $5,000 110 Main Street Burlington, VT 5401 VFOS exists to strengthen Vermont's existing urban areas and villages as community centers and promote the health and quality of life for all Vermonters. Funding was provided in support of the Healthy Neighborhoods/Healthy Kids Initiative, which works to engage elementary school children in community planning and revitalization activities, drawing connections between the design of their communities and impacts on their health. VOZ: Workers' Rights Education Project $5,000 330 SE 11th Avenue Portland, OR 97214 VOZ is a group of primarily Latino day laborers who seek to learn and educate each other about their rights; to fight for those rights in ongoing conversations with employers, police and other government agencies; and to collaborate with regional and national groups devoted to justice for workers and the reform of immigration law. Western Slope Environmental Resource Council $10,000 PO Box 1612 Paonia, CO 81428 WSERC is one of the oldest grassroots organizations in Colorado. It works to protect the natural environment and enhance the quality of life in Delta County and Western Colorado. WSERC is currently leading the fight for responsible regulation of coalbed-methane gas drilling operations. Whats Up Magazine $5,000 PO Box 3209 St. Louis, MO 63130 Whats Up Magazine is a self-help street publication offered for sale by homeless vendors. In addition to street sales, the magazine functions as a vehicle for self-expression for homeless folks and community organizing around issues affecting homelessness. Funding was awarded in support of bringing the enterprise to the next level with training and community education and outreach activities. Wyoming Outdoor Council $10,000 262 Lincoln Street Lander, WY 82520 WOC is a statewide, grassroots environmental organization. Continued funding was provided in support of the Wyoming Oil and Gas Project, which seeks to prevent or mitigate the many environmentally damaging effects of the oil and gas development proposals and projects throughout the state, and press for sound land management decisions that protect the public's interests. Community Alliance of Lane Co. (CALC) $1,000 PO Box 10837 Eugene, OR 97440-2837 CALC works to create a society free from bigotry by educating and organizing against groups and government practices which promote hatred, discrimination and scapegoating. General support funding was provided for their three core programs: Back to Back: Allies for Human Dignity (B2B) challenges anti-Semitism, racism and heterosexism; Springfield Alliance for Equality and Respect (SAfER) functions as a grassroots vehicle for human rights organizing, with a focus on educational equity; and Progressive Responses which is working to harness the wave of activism that arose following the U.S. invasion of Iraq, and reframe public discourse around terrorism and homeland security. Friends of the District $1,000 11 West Baltimore Street #602 Hagarstown, MD 21740 The Friends' mission is to educate the American public about the lack of Congressional voting rights for the citizens of the District of Columbia. Funding was provided in support of Project Spread the Word, which will print large quantities of postcards to be distributed for free throughout the Washington area, explaining in concise terms the lack of representation in the District. The idea is that people from the District will then send these postcards to their friends around the country. Highway J Citizens Group, U.A. $1,000 4760 Pleasant Hill Road Richfield, WI 53076 The Highway J Citizens Group is working to stop the Wisconsin Department of Transportation from destroying neighborhoods, homes, farms, wetlands and air and water quality with its highway expansion project. Their strategies include distributing leaflets and newsletters, organizing petition drives, holding rallies and demonstrations, obtaining town and county resolutions, appealing to government agencies, and conducting a media campaign. Continued funds were provided to help support their federal appeal to the Supreme Court. Winthrop Middle School $1,000 400 Rambler Road Winthrop, ME 4364 Funding was provided in support of the Student Civil Rights project, a group of students who are promoting tolerance toward diversity and equity for all by completing civil rights training for themselves and then educating their fellow students about these issues. Write Around Portland (WRAP) $1,000 917 SW Oak Street #406 Portland, OR 97205 Continued funding was provided in support of WRAP's Summer of Writing project, a summer of neighborhood-based writing workshops in an area of Portland experiencing racial and economic tension arising from gentrification. The program is designed to empower individuals and build community. |