Photo by Tim Dennell, Posted by Nellie Mae Ed. Fdn.
Over the course of this year, we’ve witnessed the deep inequities in our society laid bare by the two pandemics of COVID and systemic racism. We’ve seen how these forces have disproportionately negatively affected Black, Brown and Indigenous communities. As a philanthropic organization, we know we have a duty to use our power and privilege to do more to combat systemic, anti-Black racism, especially in our public education system. The truth is that the reality of this double pandemic has forced us to apply a magnifying glass to the deep inequities of our public education system and our society at large.
We cannot go on as business as usual. We know that we have continued work to do in ensuring that our internal culture and grantmaking practices are not reinforcing white supremacy culture. This requires being relentless in acting and putting our money where our values are. Our stated value of operating with a racial equity lens means that we must take necessary urgent action in this moment while planning for this work in the long haul.
Therefore, in addition to our planned grantmaking in 2020 and the early interventions taken at the beginning of the pandemic, we are today announcing an allocation of an additional $20M this year to support work addressing anti-Black racism and COVID relief, especially as both relate to our public education system. These grants are in addition to the more than $10M we are distributing this year as part of our previously adopted strategy.
It is evident that COVID and the fight against anti-Black racism will require the contributions of many organizations and individuals — therefore, we are increasing and expanding our support through a broad array of additional investments to communities, local, regional, and national organizations, and schools as they continue to do incredible work to address the needs faced by those they serve and represent.
We recognize that the fight for racial equity in public education is intrinsically connected to the fight against anti-Black racism. Through these additional investments, we are supporting the important work of organizations at multiple levels of the ecosystem working to fight for a more just and equitable future.
We recognize that our actions are just a step. We are actively exploring how we might use additional monies in the years to come. This means looking beyond traditional allocations to better show our long-term commitment to our values and mission: championing efforts that prioritize community goals that challenge racial inequities and advance excellent, student-centered education for all New England youth.
At this time,we are continuing to be in conversation with others as we grow in this work. At this time we are not accepting unsolicited proposals, but if you are interested in introducing your organization to us we invite you to fill out this form.
Grants will be made in support of the following organizations:
• The Movement For Black Lives ($2,500,000): To provide general operating support
• The Schott Foundation For Public Education ($2,250,000): To provide capacity building and operating support for work focused on racial equity
• Haymarket People’s Fund ($750,000): To provide capacity building and operating support for work focused on racial equity
• MA Immigrant COVID-19 Collaborative: ($750,000): To provide capacity building and operating support for work focused on racial equity
• African American Policy Forum ($750,000): To provide general operating support
• Center for Youth & Community Leadership In Education (CYCLE): ($600,000): To provide capacity building and operating support for work focused on racial equity
• Education for Liberation Network ($500,000): To provide general operating support
• Abolitionist Teaching Network ($500,000): To provide general operating support
• NAACP Empowerment Programs, Inc. ($500,000): To provide core support for their education programs
• Black Futures Lab ($500,000): To provide general operating support
• Black Lives Matter Boston ($100,000): To provide general operating support
• CT-CORE Organize Now! ($100,000): To provide general operating support
• Waterbury Bridge to Success Community Partnership ($100,000) (Waterbury, CT)
• Leadership, Education and Athletics in Partnership (LEAP) ($100,000) (New Haven, CT): To provide general operating support
• Diversity Talks (Providence, RI) ($100,000): To provide general operating support
• United Teen Equality Center (UTEC) (Lowell, MA) ($100,000): To provide general operating support
• FaithActs for Education (Bridgeport, CT) ($100,000): To provide general operating support
• African Caribbean American Parents of Children with Disabilities, Inc. (AFCAMP) (Hartford, CT) ($100,000): To provide general operating support
• Building One Community Corp (Stamford, CT) ($100,000): To provide general operating support
• African Community Education Program (ACE) (Worcester, MA) ($100,000): To provide general operating support
• SABURA (Brockton, MA) ($100,000): To provide general operating support
• Brockton Interfaith (Brockton, MA) ($100,000): To provide general operating support
• Progresso Latino (Central Falls, RI) ($100,000): To provide general operating support
• Coalition of Schools Educating Boys of Color (COSEBOC) ($175,000): To provide general operating support
A handful of these grants are to current grantees to expand their work around COVID and the fight against anti-Black racism:
• Students for Educational Justice (New Haven, CT) ($47,250): To provide general operating support
• Hearing Youth Voices (New London, CT) ($47,250): To provide general operating support
• Citywide Youth Coalition (New Haven, CT) ($47,250): To provide general operating support
• Blue Hills Civic Association (Hartford, CT) ($47,250): To provide general operating support
• Revere Youth in Action (Revere, MA) ($47,250): To provide general operating support
• Student Immigrant Movement (Massachusetts) ($47,250): To provide general operating support
• Worcester Youth Civics Union (Worcester, MA) ($47,250): To provide general operating support
• Maine Inside Out (Maine) ($47,250): To provide general operating support
• Portland Outright (Portland, ME) ($47,250): To provide general operating support
• The Root Social Justice Center, Youth 4 Change (Brattleboro, VT) ($47,250): To provide general operating support
• Outright Vermont (Vermont) ($47,250): To provide general operating support
Additionally, we are currently working to support 10 New England school districts servicing communities with large numbers of Black and Brown children and their families that have been heavily impacted by COVID-19. These grants will address the complex, interrelated problems posed by COVID-19 and anti-Black racism as schools reopen.
We know this is only one important part of how we can show up as funders at this time. We remain committed to learning, adapting, and improving; to showing up as allies working to combat anti-Blackness in our education system, using our platform and privilege to amplify the leadership of our partners, listening to those who are more proximate and directly connected to this work in communities, every day. We see you. We hear you. We stand with and behind those that live and breathe the realities and impact of this work daily.
We envision a future where all students have access to excellent and equitable public education that prepares them to succeed and thrive in community. Yet, we understand that for many young people, especially our Black, Brown, Indigenous and other students of color — this simply isn’t true. In the words of John Lewis, “Ordinary people with extraordinary vision can redeem the soul of America by getting in what I call good trouble, necessary trouble.” Let’s continue that “good trouble!”