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New Networks! New Power! Massachusetts Communities of Color Celebrate Their Growing Political Power
The Access Strategies Fund Announces $225,000 in New Funding to Support the Civic Empowerment of Grassroots Organizations
The Access Strategies Fund is pleased to announce the finalists in a new round of funding to support civic engagement initiatives across the state of Massachusetts. Eleven grassroots organizations will share in $225,000 in the Fund’s latest grant allocation round. The foundation is a leader in funding civic engagement initiatives across the Commonwealth.
Kelly Bates, Executive Director of the Access Strategies Fund, said, “We are proud to support these grassroots civic initiatives which fulfill a powerful need by encouraging people of color, low-income people, immigrants, and women to stand up together and participate in our democracy. We can no longer be invisible. Invisible people are invisible to policymakers and that must change.”
The funding comes on the heels of the recent “New Networks, New Power”
Celebration on June 24, 2008, which The Access Strategies Fund co-sponsored to mark the fifth anniversary of one of its grantees, The Commonwealth Seminar. That event drew some 500 people from across the state to celebrate the Commonwealth Seminar’s mission to “open the doors of the State House to everyone.” Governor Deval Patrick delivered the keynote speech at the event.
Meet the Grantees:
Boston Workers Alliance, Boston unites unemployed workers to challenge joblessness in poor communities of color. They fight to end CORI (Criminal Offender Record Information) discrimination, educate and civically engage their community, and create new worker-owned cooperatives as a job creation strategy.
Centro Presente, Greater Boston is a member-driven, state-wide Latin-American immigrant organization dedicated to achieving self-determination. Centro Presente struggles for immigrant rights and for economic and social justice through community organizing, leadership development, and service to build collective power.
Chinese Progressive Association, Boston is a grassroots community organization that works for full equality and empowerment of the Chinese community, expanding voter education and mobilization, and increasing the understanding and mechanisms for building power.
Commonwealth Seminar, Massachusetts works to open the doors of the State House to everyone by providing in-depth training on the legislative process and advocacy to leaders from communities of color and immigrant communities.
EPOCA, Ex-Prisoners and Prisoners Organizing for Community Advancement, Worcester is an organization of ex-prisoners and felons, along with allies, friends and family, coming together to create resources and opportunities for those who have paid their debt to society. They work to break down society’s institutional barriers to a healthy, productive life.
MassVOTE, Massachusetts seeks to increase voter participation and build power in historically underrepresented communities by providing resources to nonprofit organizations statewide.
Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, Massachusetts advocates for the rights and opportunities of immigrants and refugees through education and training, leadership development, organizing, policy analysis and advocacy.
Neighbor to Neighbor, Massachusetts uses grassroots organizing and voter mobilization to build support for issues that impact low income and working class residents in urban communities.
¿Oíste?, Massachusetts is working to expand the power of the Latino community in Massachusetts by increasing their knowledge of the democratic process.
Southeast Asian Coalition of Central Massachusetts, Worcester supports, promotes, and advocates for Asians in Central Massachusetts by providing assistance in the areas of health, education, economic development, and civic engagement, while supporting a strong social and cultural life within the community.
Union of Minority Neighborhoods, Boston is led and run primarily by people of African descent to ensure that trained, committed, grassroots leaders of color effectively organize on issues of concern in their communities, regions and nation.
About the Access Strategies Fund:
The Access Strategies Fund is a Cambridge based foundation whose mission is to help disenfranchised communities in Massachusetts to harness their collective power to access and use the democratic process to improve their lives. For the past decade, Access Strategies Fund grantee organizations have mobilized voters, fought for electoral reforms, trained political leaders, and developed the infrastructure to support changes in democracy for disenfranchised communities.
The Access Strategies Fund supports organizations in urban areas of Massachusetts. The foundation is currently focusing funding in the cities of Boston and Worcester. The Access Strategies Fund also considers proposals from “statewide” organizations applying for multi city and/or statewide strategies.
The funding priorities of the Access Strategies Fund include the following:
- Non-partisan Voter Engagement: voter mobilization, turn out and ongoing civic education in disenfranchised communities to create an informed, empowered and influential electorate.
- Non-partisan Civic Leadership: initiatives that train, support, and develop disenfranchised communities to seek positions in government at the elected and appointed level.
- Electoral Justice: electoral reform and voting rights initiatives that work to ensure that the electoral process is fair, open, and accountable to voters.
- Immigrant Civic Participation: funding our nation’s immigrants to participate in our democracy, and to hold government officials accountable to their needs.
- Civic Culture Change: initiatives that promote media, messaging, research and communication strategies that shape public attitudes and beliefs to inspire disenfranchised communities to exercise their voting power.
New Networks! New Power! Massachusetts Communities of Color Celebrate Their Growing Political Power
Listen to Kelly Bates' speech on YouTube
More than 500 people from across Massachusetts joined Access Strategies Fund, Commonwealth Seminar, Governor Deval Patrick, and Access grantees for the New Networks and New Power Celebration on June 24 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Boston. The evening marked the 5th anniversary of the Commonwealth Seminar (MassCS), whose mission is to “open the doors of the State House to everyone.”
The celebration was underwritten largely by the Access Strategies Fund, a leader in civic engagement funding in the Commonwealth. Kelly Bates, Executive Director of Access Strategies Fund delivered a speech at the event calling on government and community leaders to use their power to push an “underserved agenda” to foster policy change on issues, and new electoral reforms to open up democracy for everyone. Additional speakers at the event included Governor Deval Patrick, who urged leaders to “call him out” and hold him accountable on issues.
In the past five years, almost 500 people have graduated from MassCS seminars
including Sam Yoon, a member of the first class and now a Boston City Councilor at Large. MassCS co-founder Joel Barrera, says, “We are dedicated to fostering diverse leadership and linking people to power. We seek to become a neutral ground where diverse leaders can prepare themselves, build relationships and create a community that values public service.”
From the left: Kelly Bates, Access Strategies Fund Executive Director; Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick; Stephona Stokes, Access Strategies Fund Administrative Assistant; Maria Jobin-Leeds, Access Strategies Fund Board Chairperson; Greg Jobin-Leeds, Access Strategies Fund Treasurer.
From the left: Leverett Wing, Commonwealth Seminar Board of Advisors; Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick; Joel Barrera, Executive Director, Commonwealth Seminar; Jarrett Barrios, President of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation & Commonwealth Seminar Board of Advisors.
Kelly Bates, Executive Director, Access Strategies Fund delivers speech calling on political and community leaders to use their power to push an “underserved agenda”.
Governor Deval Patrick urged leaders to “call him out” and hold him accountable on issues.
The event drew young people who danced to the music and joined the celebration.
A packed room of community leaders at the event.
Tribute to Renae Gray
Over one hundred people turned out at the Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation on June 30 to honor the contributions of Renae Gray, former executive director of the Boston Women’s Fund and long-time social change activist. At the Boston Women's Fund, Renae Gray paved the way for women of color and women of less means to play a critical role in philanthropy. The audience celebrated the accomplishments of Renae Gray and raised funds to help Renae in her fight to beat end stage renal disease. When asked about the event, Renae said it “was one of the highlights of my life.”
People interested in contributing to a fund to support Renae Gray:
Making a credit card gift: http://www.generositynetwork.com/ntaf/index.cfm?letter=Gand go to Renae Gray
Writing a check to The National Transplant Assistance Fund, write in honor of Renae Gray in the memo section. Mail check to: Tommie Hollis-Younger (in honor of Renae Gray), Haymarket People’s Fund, 42 Seaverns Ave., Jamaica Plain, MA 02130.
Donations are tax-deductible.
From left: Jose Masso, Radio Personality; Kelly Bates, Executive Director of Access Strategies Fund; Renae Gray, Consultant; Tommie Hollis Younger; Executive Director of Haymarket People’s Fund; Kip Tiernan, Founder of Rosie’s Place.