Economic Justice Organizing

see Funding Priorities below ›

Background
HSF decided to begin its Economic Justice Program Area to complement its Youth Organizing Program Area. It chose this area in recognition of the fact that the structural and economic inequities faced by low-income workers and families underlie many of the challenges faced by low-income youth of color. Thus, it was not possible to improve the conditions for low-income youth without also improving the conditions for low-income families. HSF also chose this area because of its longstanding commitment to reducing the gap between the "haves and the have nots."

Our Economic Justice grantmaking started in 2002 with an explicit focus on welfare reform organizing in anticipation of 2002 reauthorization of the TANF Act. In 2003, the Foundation expanded its welfare organizing focus to include efforts that organized contingent workers and day laborers, organized low-wage workers in the South and a range of "new ideas" including community benefits agreements, access to healthcare and living wages.

Since 2004, HSF has made 110 grants totaling over $2,400,000. Most grants provided general support. (Click here to search grants.)

Funding Priorities
In 2007, HSF continued to refine the focus of our Economic Justice Program in terms of the overall frame and geographic focus, and will be gradually shifting our grantmaking over the next couple years to reflect this refined frame. In terms of geography, we will focus approximately 70% of our funds to economic justice organizing in the South, while reserving 30% of our funds for organizations based in other regions whose work exemplifies our new focus on organizing for the public good. HSF will adopt a more explicit frame of organizing for the "public good" and multi-ethnic/multi-racial alliance building to re-knit and expand the social safety net and base of political power for low income families and communities. For us, organizing for the public good refers to organizing that specifically strives to increase government investment, responsibility and accountability for ensuring that low income families and communities have a sound base upon which they can build a better life. In particular, we will support work in the following areas:

1. Public Housing and Responsible Development to preserve and increase access and availability of public housing and to enact policies that support responsible development and minimize the displacement of low-income families and communities;
2. Fair Labor Practices and Policies to establish and expand policies to ensure fair labor standards such as minimum/living wages; paid sick days and family medical leave; and safe and decent workplace conditions;
3. Public Benefits to expand access and availability of public benefits such a public healthcare, childcare and other benefits.

We will also look for organizations that have an active and strategic focus on multi-ethnic/racial organizing, as we believe these alliances will represent a critical power base for achieving social justice in low income communities.

In addition to these specific criteria, we look for organizations that:

• engage in multi-generational organizing;
• work in alliance with other economic justice groups locally, regionally or nationally;
• integrate civic engagement strategies into its organizing efforts; and
• employ a racial justice and gender analysis in their work.