annual report 2015

a n n ua l r e p o r t 2015
Movements Rising
A YEAR OF VISION AND ACTION
a n n ua l r e p o r t 2015
P H O T O C O U R T E S Y O F E L E A N O R S A I T TA
note
from
leah
Dear Friends,
This has been such an incredible
year - thanks to all of you. We
launched Solidaire with the
hope of connecting people with
financial resources to the most
important movements of our
time. In doing so, we have aimed
to provide support as moments
of uprising turn into long-term
movements for social change.
Today we are actively involved
in initiatives related to climate
justice, inequality, racism,
criminal justice, and democracy,
and, in the process, became
partners with some of the most
visionary and effective organizers
across America.
the protests we supported in Ferguson, MO, against
the non-indictment of Darren Wilson, would
subside or evolve into a substantial movement
with longevity. But as 2015 drew to a close, it was
undeniable that the country had been moved by
the recognition that racism remains a pernicious
reality in the United States and that the time to take
a stand is now. We are in awe of activists across
the country who have put their lives on the line to
demand justice, and we look forward to continuing
our involvement in this crucial work.
As we reflect on 2015, it is
striking to observe the many
ways we have developed as a
community. We are growing
individually and collectively
– personally, intellectually,
financially and organizationally.
We have learned so much, and
we continue to experiment as
we expand geographically and
programmatically in 2016. The
movements around us are also
growing. For example, in August
of 2014, it was unclear whether
– Leah Hunt-Hendrix
Co-Founder & Executive Director
Building this community has been an incredible joy.
Thanks to each of you for giving this idea life, for
jumping in, taking risks, bringing your brilliance,
questions, ideas, and leadership.
We look forward to a great 2016!
What’s Inside?
07
06
INTELLECTUAL
PERSONAL
GROWTH
GROWTH
10
O R G A N I Z AT I O N A L
GROWTH
12
PROFESSIONAL
GROWTH
16
CASE
14
STUDIES
FINANCIAL
GROWTH
22
GRANTEE
APPENDIX
32
A S P I R AT I O N S
FOR 2016
growing
p e r sona l ly &
c ol le c t i v e ly
Solidaire was conceived in the wake of Occupy Wall
Street, which offered many of us our first experience
with the power of a movement moment. On so many
levels, Occupy was a transformative experience.
It was chaotic, messy, and impassioned. But it
was also bold, inspiring, and impactful. For all its
flaws, Occupy catalyzed a new sense of urgency in
addressing inequality that has endured since. Since
then, we have spent considerable time learning how
movements work, how to support them, and what
might be necessary on the road ahead.
Understanding how to participate in social
movements has been life-changing for many of
us. We have had to learn how to be supportive,
responsive, trusting, and humble. At the heart
of our work is a recognition that what we know
is limited by our experience and that those on
the frontlines of social problems should be
empowered to lead.
The Movement for Black Lives has been particularly
inspiring. Though this sort of oppositional and
confrontational movement can garner criticism, it
has harnessed that criticism to propel its message
forward. We have felt honored to be in relationship
with this movement, because we believe that when
a community has been under attack for centuries,
a period of confrontation may be required before
the public is ready to acknowledge the need for
change. As a mostly white community, we have had
to contemplate how we participate in a movement
that is focused on black lives. We see ourselves as
organizing our own community - wealthy people to be present and supportive in whatever ways are
asked of us. And we are not only willing, but eager,
to be a part of these tumultuous moments, when
people are risking everything to crack a fissure into
the solid encasement of white supremacy.
This work requires that we grow
empathetically, individually and
as a community, that we
encounter the ways in which we
might personally uphold oppressive
systems, and that we assess and
explore the roles we might play
to create a better world. This is
deep work, requiring compassion,
forgiveness, and healing. But the
first step is simply listening and
learning. Our ongoing task is to
continue learning how best to
be allies, and how best to be in
solidarity with movements that
aspire to address the entrenched
systems of racial and financial
inequality that have put people
like us into positions of power
and influence.
our goals
BUILDING
COMMUNITY
RESOURCING
MOVEMENTS
THOUGHT
LEADERSHIP IN
PHILANTHROPY
understanding
the power of
movements
Solidaire was founded on a belief in the power
of social movements, and that belief has only
strengthened. In the last year, we’ve submerged
ourselves in the work of articulating why
movements matter and how they happen. Our
understanding will continue to evolve but we’d
like to share where we currently stand:
1
why movements matter
Having the chance to stand up for oneself is an
essentially human and humanizing experience,
and in that experience, leadership is born. We
believe those best equipped for leadership emerge
from communities most affected by injustice.
Focusing on this leadership is both strategic and
just. We see this concept as central to what defines
movements and infuses them with potential.
Movements are not dictated from above, but are
rather guided from the ground up, led by people who
have experienced what it is like to be incarcerated,
to have one’s family deported, to scrape by on
minimum wage, or to have seen their neighborhoods
ravaged by the physical toll and economic fallout
of climate change. Movements are led by those
who know struggle, and have grappled with the
imperative to implement real and necessary
solutions to seemingly insurmountable challenges.
Movements matter because they push boundaries.
They push boundaries because they are fueled
by the urgency of injustice, not by paychecks and
careers. They have the power to break previously
impenetrable barriers and launch whole societies
into new eras, offering more equitable access to
health and happiness. As proven by the civil rights,
women’s, and LGBT movements, they transform
collective consciousness. Movements create a new
sense of who “We” are as a society and make a
moral claim, calling upon us to achieve our higher
and better selves.
INTELLECTUAL GROWTH
07
2
how movements work
While not dictated by a single strategy, effective movements require
an ecosystem of interlocking pieces which together change culture,
economic structures, and political systems. In our work at Solidaire
we have identified three key elements that drive them: *
Creative Disruption
Movements disrupt the status
quo. Often, this makes them
unattractive to funders because
this disruption is unseemly or
uncomfortable for those with
power. But as the saying goes,
“Power does not give itself up
willingly.” And thus, when
addressing major power
dynamics in society, it is not
enough to plea for a change.
Rather, it is necessary to cause
a crisis, putting a wrench in the
gears and grinding the machine
to a halt. At times, this is done
beautifully and creatively, in ways
that rewrite social narratives,
redefine the boundaries of us and
them, and turn a social injustice
into a moral invitation.
Organized Communities
Movements require communities
organized around a defined
purpose to sustain the energy of
dynamic moments, turning that
energy into power. Organized
communities are the lifeblood
of social change: they have the
opportunity to reflect, strategize,
and plan towards a visionary
alternative and a shared solution.
Organization transforms anger
and hope into tangible outcomes.
*BUILDING
ON THE WORK OF JEE KIM
Political Power
Disruption and organization become transformative
when they are capable of amassing political power.
Commonly, policy change is mistaken as the first,
rather than the last, step in creating change and
people seek shortcuts in its pursuit. In fact, viewed
correctly policy change is the outcome of deep
organizing and political power building among those
who represent a new paradigm. Movements succeed
when legal/political change and social/cultural
change begin moving hand in hand to reconstruct
a societal context.
Infrastructure
All of these pieces require infrastructure.
Infrastructure can be defined as essentials
such as staff, data, communications, leadership
development, self-organizing capabilities, and
policy vision, to name a few. It is this infrastructure
that creates the capacity to carry out key movement
elements and sustain them over time.
The Role of Philanthropy
A critical part of the infrastructure needed for
social movements to work is funding. Philanthropy,
though, is driven often by donor whims and
preferences, and historically hasn’t typically aligned
itself with movements, but has rather chipped away
at the symptoms of larger problems. However, as
our work through Solidaire is proving, philanthropy
can play a crucial role in supporting transformative
social movements. It does so by being ready and
willing to engage; to push past what’s conventional
and take risks, both by experimenting and by
understanding the relationship between short
term campaigns and long term change. Ultimately,
for philanthropy to be truly useful, it must be in
relationship with those who are transforming
society from the ground up, addressing root causes
rather than symptoms. It must seek, not to act from
a place of power, but to take a stance of solidarity.
09
transforming
membership
passion into
reality
114%
2015
In the last 12 months, we have
seen Solidaire transform from
an informal group of concerned
citizens into a true organization
with intentional and lasting
infrastructure, designed to
sustain a growing community.
Our membership and giving
power have multiplied. We have
built a staff, and we are in the
process of establishing a strong
brand and communications
infrastructure.
san francisco
(2) Introductory
Events for new members
09/15:
oakland
12/15:
OUR Walmart
2014
60
28
rapid response funding
49%
2015
310,253
$
$
2014
208,000
pooled funding
$
120%
2015
535,000
190,000
$
2014
W E A L S O S A W A N I N C R E A S E I N P A R T I C I P AT I O N : F R O M
THESE FIGURES INCLUDE 501c4 GR ANTS FROM
26 MEMBERS IN 2014, TO 44 MEMBERS IN 2015.
SOLIDAIR E AC TION FUND:
$30,000 IN 2014, AND $61,000 IN 2015
I N A D D I T I O N , T H E P O O L E D P L U S F U N D O F $ 2 6 7, 0 0 0
B R I N G S T H E G R A N D T O TA L F O R 2 0 1 5 T O $ 8 0 2 , 0 0 0 .
our events
boston
03/15:
Movement Infrastructure
millerton, ny
08/15:
Summer Retreat
new york city
Criminal Justice Strategies
Worker’s Lab
0 8 / 1 5 : Independent Political Power
1 0 / 1 5 : Black Organizing for
Leadership and Dignity
1 1 / 1 5 : Criminal Justice Strategies
05/15:
07/ 15:
wa shingt on d.c .
02/15:
06/15:
11/15:
Black Lives Matter
OUR Walmart
Movement for Black Lives
member residency
2015
2014
O R G A N I Z AT I O N A L G R O W T H
11
our
staff
Leah Hunt-Hendrix
VISION &
C O M M U N I T Y- B U I L D I N G
Billy Wimsatt
S T R AT E GY &
SPECIAL PROJECTS
Leah was born and raised in New York City. She
has a PhD from Princeton University where she
studied political theory, religious philosophy and
the history of social movements. She wrote her
dissertation on the concept of solidarity. For years
she lived in the Middle East, in Egypt, Syria and the
West Bank, where she did research on the effects of
international aid and explored contemporary Arab
political thought. She was an active participant in
Occupy Wall Street and continues to work on issues
related to economic justice and corporate power.
In 2012, she co-founded Solidaire.
Billy is President of the Gamechanger Networks
family of organizations which develops new ideas
(innovation), supports new leaders (millennials), and
forges new relationships (collaboration). He founded,
co-founded or managed The League of Young Voters,
Generational Alliance, Coffee Party USA, Ohio Youth
Corps, and TheBallot.org. He is a proud college
dropout who has spoken at Harvard, MIT, Yale, and
Stanford. Originally from Chicago, Billy lives with
his family in Massachusetts, though his heart is in
the South and Midwest.
Braeden is a consultant with foundations
and donors that seek to support grassroots
organizing and social movements. He has
worked in youth and racial justice organizing,
fundraising and social justice grant-making.
Braeden serves on the boards of Resource
Generation and Brooklyn Movement Center,
and co-founded New Yorkers for Social Justice
PAC and co-chaired the New York City chapter
of Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy.
He also moonlights as a yoga teacher.
Braeden Lentz
MEMBERSHIP &
O P E R AT I O N S
Suzanne is a Bronx-born and raised writer
and activist with nearly a decade of experience
organizing in social justice movements. Suzanne
serves on the LGBT CoGroup consultancy of
Amnesty International and she is a founding
member of Jahajee Sisters, the first IndoCaribbean women’s organization in the country
committed to ending gender based violence,
advocating for reproductive justice and LGBT
rights. In 2014, Suzanne was profiled by the
Smithsonian for her writing and activism in
Indo-Caribbean communities.
Suzanne Persard
A D M I N I S T R AT I O N &
FINANCE
founders
strategy committee
Leah Hunt-Hendrix
David Rosenmiller, Anna Lefer-Kuhn,
Richard Healey, Jason Franklin, Molly Schultz Hafid,
Chloe Cockburn, Deborah Sagner, Farhad Ebrahimi
Billy Wimsatt
Jee Kim
Richard Graves
steering committee
Brendan Martin
Farhad Ebrahimi, Jason Franklin, Molly Stranahan,
Molly Schultz Hafid, Aditi Vaidya, Catherine Gund
Jason Franklin
Farhad Ebrahimi
consultants & volunteers
Brooke Lehman
Solidaire also relies on the efforts of a number
of other consultants and volunteers including
Holly Fetter, Sarah Fitzrandolph-Brown,
Hallie Boas, Lisa Russ, and The Public Society
PROFESSIONAL GROWTH
13
giving
more
2015
2014
balance
84%
$
144,514
$
78,571
income
61%
$
6 7 7, 5 0 0
$
421,500
Management & Design Consultants
176%
$
194,760
$
70,520
Travel, Events, & Administrative Fees
146%
$
24,687
$
10,037
pooled grants
95%
$
5 3 5 , 0 0 0*
$
2 7 5 , 0 0 0 **
total
112%
$
754,447
$
355,557
balance
114%
$
6 7, 5 6 7
$
144,514
expenses
*INCLUDES $61,000 IN CONTRIBUTIONS
FROM SOLIDAIR E AC TION FUND
** INCLUDES $30,000 IN CONTRIBUTIONS
FROM SOLIDAIRE AC TION FUND IN 2014,
AND $85,000 IN THE WINTER 2013 GR ANTS
W H I C H W E R E P R O C E S S E D I N E A R LY 2 0 1 4 .
32
Solidaire funded
32 projects in 2015.
10
We take pride in being
the first funder of 10
projects this year.
17
We were one of the
first funders of 17
other projects.
reflections
on our
grantmaking
I
RA
Aligned
Giving
MENTS
UC
T
Rapid
Response
N
E
M
E
R
MOVEM
U
OVEMEN
T
[ in development ]
STR
O
T
F
M
EMEN
N
Since our inception, Solidaire has focused on
developing a unique three-pronged grant-making V
framework that divides the funding we provide O
M into
an agile and effective system purpose-built for the
movement-centric nature of the organization.
T
R
+
D
Pooled
Fund
4
40 %
23 %
We had 4 member-led
working groups which
participated in grantmaking: Climate, Racial
Justice, Criminal Justice,
Independent Political
Power (IPP)
13 of the 32 projects
we funded are not
organizations but
collaborations or
strategic gatherings.
For 3 of the 13
collaborations or
strategic gatherings,
Solidaire was the
sole funder.
FINANCIAL GROWTH
15
case
studies:
movement
r&d
Solidaire’s pooled fund and rapid response processes are innovative
funding mechanisms established to bypass much of the burdensome
red tape that often characterizes philanthropy and, instead, take risks
on daring new ideas. By identifying and funding early stage projects,
we have found a small financial contribution can have outsized impact.
One of the unique things about our community is the way in which we
practice a kind of iterative giving. A member might suggest a group
for rapid response giving, individuals might then make larger gifts
from their foundations, and we can collectively make gifts through our
pooled fund. This creates a multi-layered way of engaging with groups
and getting them resources nimbly and quickly. Often times, these
groups are new and unproven, but providing risk capital has become a
central part of what we do together, and it’s working.
Here are a few examples:
$
77,225
RAPID RESPONSE
$ 2 7, 2 2 5
INDIVIDUAL GIFTS
$5,000
$10,000
$25,000
POOLED FUND
$10,000
Debt Collective
seed funding
APRIL 2015
Using funds provided by Solidaire, Debt Collective
(debtcollective.org), which emerged from Occupy
Wall Street, organized a debt strike of for-profit
college students, known as the Corinthian 15,
which became the Corinthian 100. The action of
these brave students sparked a media sensation
which exposed the horror of the American for-profit
college system and Federal government complicity.
In response, several members of Congress, both
Democratic and Republican, spoke out in favor
of the debt strikers, who were able to leverage
widespread outrage into negotiations directly with
the Department of Education, resulting in the
abolishment of $3.4 million in student debt. On the
heels of this success the Debt Collective continues
to organize debtors in different sectors to wield
collective power.
$
28,000
RAPID RESPONSE
$5,000
INDIVIDUAL GIFT
$15,000
POOLED FUND
$8,000
The Natural History Museum
seed funding
MARCH 2015
Early in 2015 Solidaire provided seed
funding to The Natural History Museum
(thenaturalhistorymuseum.org), a project of
progressive activism arts collective Not An
Alternative, which has embarked on a sustained
campaign targeting fossil fuel industry investment
in natural history museums by entities such as BP
and the Koch Brothers. NHM’s efforts in the past
12 months have created a media frenzy and as a
result, in just that short time, two major museums
have pledged to divest from fossil fuel-related
donations, and conservative billionaire David Koch
resigned from the board of the American Museum
of Natural History.
CASE STUDIES
17
case
studies:
movement
r&d
$
150,000
RAPID RESPONSE
$50,000
POOLED FUND
$25,000
M AT C H
$75,000
OUR Walmart
emergency funding
JUNE 2015
Walmart is the biggest retailer in the United
States and while its workers are paid next to
nothing, Walmart’s owners, the Walton family,
account for more wealth than 42% of the
American population combined. Our support of
Our Walmart (forrespect.org) was used to help
bring workers together around a demand for
higher wages and fairer employment practices.
Last summer, Walmart announced it would raise
wages for half a million US associates to $9/
hour by the end of 2015 and $10/hour in 2016.
Because Walmart sets industry prices, this has
led to ripple effects for over two million workers
at other retailers. These raises will ultimately
move over $4 Billion into the hands of low wage
workers. Going forward, OUR Walmart has
committed itself to continue the fight for $15/hour
and full time work for all Walmart employees.
case
study:
racial
justice
Over the past year, the killing of Black people by
police and vigilantes has attracted mass public
attention, thanks to an effective and escalating
new racial justice movement. These tragic
events are an increasingly visible symptom of
compounding racist systems that consolidate power
among white people while exploiting, criminalizing,
and disenfranchising communities of color. In
the face of the incessant challenge of racism in
America, Black people and their allies are resisting
-- rising up in crisis moments, planning targeted
actions, building new coordinated networks, and
asserting a positive vision for a future where Black
life is protected and power is shared equitably.
Through our rapid response fund Solidaire has
remained nimble, providing agile support in
moments of uprising, helping ensure activists have
the materials, food, supplies, stipends and bail
funds to sustain and escalate their disruption of
business as usual. In support of the assertion that
black lives matter, 2015 saw us lend our backing to:
•
the uprising in Baltimore
•
a transgender delegation to the Movement for
Black Lives Convening in Cleveland
•
response to pro-confederate backlash in Georgia
•
an action to disrupt the International
Conference of Chiefs of Police in Chicago
•
actions in Ohio on the one-year anniversary of
the killings of Tamir Rice and Tanisha Anderson
•
disruption of a Donald Trump fundraiser in
New York City,
•
occupation of the 4th Police Precinct
in Minneapolis
continued on next page...
19
case
study:
racial
justice
We also know that in order for movements to build collective
power and move structural change, actions must be both connected
to each other and to permanent organizing. We also know that
effective uprisings are rarely spontaneous, but a result of leadership
development, training, and planning, and commonly rely on existing
organizations in many ways, such as for training and support. Via
our pooled giving fund, we provided seed and expansion funding to
projects that, in some cases, might not otherwise have gotten the
chance to grow – especially considering the historic and ongoing
lack of funding for Black-generated and led organizing work.
$
391,000
movement for
black lives
RAPID RESPONSE
rapid response
$181,000
#blacklivesmatter
criminal justice
POOLED FUND: SPRING
$95,000
police brutality
POOLED FUND: WINTER
the south
$115,000
direct action
In the summer of 2015 we were privileged to
lend our support to the Movement for Black Lives
Convening - a gathering of over 1,000 Black activists
and organizers. We also provided backing for
the Black Lives Matter National Network to help
coordinate and support a flood of new activists.
Finally, acknowledging the importance of the South
and the leadership of formerly incarcerated people,
we funded a gathering of leaders in the South
working to end mass incarceration.
Winter saw further support of gatherings and joint
efforts (Combahee Alliance, and Undocumented &
Black Convening) and of training and base building
groups supporting and connecting the burgeoning
racial justice movement (Black Organizing for
Leadership and Dignity, Black Youth Project 100,
and BlackOUT! Collective). In addition to Solidaire’s
deep commitment to supporting Black organizing
specifically to address the extreme current climate
of anti-Black racism, in 2015 we also lent support
21
to a new network of Muslim
activists (M Power Change) and
Latino/Latina activists (Mijente)
in an increasing effort to support
multiple communities of color
building alignment and shared
power across cultures.
Although we intend to continue
providing early and swift
support to important efforts
like these, Solidaire is also
looking towards building our
aligned giving strategy together.
In part, we anticipate this
strategy will include a longterm commitment to Black
and Brown-led organizations
building permanent power as an
important part of an effective
progressive infrastructure.
pooled
giving
WINTER
2015
General
Innovation
BlackRoots Alliance
$20,000
Florida Strategy Table
$15,000
If Not Now
$5,000
Left Roots
$10,000
Mijente
$15,000
Movement Theory
Mash-Up
$20,000
A new alliance of four Chicago Black-led
community-based organizations (Black Youth
Project 100, Southsiders Organized for Unity and
Liberation, Action Now, and Workers Justice Center)
collaborating on civic engagement strategies
together in the wake of the LaQuan McDonald
murder and cover-up.
A new statewide collaboration experimenting with
an innovative overlapping membership model
to collectively organize 40,000 new dues-paying
members, enfranchise 2 million Florida voters,
and win on economic justice, immigrant rights,
criminalization, and climate.
A movement to end the American Jewish
community’s support for the Palestinian occupation
and gain freedom and dignity for all Israelis and
Palestinians.
A national formation of Left social movement
organizers and activists convened to connect
grassroots struggles with a strategy to win
liberation for all people and for the planet.
A new political home for Latinx & Chicanx
organizing rooted in a racial justice framework and
focused on criminalization, deportation, massincarceration, and racism against both Latinxs and
African Americans.
In support of four movement theory organizations
(Momentum, Movement Strategy Center, Movement
Net Labs, and Citizen Engagement Lab) to develop,
document, and synthesize their ideas into a shared
intellectual framework.
M Power Change
$25,000
Southern Vision Alliance
$10,000
A brand new grassroots movement based in diverse
Muslim communities throughout the United States
working together to build social, spiritual, racial,
and economic justice for all people. It is the first
ever online organizing platform for Muslims, by
Muslims, with allies.
A collaboration (Ignite NC, NC Vote Defenders,
Youth Organizing Institute, and Education Justice
Alliance) in support of leadership development
and base-building work for social, racial, and
environmental justice, along with gender equity,
LGBTQ rights, and education justice in the US South.
GRANTEE APPENDIX
23
pooled
giving
WINTER
2015
Climate
UnKoch Campus
$17,500
Climate Disobedience
Center
$5,000
New York Renews
$17,500
Solutions for Survival
$10,000
A national effort in support of student-led campus
campaigns shining a spotlight on the Koch brothers
and the gravity of corporate influence on United
States college campuses.
To start a new center serving as a catalyst for
direct action, creating points of vivid moral clarity,
emboldening both climate activists and the
unlikeliest of allies, to capture the heart and soul of
the climate debate.
This new campaign is bringing together an alliance
of community and labor organizations from across
New York State blending clean energy, good jobs,
environmental justice, and worker protection.
Launching a climate media strategy in 11 countries
to accelerate the visibility of grassroots movements
in the developing world.
IPP: Independent
Political Power
*Independent Political
Power in Chicago
$50,000
*INCLUDES
To support an ecosystem of independent local
political organizations on the ground in Chicago
(Black Roots Alliance, Action Now, Reclaim
Campaign, and United Working Families) building
bases of progressives and people of color to infuse
criminal justice issues into local elections.
C O N T R I B U T I O N S F R O M O U R S I S T E R 5 0 1 ( C ) ( 4 ) O R G A N I Z AT I O N S O L I D A I R E A C T I O N F U N D
25
pooled
giving
WINTER
2015
Racial Justice
The Combahee Alliance
$15,000
Black Organizing for
Leadership and Dignity
$20,000
BlackOUT! Collective
$20,000
Black Youth Project 100
$20,000
Undocumented and
Black Convening
$15,000
Includes Transgender, Gender Varient & Intersex
Justice Project, Black Lives Matter, Southerners
on New Ground, Community Justice Network for
Youth, BlackOUT! Collective, Highlander Research
and Education Center, and Ruckus Society aiming
to train hundreds of activists to use creative
disruption tactics to engage targets, respond in
critical moments, and build the power of organizers.
A national training program building transformative
Black leadership and organizing skills in order to
re-center Black leadership in the U.S. social justice
movement, mass incarceration, access to education,
employment rights and conditions, housing, and
land, primarily.
Founded in Ferguson in October 2014, a full service
Black direct action organization that provides
on-the-ground support, training and deep visioning
in communities that prioritize the liberation
of Black people.
A national chapter-based organizing group leading
#BlackLivesMatter with visionary and intersectional
demands to end state violence and to fund
Black futures.
#Undocublack was convened in January of 2016 with
a goal of allowing Black undocumented activists to
share stories, build community, and plan together
in order to elevate the leadership of undocumented
Black people in the immigrant rights and other U.S.
social movements.
pooled
giving
SUMMER
2015
OUR Walmart
$25,000
Black Lives Matter
$20,000
A new worker-led organization fighting for justice
and fair wages at the largest retailer in the world.
A national network of chapters taking Black
leadership at the intersection of gender, sexuality,
and race to the next level.
27
pooled
giving
SUMMER
2015
Movement for Black
Lives Convening
$40,000
Movement Mastery
Institute
$20,000
*Rise Up Georgia
$15,000
Debt Collective
$10,000
Southern Mass
Incarceration Convening
$20,000
Gulf South Rising
$20,500
*Rising Tide
North America
$15,500
Natural History
Museum
$8,000
*INCLUDES
Having taken place in July 2015, in Cleveland, Ohio,
this convening brought together hundreds of black
organizers to discuss the future of the movement
against state violence and white supremacy.
Created just one year ago, Momentum offers
an innovative training in movement building,
decentralized network creation, direct action
tactics, and strategy.
Rise Up launched in 2014 and is tackling racism and
disinvestment in communities of color, including
criminalization, fighting for a fair workweek, and
public education.
The Debt Collective is pioneering a way for debtors
to join together to demand both relief from
predatory loans and accountability for creditors.
This convening brought together a new alignment
of movement organizations addressing mass
incarceration, many of which are led by formerly
incarcerated people and many of which are based in
the Southern United States.
Gulf South Rising is a regional movement of
coordinated actions and events to highlight the
impact of the global climate crisis on the Gulf South
region (TX, LA, MS, AL, FL).
Rising Tide (aka #FloodTheSystem) was a
coordinated flood of massive economic and political
disruption of the systems that perpetuate and
escalate the climate and economic crisis.
Mounting a series of brilliantly executed exhibitions
on fossil fuel industry greenwashing in science
museums, NHM is generating wide media coverage
and provoking reconsideration by natural history
museums of who they accept support from.
C O N T R I B U T I O N S F R O M O U R S I S T E R 5 0 1 ( C ) ( 4 ) O R G A N I Z AT I O N S O L I D A I R E A C T I O N F U N D
This Changes Everything
Movement Distribution
Movement distribution of This Changes Everything,
enabling movement allies to use the film as an
organizing, fundraising and alliance-building tool.
$8,000
*Local Pipeline
Intervention Strategy
$8,000
Extreme Energy
Extraction Collaborative
$15,000
Will support the next generation of leaders to gain
power and hold the line against infrastructure
projects at the local level by recruiting, training and
supporting young activists to run for city councils
and county commissions in areas where pipeline
fights are happening.
Created by organizers for organizers, E3C’s
approach is rooted in the belief that changes in the
daily practice of working organizers, rather than
ambitious national agendas disconnected from
the grassroots, are the keys to a more unified and
effective movement.
29
rapid
response
giving
2015
$2,500
$ 2 7, 5 0 0
$ 7, 5 0 0
National LGBTQ Taskforce
Missouri Transgender protections organizing
Debt Collective
*Chuy Garcia Chicago Mayoral Campaign
$20,000
Natural History Museum
Get Koch off the board
$30,000
This Changes Everything
Convening
$13,850
$5,000
$11,500
$1,250
$550
$15,000
$50,000
$15,000
Baltimore United for Change
Baltimore Algebra Project
Movement Generation / Gulf South Training
Shell No
Black Lives Matter Charleston
Minnesota Bank Worker Organizing
OUR Walmart
Transgender Leader Delegation to the Movement for
Black Lives Convening
$6,500
Millions March
$4,500
Movement for Black Lives Convening
$11,000
Paddle In Seattle
Portland Action
$3,500
Rise Up Georgia
Pro-confederate Backlash organizing
$3,500
Our Climate Our Future
*INCLUDES
C O N T R I B U T I O N S F R O M O U R S I S T E R 5 0 1 ( C ) ( 4 ) O R G A N I Z AT I O N S O L I D A I R E A C T I O N F U N D
$8,500
Stanford 68
$2,500
Keep Our Homes Detroit
$10,000
$2 ,153
Beautiful Solutions Retreat
BYP Chicago Mobilization
$14,800
Corporate Accountability International
Tobacco Expose
$10,000
Working Families Party Election Pipeline
$8,70 0
Justice for Ohio - Week of Action
$ 7, 5 0 0
Indigenous Climate Actions in Paris
$5,500
Gulf South to Paris
$12,000
BLM - Minneapolis Actions
$10,000
BYP100
$9,200
SURJ - Disrupting Trump
2015 t o ta l
310,253
$
31
aspirations
f or 2016
The Greeks had two concepts of time: chronos
and kairos. While chronos signified chronological
time, kairos indicated those periods in which time
seems to collapse and everything happens at once.
We are in a period of kairos, a movement time, in
which communities are rising up to confront social
injustice, the legacy of racism, and the impending
climate crisis. We are committed to be on our toes,
ready to jump in and offer support as uprisings
turn into movements and movements turn into
lasting systemic change.
Thought Leadership
Aligned Giving
The year ahead will be one of the most important
years in our young organization’s development.
We are moving from an organic, ad-hoc network
towards becoming a leader in the philanthropic
field. In February 2016 we are holding our first
public convening, in partnership with the Ford
Foundation, to explore why movements matter
and how they happen. We plan to do more writing
and thought-leadership through journals and online
blogs. And we will continue holding monthly events
and conversations around the country to discuss
campaigns and ideas. In particular, we intend to
expand beyond the choir and develop conversations
about how change happens with a wide range of
philanthropists and influencers.
When we launched in late
2013, we aimed to develop a
community that would dedicate
long-term support for movement
organizations that could help
turn the energy of movement
moments into deep social
change. We began with rapid
response and seed funding for
movement R&D, but we are
finally getting ready to launch
our Aligned Giving Strategy,
which will emphasize larger
general operating support. This
framework is still in development
within the Solidaire Strategy
Committee, but we are aiming
for a soft launch in the summer
of 2016 and a hard launch after
November elections.
Looking forward, 2016 is set to be a fantastic
year. We are growing quickly, but trying to pace
ourselves. Each person who has joined us in the
past year has brought tremendous wisdom and
insight, and we are so excited about the beauty and
depth of the relationships we are building. We hope
that as we move forward, we are able to continue to
deepen our individual and collective relationships
with movement organizers in cross-race, crosscultural, and cross-class ways.
That is crucial if we are to truly manifest our
aspiration to live in solidarity.
Infrastructure
To do all of this work, it
will be crucial for us to
continue developing our own
organizational infrastructure
and staff capacity. We have a
fantastic team that has worked
together to get this network off
the ground and we are looking
forward to expanding that team
so that we can better support
our members, working groups,
and the movements that we
care so much about.
A S P I R AT I O N S
33
the
year
ahead
SUMMER
WINTER
Pooled Giving
Pooled Giving
JAN
DEC
FEB
05/31 - 06/03
DEC
Conference
at the Ford
Foundation
Summer
Retreat in
California
Launch
of Aligned
Giving
Strategy
Onwards,
MAR - OCT
NOV
Regional
Dinners
2016
Elections
in solidarity