Solidaire

Ivan March called on funders in Europe to follow the example of the Block and Build Funder Coalition: “Authoritarianism is not normal, and it’s not acceptable,” Barakat has said of the BBFC’s posture. “We are here to not just fight against it, but to build toward new, better systems for everyone“. - Leena Barakat of Women Donors Network

The Block and Build Funders Coalition that Solidaire co-convenes with Women Donors Network released this statement in support of Southern Poverty Law Center. We're calling on donors and funders to continue and increase their support of organizations and communities on the frontline of defending our human rights and civil liberties. https://lnkd.in/gUjbiu6Z

Solidaire Network stands in solidarity with the Southern Poverty Law Center and its decades of work to expose hate, defend civil rights and protect our democracy. We are deeply concerned by the indictment against the Southern Poverty Law Center because we understand their work is a vital part of protecting communities. The weaponization of the Department of Justice with baseless claims against civil rights organizations undermines not just one institution, but the rights and freedoms of all people. We trust organizations with a strong track record of advancing civil rights, holding extremist groups accountable, delivering meaningful policy and legal wins to lead with integrity and focus. This work is complex and requires adaptive strategies. As funders, we reject efforts to second-guess or control how organizations do their work. We expect these charges to be challenged and resolved in court. But we know that the purpose of these political attacks is to intimidate organizations and pressure funders to step back. We will not step back. We will not retreat from supporting organizations on the frontlines of defending human rights and holding power accountable. We remain committed to resourcing the work that protects our communities and strengthens our democracy. We condemn efforts to silence individuals and organized communities through patently political campaigns that target nonprofit organizations and the broader movement ecosystem. We stand in solidarity with the people the Southern Poverty Law Center represents and with the millions of Americans who protect our civil and human rights every day. Learn More: https://lnkd.in/eFEfpUNJ  

A decisive break from accumulating wealth for its own sake — toward moving capital in service of movements, democracy, working people and justice. Congratulations to the AUM+ team on a successful rebrand — and appreciation for a legacy of standing with working communities, now sharpened into a clearer, bolder commitment to putting capital in motion for collective power and lasting change. #WorkerPower #Democracy #SocialJustice #ImpactInvesting #AssetsUnderMovement #DonorAdvisedFunds #Philanthropy #CollaborativeFunds

Solidaire Board member Alan Preston has a powerful new piece in the National Center for Family Philanthropy (NCFP): “Overcoming Barriers to Giving: My Personal Story of Wealth Redistribution.” In this article, Alan offers a clear call to philanthropy to do more in this moment — naming the urgency of redistributing wealth at a time when crises are deepening and too many funders are holding back. By sharing his personal journey of redistributing a multimillion-dollar inheritance and resourcing movements through the Arch Community Fund, he sheds light on the emotional and cultural barriers that often stand in the way — and what it takes to move toward more values-aligned action. “Through my personal and professional experience in philanthropy, I believe that the redistribution of wealth and power can heal our hearts and our world. As donors and funders, we must confront the obstacles holding us back from giving like we want to win. Now is the rainy day we have been waiting for.” This thoughtful article is a powerful tool in moving donors from intention to action. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/g2GSTEYB

Join us to celebrate the launch of Solidaire Network’s Transformative Donor Organizing: The Developing Theory and Practice. This publication marks a milestone for our network and contributes to the broader ecosystem of donor and movement organizing. Hear from Isaac Lev Szmonko and Rajasini Bhansali in conversation about our approach and methodology, and how it is building a powerful base of donors and philanthropic leaders moving hundreds of millions of dollars to grassroots movements. Transformative Donor Organizing Launch Party Thursday April 16, 1 - 2 pm PT / 4 - 5 pm ET Register here: https://lnkd.in/eDt6HGsJ

Our members are watching Grasping at the Roots: A Love Letter to the Black Environmental Justice Movement produced by our movement partners at Climate Justice Alliance. As temperatures and tensions rise around us, Grasping at the Roots offers a powerful look at the people creating positive change in Black Environmental Justice communities. This 35-minute film is a window into the lives of communities facing economic hardship, displacement, and climate change. It centers people living alongside refineries and other industrial projects while bearing the brunt of a warming planet, and organizing to build real solutions. The film highlights leaders who come from a long legacy of fighting for their lives and their rights. This is not just a documentary. It is a call to action. Filmed and produced by Keenan Rhodes and The Climate Justice Alliance's own Leah Derray, the film was made for the people. We invite you to share it widely. You can host a screening at your school, church, or community center at any time. On the film’s webpage, you will find tools to support your screening, including a Q&A conversation guide and information about CJA’s Black Caucus. Watch it here:

Our final article for the Money in Movements series has been published and features our member beloved member, Rachel Sherman. For Rachel Sherman, being a “class traitor” means rejecting wealth hoarding and disrupting the power dynamic in philanthropy. Class traitors give in unconventional ways, organize their base of donors, invest for redistribution and use all levers of power toward justice. https://bit.ly/npqseries5 Rachel Sherman is a professor of sociology at the New School who studies how inequality is reproduced, justified, and challenged. She is the author of Class Acts: Service and Inequality in Luxury Hotels and Uneasy Street: The Anxieties of Affluence. She is completing Class Traitors, a look at wealthy progressives who—in support of movements for democracy and social justice—are organizing their class, backing tax-the-rich policies and pushing redistribution over accumulation. She previewed this work in her New York Times article “The Rich Kid Revolutionaries.” Sherman holds a PhD in sociology and lives in Brooklyn. Money in Movements: The Role of Donor Organizers is a Nonprofit Quarterly series co-produced with Solidaire Network. It features five firsthand stories from donor and funder organizers who are deeply involved in the liberation struggle and working alongside grassroots movements. The organizers featured here aren’t just raising money — they are building political homes, strengthening accountability and helping to deepen solidarity between people with wealth and grassroots movements leading transformative change.

Last year, Poder NC — a grassroots organization that mobilized Latine and working-class voters across North Carolina — made the difficult decision to close its doors. Its founder, Irene Godínez, recently shared a powerful reflection on that decision. What she makes clear is this: the organization didn’t close because the work failed. It closed after losing funding and access to key political infrastructure when it chose to stand on principle. Poder NC had been building an independent political home rooted in culture, narrative strategy and deep community relationships. They were reaching voters too often ignored and helping shape local elections in the South. Irene’s message is ultimately to philanthropy: If we want durable governing power, we have to fund independent, Black and brown-led experimentation with patience and protection — not litmus tests, short-term metrics or political control. Our network has been engaging her piece because it raises urgent questions about what kind of civic ecosystem we are building — and what it costs when integrity becomes inconvenient. We encourage folks to listen and read: https://lnkd.in/geNzKwNy

Are you reading and listening to Organize the Rich? Solidaire is proud to be the new found home for this bold multi-media project that talks openly and personally about organizing the rich as part of working class multiracial movements. See below to go to a book launch in Minnesota or Seattle this spring! https://lnkd.in/gGJduDMk