Borealis Philanthropy

Jeree Thomas, program director of the Communities Transforming Policing Fund, wrote about the lessons learned from the fund’s participatory grantmaking process. Read more in her piece for Fund for Shared Insight. https://lnkd.in/emcqgcvY #InternationalDayAgainstPoliceBrutality

Reverend Michelle Higgins, executive director of Faith for Justice, a St. Louis-based group organizing at the intersections of Black liberation and spirituality, speaks on the importance of healing work to community safety and repair. #InternationalDayAgainstPoliceBrutality https://lnkd.in/eiFZwCgz

Communities across the country lack the local news and information they need to stay safe, organized, and connected. But there is a growing movement to do something about it. Free Press is excited to partner with the Media Power Collaborative to launch an ambitious framework that journalists and community members can unite behind: "Local News for the People: A Policy Agenda for Meeting Civic-Information Needs." As state and local lawmakers debate policy solutions to support local news — and as independent journalism is increasingly threatened by corporate greed and federal attacks — we're confident that this roadmap will go a long way toward building the media system we need to meet this era of political crisis. Join tomorrow's panel of experts and advocates as they discuss the crucial work of civic media in this moment, and the policy changes that we need to put local news back in the hands of the people. https://lnkd.in/eyCpZXcr

Yesterday at the NC News & Information Summit, AJP's Jason Alcorn joined Lizzy Hazeltine of the North Carolina Local News Lab Fund and Alicia Bell of the Racial Equity in Journalism Fund at Borealis Philanthropy for a conversation about making a strong case for support and building relationships with local funders around a shared mission to support strong communities. We appreciate Shannan Bowen of NC Local for this opportunity to bring together journalists, funders and partners around local news in North Carolina.

Read more from MacArthur Foundation’s feature with Sandy Ho of Disability & Philanthropy Forum and Nikki Brown Booker of the Disability Inclusion Fund, and learn about the Disability Inclusion Fund and several of its initiatives like the Black Disabled Liberation Project and Disability x Tech Fund at the links below. https://lnkd.in/gZMGz83u https://lnkd.in/gqUhWuuy

We are thrilled to welcome John Palfrey as co-chair to our close friends and partners, Disability & Philanthropy Forum! Looking forward to continued learning and shared commitments that help advance #DisabilityInclusion and #DisabilityJustice in 2025 and beyond.

Over the past several weeks, we’ve witnessed what may be the very beginnings of a cross-sector, collective response from philanthropy. National and local funders alike—MacArthur Foundation, Freedom Together Foundation, and Woods Fund Chicago, among others—announced plans to substantially increase their payouts to protect the social change ecosystem. As the Center for Effective Philanthropy’s recent report, Challenging Times: How U.S. Nonprofit Leaders are Experiencing the Political Context, makes clear, now is the time for such collective courage and action—in ways that center and prioritize who our sector exists to serve: the people. As President Michelle M. has so elegantly stated about Woods Fund Chicago’s decision, “Traditionally, fiduciary responsibility emphasizes adherence to a minimal payout, protecting the corpus so that it can continue perpetually. At WFC, we believe we are fiduciarily responsible to the community and prioritize impact over returns.” https://lnkd.in/ewhYTkB3

This #BlackHistoryMonth, #BlackFuturesMonth and beyond, we are honoring the enduring wisdom of Black disabled organizers who have shown us that true liberation requires us to address the interconnections of oppression. At Borealis, we're proud to resource and uplift today's Black disabled leaders boldly envisioning a world filled with care, health equity, and belonging for us all. Learn more about these visionary leaders: https://lnkd.in/gJ2-Wwyw

As we navigate an era of heightened antagonism from the people, policies, and practices seeking to harm and erase trans and queer communities, the Emerging LGBTQ Leaders of Color Fund is proud to mark its 10th year of mobilizing resources to brilliant organizers who are—and, importantly, always have been—on the frontline of these movements. Our partners are leading efforts at the intersections of reproductive justice, migrant rights, community safety, queer and trans justice, bodily autonomy, and beyond. Learn more about the groups leading this lifesaving work: https://lnkd.in/gj_Uuv2V

Jeree T. writes -- and talks to us in short video clips -- about how Borealis Philanthropy turned its policing and safety #grantmaking fund into a community-led effort. We "knew that people most impacted by policing and the criminal legal system are the ones most capable of defining and leading transformational change." #ParticipatoryGrantmaking #philanthropy #funders #foundations #CommunityLed #listening #FunderListening