Recognizing the heightened challenges for all community organizers this election year, Borealis Philanthropy’s Spark Justice Fund (SJF) launched a Safety and Security Rapid Response Fund for power-building organizations working to decarcerate, close jails, abolish cash bail, and advance transformative visions of pretrial justice and safety in the communities most impacted by incarceration.
SJF Rapid Response grantee partner, Center for HIV & Policy.
The Fund is excited to share that, through this rapid response fund, it awarded $410,300 to bolster the efforts of 36 organizations that are prioritizing the tools, knowledge, and resources needed to safeguard themselves and their people from harm and to effectively navigate crises.
The grantmaking decisions were guided by the deep wisdom and care of SJF’s Grantmaking Steering Committee, a group of system-impacted community leaders who grounded the funding process in lived experience and reflected the immediate needs of other leaders on the ground. In its applicant review, the committee considered—not exclusively—three areas of safety and security work:
- Emergency Preparedness and Response: Ensuring the physical safety of staff and volunteers, implementing security protocols, providing safety training, and having emergency response plans in place.
- Cybersecurity: Protecting against data breaches, phishing scams, malware attacks, privacy concerns, and safeguarding sensitive information.
- Crisis Communication: Managing communication during times of unexpected or significant adversity that could potentially harm an organization’s reputation, operations, or stakeholders.
The SJF prioritized funding for organizations led by folks who are BIPOC, disabled, queer, trans gender-nonconforming, and/or directly impacted by the criminal legal system. It also prioritized organizations with budgets under $750K in historically underfunded areas such as the South, Midwest, U.S. territories, and rural communities. In all,
- 91% of grantee partners are BIPOC-led;
- 27% of grantee partners are disabled-led:
- 38% of grantee partners are LGBTQ;
- 33% of grantee partners are led by systems-impacted people;
- 83% of grantee partners have budgets under $750K;
- and 75% are based in historically underfunded geographic areas.
30 of the 36 organizations are first-time partners of the SJF! Help us give a warm welcome to the grantee cohort below:
A Little Piece of Light
ACT 4 SA
American on Trail Inc.
Arkansas Justice Reform Coalition
Austin Justice Coalition
Baltimore Action Legal Team
Black Immigrant Collective
Center for HIV & Policy
Chainless Change Inc
Chicago Torture Justice Center
Columbia County Sanctuary Movement Inc
Count US IN Inc
DREAM BIG INFERNO
Families For Freedom
Families United Corporation
G.L.A.S Angels Inc
Harriet’s Wildest Dreams
Healing Communities PA
Hope, Love, and Dream Inc
Jail Project of Texas
Julian Legal
My Sistah’s House Memphis
Project Hajra
RACIAL JUSTICE NOW
Relationships Evolving Possibilities
ReNforce
Rich Family Ministries
Secure Justice
Sex Workers Outreach Project Chicago
South Carolina Restorative Justice Initiative
Stick Talk – Build Inc
Trans Income Project
Unchained
Virginia Student Power Network
We Must Vote Inc
YAYA POR VIDA
With the understanding that rampant criminalization and political violence have been harming our communities long before this election cycle—and that the threat does not end with the election—the SJF has committed to continuous, responsive, and long-term resourcing of this democracy-building and -saving work. To join us in co-creating new possibilities, contact us at sparkjustice@borealisphilanthropy.org.
A special shout out and thank you to the members of the Grantmaking Steering Committee: Jermaine Archer, Yvette Thierry, and Tiffaney Bradley. Read more about their community-shifting work below.
Jermaine Archer is a Program Associate for Schusterman’s Criminal Justice Grantmaking team who prides himself on struggling for the betterment of others. Having transformed from survivor-of-the-system to agent-of-change, he used his experience as a directly impacted person and advocate for criminal justice reform to support clients during his time as a paralegal for the Legal Aid Society. Aspiring to broaden his impact and scale his efforts, he expanded his professional work to include community outreach, advocacy, and organizing with the aim of creating coalitions and empowering his community.
With an undergraduate degree in Behavioral Sciences from Mercy College and a graduate degree in Professional Studies from the New York Theological Seminary, Jermaine uses his education and experience to become a voice for the voiceless.
Yvette Thierry is a native of New Orleans, a mother of two, and a grandmother of four. Yvette attended Southern University at New Orleans, where she earned an associate degree in Addictive Behavior Counseling and Prevention, a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice, and a master’s degree in Criminal Justice. Yvette has been a community organizer and advocate in her community for the past 18 years, working on criminal justice reforms. For the last nine years, Yvette has been advocating for substance abuse and mental health treatment based in the community rather than in local jails.
With over a decade of experience in community outreach and communications, Tiffaney Bradley brings a dedicated drive and passion for helping others to her role as Communications Director for the City and County of San Francisco. Her background in broadcast journalism, communications, and public engagement provides valuable expertise in marketing, brand building, event planning, and strategic program execution. She led a 50-city national power-building and media tour as the Director of Public Engagement for Mayors and Counties of Guaranteed Income.
As the Director of Communications for the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (RTA), Tiffaney led communications strategies for the agency’s 2022 overhaul of the regional bus network. This extensive and innovative program improved New Orleans public transit and impacted more than 30,000 daily riders.
Before joining the RTA, Tiffaney served as Communications and Outreach Director for the New Orleans City Council. During her time with the council, she successfully built a coalition of support for several progressive, community-driven policies and projects. Throughout her tenure, she was motivated by creating tangible improvements in the quality of life for New Orleans residents, especially incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals, by focusing on criminal justice reform and stopping the expansion of the city’s jail.
Tiffaney’s media experience, event planning expertise, and enthusiastic management style have all been utilized to plan campaigns strategically. In 2018, her efforts helped elect the first openly LGBTQIA member of the Orleans Parish School Board. Tiffaney is a fierce advocate for disadvantaged communities and works hard to spark change, beginning locally. Tiffaney holds a B.A. in Mass Communications from Dillard University in New Orleans.