Proteus Fund

Earlier this month, Piper Fund hosted a convening of the Protect Dissent Network in Durham, North Carolina. The convening was an opportunity for network members - grassroots groups and national organizations committed to protecting the right to protest to advance a more inclusive, multiracial democracy - to share wisdom and coordinate efforts for greater impact. Building community and connection was a central theme for the gathering, as was developing aligned strategies, understanding and preparing for threats to protest and dissent, and crafting compelling messages to build narrative power. In the current environment, Piper Fund’s work to support the Protect Dissent Network is not only beneficial – it’s crucial! Thanks to Piper Fund partners North Carolina For The People, Emancipate NC, and Muslim Advocates for helping to make this convening possible. #dissent #defenddemocracy #philanthropy

What do access to abortion care in Ohio, judicial ethics in Colorado, and Arkansas’ minimum wage have in common? They were all enacted through the ballot initiative process. Ballot measures are a powerful tool to advance community-led policy change, but many states are witnessing efforts to curtail the ballot measure process, which would limit the voices of voters. In this new Views from the Field article, Vina Kay of the Proteus Fund and Bill Kopsky of Arkansas Public Policy Panel discuss these threats and how they are defending ballot measures to preserve this vital democratic process. Learn more:

Interested in joining the Proteus Fund team? We are currently hiring for four positions: ➡️ The Legal Counsel will advise Proteus Fund and Proteus Action League (PAL) leadership and staff on laws and regulations that apply to nonprofit organizations. ➡️ The Strategic Partnerships Officer will serve as the lead for the Piper Fund Donor Collaborative, helping to advance the fund’s resource development. ➡️ The Program Associate will provide operational, logistical and administrative support to the RISE Together Fund team to ensure efficient completion of the team’s objectives. ➡️ The Protect Dissent Network (PDN) Manager will support the network of local, state and national organizations working to protect the right to protest and dissent. If you share Proteus Fund's vision of advancing justice, equity, and an inclusive democracy, apply for or share these opportunities with appropriate candidates in your network! https://lnkd.in/gCqjyyfs

Proteus Fund is excited to welcome CryptoHarlem as its newest fiscally sponsored initiative! CryptoHarlem works to address digital harms that disproportionately affect marginalized and vulnerable communities by offering education and training to those communities. 💻 Efforts to promote digital security and privacy are particularly vital now, as movement activists and organizers are at greater risk for surveillance, harassment and doxxing. Proteus Fund is proud to be able to provide operational partnership and support to CryptoHarlem, ensuring that more of the field can benefit from their expertise and advocacy.  Read more about CryptoHarlem's work and the kinds of digital safety risks that Project Director Khalil (Army) Armstead says the initiative is helping people avoid or mitigate in this current environment. 👉 https://lnkd.in/eMh-YPEf

How can philanthropy help social justice leaders build solidarity and strengthen movements to withstand crises and opposition? Rachele Tardi Forgacs, PhD Tardi and Terrance Pitts of the Solidarity Collaborative (a Proteus Fund initiative) identify three essential ways funders can protect progress and create the conditions nonprofit and movement leaders need to respond to today’s challenges. As funders, we need to:   - help leaders build on solidarity formed in times of crisis.  - invest in long-term solidarity infrastructure that gives leaders time and space to build relationships.  - break down siloes in philanthropy. With the right support, leaders can stay strong in tough times and keep making progress to advance health equity. Read their post: https://rwjf.ws/z5M2Ju

While Abortion Forward’s name is fairly new, its mission of ensuring access to abortion and other reproductive healthcare for all Ohioans has remained the same since the 1970’s. Recently, the organization, an RFDC grantee, experienced one of its most significant victories as part of the committee that successfully ran a ballot initiative to enshrine reproductive healthcare in the state’s constitution. Nearly a million people took part in the campaign through donations and volunteering, making it one of the biggest grassroots movements for reproductive healthcare in Ohio history. In addition to the ballot initiative, Abortion Forward Alliance’s leaders are proud of the Patients 2 Advocates (P2A) program, which the organization sponsors alongside partners New Voices for Reproductive Justice, Preterm, and Faith Choice Ohio, another RFDC rapid response grantee. P2A is a leadership development program that is offered in the form of a paid fellowship for people who have had abortions. Hear more about the inspiring program and its impact from Executive Director Kellie Copeland and Program Manager Sakina Jarmon.  #ReproductiveHealthcare #ReproductiveJustice

This year's #WorldJusticeForum, organized by the World Justice Project, focused on “Standing Up for the Rule of Law.” More than 500 participants from over 100 countries gathered in Warsaw, Poland last month to learn from and collaborate with one another. Piper Fund Senior Program Officer Kathy Bonnifield and Melissa Price Kromm, the executive director of North Carolina For The People, a Piper Fund grantee, were both in attendance. 💡 Read some of Melissa's insightful takeaways from the event and how she says the experience will inform her organization's work in North Carolina. https://lnkd.in/ebkJvbr3 #defenddemocracy #philanthropy #socialjustice

As Faith in Action’s director of faith leadership strategies, Rev. Deth Im's work centers on faith as a unifying force. Deth is also one of nine racial justice and faith-based leaders that comprise the first cohort of Proteus Fund's Solidarity Collaborative. His commitment to solidarity was demonstrated last month when he and two other members of the Faith in Action team traveled to Los Angeles to participate in peaceful protesting of immigration arrests and the subsequent militarized response to this resistance.  Hear Deth talk more about his experience in Los Angeles and what being part of the Solidarity Collaborative has meant to him. #solidarity #racialjustice #socialjustice

What is transformative solidarity and why do we need it? In a new blog post, Solidarity Collaborative Director Terrance Pitts and Rachele Tardi Forgacs, PhD, senior program officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, write about the vital importance of supporting relationship and trust building among social justice movements. Proteus Fund launched the Solidarity Collaborative last year, with support from RWJF and other funder partners, to encourage intersectional solidarity between organizations and communities working towards social justice through dedicated grantmaking and programming support. Since then, an inaugural cohort of leaders has begun developing authentic relationships with one another. In their blog post, Terrance and Rachele name three actions funders can take to cultivate transformative solidarity across movements. Read it here 👉 https://lnkd.in/dF5A_jEh #socialjustice #racialjustice #solidarity #philanthropy

🗳️✊ Across the country, people are raising their voices — and funders are stepping up to protect their right to do so. At a time when dissent can bring real consequences, the Piper Fund(A Proteus Fund Initiative) is calling on philanthropy to stand firm in defense of protest and civic freedom. Their message? Democracy depends on all of us. 🔗 Read more: https://lnkd.in/eVbcdsB2 Guest Contributor Vina Kay Reports: 💥 The rising risks of protest — and why funders can’t afford to look away 🤝 How philanthropic support can help protect dissent and grassroots organizing 🛡️ Why narrative, legal, and security funding are vital to movement health Related IP Resources: Proteus Fund - https://lnkd.in/ejDtZ5YN Civic & Democracy Grants for Nonprofits - https://lnkd.in/gwAtpf5r Donor Report: Grassroots Organizing & Movement Building - https://lnkd.in/e7-b4-mW Report: Giving for Democracy and Civic Life - https://lnkd.in/gKb573ds #DefendDemocracy #RightToProtest #ProtestIsPatriotic #GrantsForCivilRights #PhilanthropyForJustice #FundDemocracy #StandForDissent #ProtectThePeople #AuthoritarianismWatch #GrantsForDemocracy #PeoplePower #FundersForFreedom #DemocracyFunding #Philanthropy #CivicEngagement #SocialJustice #InsidePhilanthropy