Social Justice Institute Overview
The Social Justice Institute (SJI) is a leadership development and capacity building program designed to enhance the sustainability of SPF’s grantee organizations and other grassroots organizations committed to under resourced individuals and communities in the South. We recognize the vital importance of making capacity building a priority; not only for Southern Partners Fund as a foundation, but also for our grantee partners. These groups and organizations serve an important role in addressing the needs of children, youth and families in rural communities, to improve their conditions and create a legacy for future generations. The programs and information offered by the Social Justice Institute are designed to promote knowledge building, best practices in organizational management, and increase collective understanding of historical and present civil and human rights issues in the South.
The SJI will provide comprehensive resources in the following areas:
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Current, new, and emerging leadership and civic engagement training and development |
Fundraising, grantwriting and resource development training |
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Educational outreach, convening and networking |
Community organizing and movement building strategies and support |
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Executive Coaching for rural, grassroots nonprofit leaders |
Promoting the culture and traditions of social justice work in the South |
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Organizational development information, resources, and best practices |
Advocacy, public policy education, marketing, and communications support |
All of the materials and programs offered by the Social Justice Institute are designed to fit the specific needs of grassroots, community based organizations in the rural South focused on social change. The Institute is designed with several components: Peer-to-Peer coaching and networking; 1:1 organizational assessments and consulting for select nonprofits; executive coaching opportunities; regional workshops across the southeastern U.S.; a speakers’ bureau, and the signature program of the Institute will include a 1-2 day training that provides an experiential learning opportunity for participants at least twice per year. These educational resources and management practices will connect rural community based leaders with access to tools and resources that can strengthen their organizations to deliver on their missions, to improve lives through social change and equity.
Organizing Power: The Force of Change in the South
Inaugural Launch of the Social Justice Institute
Intercontinental Buckhead Atlanta
November 21, 2009
Southern Partners Fund celebrated 10 years of excellence in philanthropy in the Southeast, as we held the Inaugural Launch of the Social Justice Institute (SJI). SPF hosted a day of thoughtful workshops and discussions, interactive panel forums, and feature presentations from key leaders in the social justice movement. The evening event, The Social Justice Leadership and Humanitarian Awards Dinner and Gala, honored some of the South’s key social change leaders representing philanthropy, grassroots organizing and service to humanity.
Click here to download an Overview of the
Inaugural Social Justice Institute Event
Audience
SPF invited community partners, philanthropic and business leaders, HBCU and other college and university colleagues, nonprofit professionals, grassroots organizers, and young leaders to share in the launch of SPF’s premier program, the Social Justice Institute (SJI).
Location
Intercontinental Buckhead Atlanta
3315 Peachtree Rd NE
Atlanta, GA 30326
404-261-9250
Agenda
8:30am – 5:00pm Social Justice Institute Launch
· Salon Armchair Discussion
· Concurring Workshops
· Keynote Speaker – Rev. Dr. Joseph E. Lowery
Hailed as the “Dean of the Civil Rights Movement”, Rev. Dr. Lowery represents a legacy of service and commitment to the nonviolent struggle for the causes of justice, human rights, economic equality, voting rights, peace and human dignity. Rev. Dr. Lowery delivered the Benediction on the occasion of President Obama’s inauguration and is the recent recipient of The Presidential Medal of Freedom.
· Concurring Workshops
· Closing: Priorities for SJI 2010
6:30pm – 9:00pm Social Justice Leadership and Humanitarian
Awards Dinner and Gala
9:00pm – Midnight Dance
Salon Armchair Discussion:
Organizing Power: The Voice of Organizers from the South
The Social Justice Institute Salon Armchair Discussion brought together three diverse perspectives and leaders dedicated to the social justice movement in the South. These leaders offered insight from their background and history in the movement, as well as from the challenges and triumphs they’ve encountered. This discussion explored the common struggles these leaders face and unique issues related to their specific areas of focus. The ideas and information shared during this forum are essential to the Launch by helping to identify priorities for the future work of the Social Justice Institute, with the intention to unite and progress positive social change in the South.
Workshop Topics and Presenters
· Untapped: Fundraising is a form of Organizing! – Marjorie Fine, The Linchpin Campaign
Communicating the compelling story of organizing to donors and funders has been perplexing savvy organizers, development staff and executive directors for a long time. This interactive workshop will describe the major types of individual donors who are prospects for supporting community organizing. Participants examined how to apply the basics of community organizing to raising money from major donors. What are the different types of major donors? How and where do you find them? What might be barriers to organizers forging relationships with donors and funders? A major gift is a financial donation that has the potential to make a real difference in the development, planning and success of your organization.
· Structural Racism in a Time of Economic Crisis and Political Hope – Maya Wiley, Center for Social Inclusion
The economic crisis has shaken many of the assumptions Americans have had about our major financial institutions and raised historic questions about the role of government in building prosperity. In communities of color, the recession has been a depression and the collapse of the housing market was foretold by subprime lending that targeted communities of color. What policies and practices helped create the crisis and how is that related to race in America? What are some of the opportunities and challenges to forging structural reform that can build a nation whose people can meet their basic needs and no matter their race? This workshop addressed structural racism in a time of economic challenge and political hope.
· Changing Power through Redistricting – Michael Sayer and Leroy Johnson, Southern Echo
This workshop on the Census and Redistricting focused on the skills and tools that assist low-wealth grassroots communities to prevent a Census undercount in 2010 and the subsequent loss of federal grants funds sensitive to the census count, and how the census count impacts the creation of fair political districts once the census data is released in 2011. Among the elements included were how the Census works; a Census timeline; how to use Complete Count Committees to monitor the census count; employment by the Census Bureau of grassroots people in the census process; and how to build a census stakeholders alliance to build participation in the Census and to hold the Census Bureau accountable to a fair and accurate process.
· Public Policy, Advocacy, and Lobbying – Abby Levine, The Alliance for Justice
This session explained the federal laws governing lobbying by 501(c)(3) organizations, including how to calculate your lobbying limits under the insubstantial part test and the 501(h) expenditure test, definitions for direct and grassroots lobbying, exemptions to the definition of lobbying and the application of these rules to ballot measures activities.
· Role of Culture in Community Organizing and Community Building – Jane Sapp, The Bert and Mary Meyer Foundation; Ann Brown, Community Culture and Resource Center; Erin Byrd, Black Workers for Justice/ Fruit of Labor Singing Ensemble, Blueprint NC
Our ability to engage in the struggle for social justice and to have effective strategies for winning victories is deeply strengthened by an understanding of the power of culture. It is a prime factor that contributes to the capacity of organizers, communities and leaders to persevere and survive. This workshop was designed to allow participants to experience and interact with the tools of cultural work, for example: stories, song, poetry, images, creativity, "meaning making." The group engaged in discussions that define cultural activism and learn skills that can be used in their own work. Participants brought cultural ideas and/or materials that they have found helpful in using and understanding cultural activism.
· Young Leaders for Social Change: Bridging the Gap in the 21st Century - Young Leaders from across the South
Within the last century in the United States, the nation’s youth have been at the forefront of some of the most influential and culturally changing movements. This includes the civil rights movement in the 1960’s and more recently, the youngest members of our country’s electorate voted in record numbers, claiming their strong influence during the 2008 Presidential election. This speaks to the ability of youth to organize and make change, and also brings attention to the need for established organizations to support the pipeline of leadership development. This session explored the South’s infrastructure challenges in strengthening the region’s leadership pipeline for young leaders to engage in social change and movement building. Young leaders will provide an overview of their vision, and the work that came out of the Young Leaders for Social Change (YLSC) gathering in October 2009. Participants had the opportunity to engage with young leaders, and hear their voice regarding how to collectively build power and shape their destinies through organizing.
SJI Launch Special Guests
In addition to the workshops, the Launch offered a Keynote Presentation and an armchair discussion that featured leaders in the fields of community organizing, philanthropy, and social change movements. Panelists and presenters included:
· Rev. Dr. Joseph E. Lowery, Convenor, Coalition for The Peoples’ Agenda Chairman; Emeritus, Black Leadership Forum, Inc; Co-founder, President Emeritus, Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)
· Alta Starr, Ford Foundation
· Dr. Carol Zippert, Adjunct Professor Tuskegee University and Director of the Society of Folk Arts and Culture
· Atiba Mbiwan, Zeist Foundation and Tiffany Friesen (Honorary Hosts)
· Tirso Moreno, The Farmworker Association of Florida
SPF greatly appreciates the support of the following individuals
and organizations:
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Carmen Balentine
Edward W. Hazen Foundation |
Derrick Beasley
MPA Candidate, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University |
Ann Brown
Community Culture and Resource Center |
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James Bui
Mary Queen of Vietnam CDC |
Erin Byrd
Black Workers for Justice/Fruit of labor singing ensemble/Blueprint NC |
Michael Carswell , Elise Durham
Mathes Video Production
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Margerie Fine
Project Director of The Linchpin, Campaign of Center for Community Change |
Kenneth Frierson
Lane College |
Cathy Gore
Sweet Dreams Photography |
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Milano Harden
Founder, The Genius Group Inc. |
Paulina Hernandez, Caitlin Breedlove, BT McKenzie
Southerners On New Ground |
Melissa Johnson
NCRP |
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Leroy Johnson, Mike Sayer
Southern Echo |
Jamal King
STEPS Event Planning Firm |
Abbey Levine
Alliance for Justice |
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Dwayne Marshall
Southern Partners Fund & The Hope Institute |
Evan Milligan
Equal Justice Initiative & Federation of Child Care Centers of Alabama |
Mike Molina
New Voices Fellow |
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Rep. Alisha Thomas Morgan
GA State Representative |
Jessica Norwood
Emerging Changemakers Network |
Courtney Oats
Parents and Youth for a Better Webster County |
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Taliba Obuya, Emery Wright, Santrechee’l Julian
Project South |
Michael Leo Owens
Associate Professor of Political Science |
Dwayne T. Patterson
Center for Community Change |
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Supriya Pilai
Funders Collaborative on Youth Organizing |
Cynthia Renfro
Marguerite Casey Foundation |
Malika Sanders-Fortier
21st Century Youth Leadership |
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Hubert Sapp, Jane Sapp
Bert and Mary Meyer Foundation |
Toni Schwarzenbach
Eli J. Segal Citizen Leadership Program, Brandeis University |
Deborah Scott
Georgia Stand Up |
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Monica Simpson
Board Member of Resource Generation |
Alta Starr
Ford Foundation |
Anasa Troutman
GIFT |
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Rev. John Vaughn, Julia Beatty
21st Century Foundation |
Karen Watson
Positive Action Committee |
Dr. Kyshun Webster
Operations REACH, Inc |
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Gardenia White
Community Organizer |
Ron White
Building Utopia Consulting |
Maya Wiley
Center for Social Inclusion
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Nat Williams
Hill-Snowdon Foundation |
Angela Winfrey
The People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond |
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Social Justice Leadership and Humanitarian Awards
Southern Partners Fund recently created an Award and Recognition program called The Social Justice Leadership Awards. The following ideas for the awards were derived from the book, “The Souls of Black Folks”; particularly as it relates to what W.E.B. DuBois learned from his journeys to the rural South.
The Social Justice Leadership Award provides recognition to those who “make known the strivings and yearnings” of folks in rural communities across the south. Leaders considered for the Social Justice Leadership Award are those who have demonstrated a commitment to “political freedom, economic and educational opportunity and the free expression of humanity.”
The Social Justice Leadership Award will honor three awardees:
1. The Peace Award honors an exemplary individual and/or donor, who has gone above and beyond to demonstrate his/her commitment to reversing inequities in the rural south. This award will recognize this individual for his/her ongoing support, investment and/or extraordinary contributions to create long-lasting change.
2009 Awardee - Barbara Meyer, Bert and Mary Meyer Foundation
2. The Freedom Award honors a nonprofit organization and its leadership (staff and board), for its long term commitment to community organizing in the rural south, and its influence on creating social change.
2009 Awardee - Southern Echo
3. The Justice Award honors a philanthropic institution which has demonstrated a long term commitment to improving the quality of life for families in the rural south, by recognizing the importance of community organizing and movement building.
2009 Awardee - Marguerite Casey Foundation
The individuals and organization selected represent an understanding that there are people in the rural south who “lack the opportunity to take advantage of the small possibilities that might exist; the potential for leadership and accomplishment that is never realized”; and have dedicated themselves and/or their organizations to changing those possibilities and potential. Awardees are “agents of resistance”; those people who have been willing to “step within the Veil” and “expose deeper recesses.” He or she positions him or herself as someone who dwells both within and just outside of its cover---and most important, as the investigator, the communicator, the native informant who can render the mysteries behind the Veil known. These recognized leaders, “long for freedom, but they also breathe a hope—a faith in the ultimate justice of things.”
Additionally, SPF will acknowledge leaders who have made a commitment to progress social change, equality, and justice with the Humanitarian Award. These individuals have demonstrated the ability to be creative and successful in creating a better quality of life for all.
2009 Awardee - NeYo, Compound Foundation
Contact information
If you have questions regarding the Social Justice Institute Launch please contact Fernando Cuevas, Jr., fernando@spfund.org or 407-905-2989