Because The Clash was anti-racist, anti-fear, pro-solidarity, pro-unity, pro-inclusion, KEXP is taking time to spotlight local social-justice organizations making a difference in our community. This is a public service announcement with GUITARS.
My name is Mijo Lee and I'm the executive director of Social Justice Fund Northwest.
KEXP: What is Social Justice Fund Northwest?
Social Justice Fund Northwest is a grassroots democratic foundation that funds community organizing throughout the Northwest in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. We fund the organizations that are led by the people most directly impacted by the issues that they're working on and that are working for a long-term systemic change, not just looking at symptoms but addressing root causes on issues like immigrant rights or gender justice or criminal justice reform or economic justice -- you name it -- at all the intersections of social justice issues where they're funding people on the front lines.
How can people get involved with Social Justice Fund Northwest?
So, there are really two ways that we count on everyday folks to fuel our work. One is just by donating, because of the unique model that we have of bringing together regular folks to raise and grant out money. When you make a donation to Social Justice Fund, your dollars go farther. And we're going to find the best, the most effective, the most inspiring groups out there to put that money to work.
The second thing is that you can actually be part of our process and develop your own leadership and learn about social justice issues by joining a Giving Project. So, a Giving Project is a group of people, intentionally multiracial and cross-class, who come together and do political education, learn how to be grantmakers, learn how to be fundraisers, and actually get to meet some of the most inspiring and bravest organizers we have in our region and be part of the process of raising and distributing the funds and supporting those organizations. So I think this is a really amazing way that anybody who has the time can get involved. We have a couple of giving projects coming up so you can go to our website to find out how to join and plugin, and click on "Giving Projects" up at the top.
And you know I think it's really valuable because many of us get online and we just see a litany of bad news every day. And what most of us don't know is that there are courageous, brilliant, visionary organizers all around us, all the time who never make it to the news. They don't have the resources that tell us about what we're doing. Come join Social Justice Fund and you can learn about those people directly and help them do their work.
KEXP is celebrating International Clash Day on Wednesday, February 7th, both online and on the air; click here to see more KEXP interviews and articles.
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