Pawtucket, Central Falls Groups Win Funding From Rhode Island Foundation
THE RHODE ISLAND FOUNDATION
Grants and endowments go to the Elisha Project, Progreso Latino, Mixed Magic Theatre and Fuerza Laboral
PAWTUCKET, RI — A Central Falls nonprofit is among the organizations that will share nearly $2.2 million in grants to address structural racism through the Racial Equity and Social Justice Grants program at the Rhode Island Foundation. The funding supports work to dismantle the fundamental causes of systemic racism that impact historically marginalized populations in Rhode Island.
Fuerza Laboral in Central Falls will use its grant to further its work educating the community about immigrant and workers’ rights, developing community leaders, organizing for workplace justice; and incubating, supporting and connecting worker-owned cooperative businesses into a community economy network of good jobs, fair conditions and self-governance.
“Fuerza was started in 2006 by members of the low-income immigrant community of color in which it organizes, to fight the systemic racism that dehumanizes workers of color and an immigration system that supports conditions of exploitation. At its core, Fuerza believes in a world based on inclusion, mutual respect and solidarity; and its programs work to build that very world at the local level,” said Heiny Maldonado, executive director.
The grant recipients are all Rhode Island-based nonprofit organizations, or community groups that have served Rhode Island for at least a year in partnership with a local nonprofit. Priority was given to organizations that are led by people who identify as Asian, Black, Hispanic or Latino, Indigenous or multiracial as well as people who are engaged in efforts that are grounded in the needs of diverse communities in Rhode Island.
“We prioritized proposals that focused on investing in systems, policies and practices that build wealth and stabilize communities. The priorities include seeing and dismantling barriers that hold inequities in place and work that addresses the root causes of issues, not just the symptoms,” said Jenny Pereira, vice president of grants and community investments at the Foundation. “Our goal is to support real change in policies and systems that address the origins of inequality and inequity in education, economic stability, housing and community and social context; and to bring people together to build power they would not have individually.”
In addition to its Racial Equity and Social Justice Grants, the Foundation also announced it has invested more than $1.2 million to create designated endowments for 14 long-standing Rhode Island-based nonprofits that are led by, and primarily serve, people of color and that are working to reimagine systems that are built on structural inequity and racism.
The Elisha Project and Mixed Magic Theatre in Pawtucket and Progreso Latino in Central Falls are among the organizations that will benefit from $100,0000 designated endowments. Endowments are pools of donated assets that aim to make a percentage of the investment growth over time available for charitable purposes annually, which may help provide long-term stability, financial viability, alleviate some fundraising pressure on nonprofits annually and position organizations to continue their mission well into the future.
“The new designated fundholders have all been in existence for over a decade, and were identified by the Foundation as being community-serving organizations that have been historically underinvested in. We hope they will quickly attract philanthropic support to strengthen these outstanding community-facing organizations,” said Angie Ankoma, vice president and executive director of the Equity Leadership Initiative at the Foundation.
The Rhode Island Foundation is the largest and most comprehensive funder of nonprofit organizations in Rhode Island. Working with generous and visionary donors, the Foundation raised more than $75 million and awarded nearly $84 million in grants last year.
Through leadership, fundraising and grant-making activities, often in partnership with individuals and organizations, the Foundation is helping Rhode Island reach its true potential. For more information, visit