ACF has distributed its fourth year of grants from the Social Justice Fund. The fund supports community-based organizations that focus on the root causes of social, economic, and environmental injustices. The Social Justice Fund seeks to include those who are impacted by injustices as decision-makers and leaders. It also aims to make the field of philanthropy more accessible to a broader group of social justice partners and community-based leaders.
The fourth round of grants saw fifty-two applicants and fourteen awardees. The fund, which was created in 2015, has granted a total of over $600,000 to sixty-one nonprofits across the state. The most recent grantees are as follows.
Nine Star delivers services that prevent homelessness and improve the quality of life for all Alaskans.
- Alaska Conservation Foundation
- Alaska Institute for Justice
- Alaska Public Interest Research Group
- Bunnell Street Arts Center
- Enlaces
- Justice Not Politics Alaska Civics Education Fund
- Kodiak Historical Society
- Metlakatla Indian Community
- Native Movement
- Native Vision
- Nine Star Education & Employment Services
- See Stories
- Spirit of Youth
- The Alaska Center Education Fund
“We are honored to support these important programs and causes.” Said Nina Kemppel. “Due to this fund’s focus on social and economic disparity, each grant will bring awareness to causes that are often overlooked and underfunded.”
Bunnell Street Arts Center received a Social Justice Award for Tuggegt: Land Acknowledgment of Dena’ina and Sugpiaq Lands to advance awareness, participation, and visible acknowledgment of Indigenous lands. The Alaska Conservation Foundation’s Youth Movement and Conservation Mini-Grant Program will support youth-initiated projects, giving young people a leadership role in community improvement, and Nine Star Education & Employment Services’ program Net to Ladder equips under and unemployed Alaskans to improve their quality of life and become economically self-reliant through job training.
“Our work today is to foster and build this community as a place of cultural wealth and opportunity for all. We all benefit from alignment with Indigenous practices of investing in the community and sharing what we make, sharing our cultural wealth,” said Asia Freeman Executive Director of Bunnell Street Arts Center.