I believe in wealth redistribution and mutual aid. Here’s a round-up of some incredible organizations doing work for indigenous land stewardship, community organizing, reproductive justice, reparations, refugee support, climate change, and youth arts programs in the Bay Area. I’m deeply grateful to these groups for their activism and leadership.
Sogorea Te’ Land Trust, an urban Indigenous women-led land trust based in the San Francisco Bay Area that facilitates the return of Indigenous land to Indigenous people. If you live in Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda, Piedmont, Emeryville or Albany, California, I encourage you to pay Shuumi Land Tax. It’s a voluntary annual contribution that non-Indigenous people living on traditional Lisjan Ohlone territory can make to support the Sogorea Te’ Land Trust.
The Barnraisers Project, a nationwide effort to transform the way white people talk about, organize around and hold each other accountable to racial justice work. The org coaches and trains white people to organize their friends, neighbors and colleagues for racial equity. I participated in their Spring 2021 cohort and found it incredibly valuable.
Loving Black Single Mothers, a radical collective-supported economic initiative designed to materially and drastically support the thriving and well-being of Black single-mother-led families by providing them with grants and services that improve their lives.
Liberated Capital, a donor community and funding org aimed at giving resources to Black, Indigenous and other people-of-color communities for liberation and racial healing.
East Oakland Collective, a member-based community organizing group invested in serving the communities of deep East Oakland by working towards racial and economic equity.
The National Network of Abortion Funds, a network of nearly 100 abortion funds. Abortion funds are grassroots organizations that support people seeking abortion access. They’re organizing at the crossroads of racial, economic, and reproductive justice.
Rewire News Group, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit media organization and the only national publication exclusively dedicated to reporting on reproductive and sexual health, rights, and justice.
Jewish Family & Community Services East Bay, which offers a refugee resettlement program for people who have experienced persecution based on their religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or gender identity. The majority of the refugees they work with are Afghans and LGBTQIA individuals from Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America.
ARTogether, which designs creative programs that ensure refugees flourish in their new homes. Their organization provides welcoming, creative spaces for local refugees to connect with their new community, working to generate compassion, human connection and prosperity. Based in Oakland, ARTogether organizes art workshops and inclusive social gatherings, supports refugee artists, and educates the public about refugees’ stories in the Bay Area and around the globe.
Prescott Circus Theater, an org focused on circus and theatre arts education. The Oakland-based Prescott Circus Theatre’s mission is to empower and engage youth as they develop confidence, teamwork, perseverance, artistic talent, and a dedication to working for success.
Save the Redwoods League, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to protect and restore coast redwood and giant sequoia trees. They recently purchased and transferred ownership of a 523-acre property in Mendocino County to the Intertribal Sinkyone Wilderness Council, a group of 10 Native tribes whose ancestors were forcibly removed from the land by European American settlers.
