Surdna Foundation Announces $5.36 Million in Grants

During the period of October-December 2018, 23 grants totaling $5,360,000 were approved by the Surdna Foundation staff and board to further the Foundation’s mission of fostering just and sustainable communities in the United States – communities guided by principles of social justice and distinguished by healthy environments, inclusive economies, and thriving cultures. Grants are listed below by program area with additional information about the specific strategy or former line of work within each program.  Grant information is also available in our grants database.

Inclusive Economies
Aspen Institute, Washington, DC
$450,000 | 2 years
To support the Aspen Institute’s Policy Programs—the Economic Opportunities Program (EOP), Center for Urban Innovation (CUI), and Latinos and Society Program (LAS)—in furthering equitable business ecosystems through research, dialogues, tool development, public events, and communications.
Former Category: Business Development and Acceleration

Chicago United Inc., Chicago, IL
$350,000 | 2 years
To expand the impact of Chicago United’s Five Forward Initiative (a model for building stronger regional economies through minority business development) by creating a licensed product to launch local replications of the program.
Former Category: Business Development and Acceleration

Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber Foundation, Cincinnati, OH
$400,000 | 2 years
To support a pioneering initiative to connect minority entrepreneurs to tech-based business opportunities and growth industries, while enabling full program sustainability by piloting a new fee-for-service revenue model.
Former Category: Business Development and Acceleration

National Domestic Workers Alliance, New York, NY
$225,000 | 1 year
To improve the job quality and economic security of domestic and home care workers nationwide by growing the National Domestic Workers Alliance’s membership base, providing skills training and benefits access to members, and raising job standards for the domestic workforce.
Former Category: Job Quality and Career Pathways

Sustainable Environments
Building Equity and Alignment for Impact, Calabasas, CA
$375,000 | 3 years
To support Building Equity and Alignment for Impact’s (BEAI) general operations as well as the BEAI Fund, a regranting mechanism to support grassroots environmental justice organizations in the U.S. and U.S. territories.
Current Strategy: Environmental and Climate Justice

California Environmental Justice Alliance, Huntington Park, CA
$450,000 | 3 years
To support the California Environmental Justice Alliance’s work to bring the voice and vision of communities of color into statewide environmental justice policy.
Current Strategy: Environmental and Climate Justice

Center on Wisconsin Strategy, Madison, WI
$100,000 | 1 year
To support the Mayors Innovation Project at the Center on Wisconsin Strategy in developing and implementing solutions to local government problems of infrastructure, inequality and climate change.
Current Strategy: Land Use Through Community Power

Clean Energy Group, Montpelier, VT
$150,000 | 2 years
General operating support for the Clean Energy Group’s work with low-wealth and frontline communities, policymakers, and developers to increase the adoption of advanced solar plus battery storage technologies and policies in service of just transition solutions.
Current Strategy: Environmental and Climate Justice

Energy Justice Institute (100% Pathways), Boston, MA
$175,000 | 2 years
To support the Energy Justice Institute’s development and dissemination of equity-focused energy policy tools, model legislation and model projects in partnership with frontline communities and policymakers.
Current Strategy: Environmental and Climate Justice

Fighter League, Oakland, CA
$55,000 | 1 year
To support the pilot phase of the Fighter League, a project managed by the Just Community Energy Transition Fellow housed at the Movement Strategy Center (MSC). The Fighter League aims to support individual and community leadership development to advance equitable energy solutions and a just transition.
Current Strategy: Environmental and Climate Justice

Ironbound Community Corporation, Newark, NJ
$450,000 | 3 years
To support the Environmental Justice and Community Development team at the Ironbound Community Corporation. The team works to propose and implement solutions that address the disproportionate impact of climate change on communities of color and low-wealth communities in Newark and across New Jersey.
Current Strategy: Environmental and Climate Justice

Jobs to Move America, Los Angeles, CA
$750,000 | 3 years
To empower communities to leverage their tax dollars to generate good, equitable jobs, career pipelines, sustainability, and more government accountability.
Current Strategy: Environmental and Climate Justice

Just Transition Fund, New York, NY
$150,000 | 2 years
To support the Just Transition Fund (JTF), a pooled fund that strengthens and scales initiatives that create economic opportunity for the most impacted coal-affected workers and communities. JTF advances environmental and economic solutions that are both equitable and low-carbon.
Current Strategy: Environmental and Climate Justice

North Star Fund, New York, NY
$50,000 | 1 year
To support the general operations of Community Food Funders as well as the launch of its food justice fellowship program for emerging leaders to build equitable food systems in New York City, the Hudson Valley and Long Island.
Current Strategy: Land Use Through Community Power

Public Advocates Inc., San Francisco, CA
$450,000 | 3 years
To provide low-income communities of color with tools for democratic decision-making and community control to win community-serving investments and equitable resource allocation.
Current Strategy: Land Use Through Community Power

Thriving Cultures
Asian American Writers’ Workshop, New York, NY
$100,000 | 1 year
Closeout general operating support.
Former Category: Artists Engaging in Social Change

Center for Urban Pedagogy, Brooklyn, NY
$75,000 | 1 year
Closeout general operating support.
Former Category: Community Engaged Design

Mississippi Center for Cultural Production, Utica, MS
$80,000 | 1 year
Closeout grant for the Mississippi Center for Cultural Production’s comprehensive approach to cultural, social, and economic development.
Former Category: Artists and Economic Development

National Association of Latino Arts and Culture, San Antonio, TX
$150,000 | 1 year
Closeout general operating support.
Former Category: Artists Engaging in Social Change

Southwest Folklife Alliance, Tucson, AZ
$50,000 | 1 year
Closeout general operating support.
Former Category: Artists Engaging in Social Change

Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation, Porcupine, SD
$100,000 | 1 year
Closeout grant for the creative design and development of Thunder Valley’s Regenerative Community Development — to address the root causes of the historical injustices that exist on the Pine Ridge Reservation.
Former Category: Community Engaged Design

University of Detroit Mercy Detroit Collaborative Design Center, Detroit, MI
$75,000 | 1 year
Closeout grant to support the Detroit Collaborative Design Center’s community collaborations and participatory community design with urban neighborhoods and communities that are often excluded from the decision-making process.
Former Category: Community Engaged Design

Young Nation, Detroit, MI
$150,000 | 2 years
Closeout general operating support.
Former Category: Community Engaged Design