Submitted by Jim Hunt, Communications Manager, Sustainable CT.
WILLIMANTIC, CT, March 10, 2022 – Supporting Organizing Work-CT (SOW-CT) has established the Social Change Amplifier Fund within Sustainable CT’s Community Match Fund to dedicate matching funds to projects led by Black, Latinx, Multiracial, Indigenous and other POC community organizers and organizations.
The Sustainable CT Community Match Fund is an established program that provides a dollar-for-dollar match for community-initiated projects that align with Sustainable CT’s action roadmap to build inclusive, resilient, and thriving communities across Connecticut. Since its launch in late 2019, the Community Match Fund has invested over $1.1 million in two hundred community-led projects throughout Connecticut, highly leveraging an additional $1.3 million of crowdfunding donations from residents, local businesses, towns, and others.
“Thanks to Supporting Organizing Work-CT, we’ll be able to focus much needed attention on traditionally marginalized and underrepresented populations in Connecticut,” said Lynn Stoddard, Executive Director of Sustainable CT. “Organizers in communities of color will be better able to build collective power and leadership to affect positive change where it’s needed and wanted most.”
Sustainable CT will match up to $7,500 in one-to-one dollars from the Social Change Amplifier Match Fund. Unlike traditional grant programs, Sustainable CT offers a quick, simple application process (starting with a conversation) with no deadlines, no lengthy review period, and minimal reporting requirements. Sustainable CT helps applicants create a project description on their crowdfunding platform, provides a crowdfunding coach, and spreads the word about active projects to help bring in support.
In order to qualify for the Social Change Amplifier Match Fund, community projects should: be organized by Black, Latinx, Multiracial, Indigenous and POC leaders (grassroots groups, individual resident or nonprofit organization); provide broad public benefits to the community (not to support private businesses or individuals through such methods as bail funds or rental assistance); align with Sustainable CT’s action roadmap; and be planned for one or more of Sustainable CT’s registered towns.
Projects can include, but are not limited to: events, campaigns or community activities that promote public awareness and education; community canvasing, surveys, forums and meetings; vision sessions, and focus groups; community leadership training; murals and other public art; and restorative justice projects.
Supporting Organizing Work-CT is supported by the Connecticut Council for Philanthropy through a funders collaborative that includes: Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, Connecticut Community Foundation, Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation, Fairfield County’s Community Foundation, Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, Leever Foundation, Melville Charitable Trust, Nellie Mae Education Foundation, Perrin Family Foundation, The Tow Foundation, Universal Healthcare Foundation, and William Casper Graustein Memorial Fund.
Interested parties should contact funding@sustainablect.org to schedule a call to discuss a project idea.
