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Working in racial equity and social justice in the philanthropic sector is challenging because the “personal is political,” and there often feels like no break from our 9-5 roles. We don’t get to take off our skin or the grief we feel in our bodies from the years of oppression of racism that our people have endured.

When we ask our grantees what they want for themselves, their families, and their communities, they often say one word: safety. That is why – during a time when the national conversation on solutions to harm is embroiled in heated debate – our guiding star continues to be organizing towards interventions that center safety outside of the carceral punishment system. 

Northern California Grantmakers recognizes we are witnessing a key moment in the history between Palestine and Israel. The violence is not occurring in a vacuum and this moment requires us to deepen our analysis. The fear, heartbreak, and trauma surrounding this crisis is generational, deeply polarizing, and challenges finding a resolution. NCG is here to support philanthropy in finding its voice as we and many others in the sector are struggling to do so. The clearest immediate actions philanthropy can take are to learn, use its institutional voice to prevent further violence, and provide resources that support humanitarian aid.  

As we consider our roles, it is important to remember that justice is defined not by our own definitions but by the communities directly experiencing injustice. It is also important to keep in sight how our roles align with, support and uplift the existing work of community organizers who have long advocated for restorative and healing justice as common practice, rather than forms of justice defined by the same systems and institutions that uphold structural racism.

In a 6-3 vote, the Supreme Court of the United States’s ruling on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization struck down both Roe v. Wade (1973) and Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992). This landmark decision eliminated a person’s constitutional right to abortion and reverses 50 years of federal abortion protection.

On December 6, 2019, members of the California Criminal Justice Funders Group spent the day building connections with women and transgender people incarcerated in the state’s oldest women’s prison, the California Institution for Women (CIW), as well as women recently released from CIW. Representatives from various foundations attended two events: a panel of formerly incarcerated members of the California Coalition for Women Prisoners, and staff from Time For Change Foundation, as well as a Long-Termers Organization (LTO) meeting inside CIW.