Proteus Fund

Nearly 50 years into its existence, the Southern Center for Human Rights (SCHR) continues to evolve and expand its work to meet the needs of the community in its home state of Georgia and beyond – while always maintaining its focus on fighting for equality, dignity, and justice for people impacted by the criminal legal system in the Deep South. When #StopCopCity protestors in Georgia were charged with RICO and domestic terrorism last year, SCHR was well positioned to help connect them with legal representation to protect and defend their right to protest. With support from Piper Fund and others, SCHR successfully built the First Amendment Lawyer Bridge, a formalized lawyer pairing program. They hired a fellow to help manage the program, make sure lawyers were paired, and provide them with training. The program expanded this year to cover Emory University students who participated in campus protests related to the ongoing crisis in Gaza. SCHR also monitored anti-protest legislation that moved through the Georgia legislature this year, doing critical public education. Hear more about this vital work from SCHR staff members Terrica Ganzy, Tiffany Roberts, and Devin Franklin.

In response to #communityadvocacy and protests of the ongoing siege, bombardment, and humanitarian crises in Gaza and the West Bank, Black, African, Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian (BAMEMSA) communities are facing an escalating environment of threats and risks. For many, the current atmosphere of fear, surveillance, and suspicion is reminiscent of the aftermath of 9/11. To support the safety, security, and rights of BAMEMSA movements, RTF began offering rapid response grants ranging from $5,000 - $25,000 to U.S.-based community organizations in November. By the end of 2023, just two months later, RTF had granted more than $225,500 to organizations working on domestic policy issues and mobilizations. Ceasefire-related mobilizations that were supported by RTF grantees, the growing list of cities that have passed ceasefire resolutions, the no tech for apartheid campaign, and the growing number of legislators who have supported ceasefire show the progress that our field has made. Learn more and view the full digital report here: https://lnkd.in/eRvg65P5

"We're trying to create these stories about ourselves and on our own terms." Thanks to the MacArthur Foundation for spotlighting our newest fiscally sponsored initiative, Disability Culture Lab. Proteus Fund is proud to be supporting the important work of this nonprofit media lab created by and for the #disability community.

For the Disability & Philanthropy Forum, 2023 was a year of immense growth. The Forum, which was launched in 2019 by foundation leaders who committed to elevating #disabilityinclusion throughout the philanthropic sector, formalized its strategic plan and doubled its team in 2023. The Disability & Philanthropy Forum also published the first-ever report on disability grantmaking, which found that only 1 penny for every 10 foundation dollars goes to disability rights and #socialjustice, a funding amount which the Forum has set a goal of seeing triple by 2028. Hear what Executive Director Emily Harris and Gail Fuller, Senior Director of Programs and Communications had to say about the Forum’s work and partnership with Proteus Fund, and view the digital report here: https://lnkd.in/eRvg65P5

This week, Piper Fund Senior Program Officer Kathy Bonnifield served as a panelist at the #WorldJusticeChallenge meeting hosted by the World Justice Project. The panel discussion focused on threats to the judiciary and the rising pressures on #justice sector actors, including security concerns, harassment, censorship, and politicization. We're proud to have been represented at this event which brings together an engaged group of democracy and rule of law advocates to support discussion and collaboration on key governance and justice topics.

In 2023, anti-protest bills continued to target Black organizers fighting police violence, as well as Indigenous and #environmentaljustice activists. Piper Fund grantees responded by building coalitions to both block troubling policy proposals and advance new strategies, while also protecting their organizations and communities engaged in protests. Though the efforts to repress dissent have been relentless, the organizers have built crucial relationships among communities and organizations in their broad coalition. The Piper Fund is proud to work with funder partners, including CSFund, Democratizing Justice Initiative, Communities Transforming Policing Fund, and Funders for Justice as well as to support grantees including PROJECT SAY SOMETHING (PSS), Disability Law United and The Equity Alliance (TEA) in Tennessee. View the new digital report here: https://lnkd.in/eRvg65P5

For Rights, Faith and Democracy Collaborative (RFDC)’s Minnesota cohort, which includes Gender Justice, OutFront Minnesota, TakeAction Minnesota, and Jewish Community Action, 2023 was a banner year. With a pro-reproductive freedom governor and majority in the state legislature, they succeeded in creating the conditions to get their entire legislative agenda passed, securing significant wins for #reproductivejustice and #genderaffirmingcare that had been years in the making. Hear how cohort leaders say they were able to work in coalition to take advantage of favorable conditions in the government to create powerful, lasting change for Minnesotans, and view the full annual report here: https://lnkd.in/eRvg65P5

In June, the RISE Together Fund (RTF) hosted its first in-person funder convening in New York City since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Funders came together from across the country to learn more about RTF's priorities directly from their grantees, field partners, and staff, as well as confront and grapple with the threats facing the communities RTF works with and their allies, heightened by the local impact of the ongoing crisis in Gaza. Together, the group recognized challenges, identified opportunities, and reaffirmed its commitment to RTF's vision of a just, inclusive, multiracial hashtag #democracy where Black, African, Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian (BAMEMSA)communities can live freely, lead fully, and participate joyously. Learn more about RTF's work: https://lnkd.in/dS4-_Xz6

Piper Fund’s Judicial Independence program was officially renamed as the Judicial Integrity program in 2023. The renaming was in recognition of grantees working not just for an independent judicial system that honors the separation of powers, but also one that moves ethically and with integrity—centering justice and fairness. We are proud to support North Carolina For The People, The New Pennsylvania Project Education Fund (NPPEF), the Ohio Fair Courts Alliance (OFCA), and other grantees fighting to protect judicial integrity in their states. View the full annual here: https://lnkd.in/eRvg65P5

Proteus Fund is a proud fiscal sponsor of Puentes, a non-profit working to strengthen the narrative power of social justice movements in Latin America. In 2023, Puentes cohosted Confluence, the first global convening on narrative work, solidifying its reputation as a global expert in narrative change and connecting social movements in Latin America with other regions around the world. Hear Puentes Founder and Director Mónica Roa López speak about the conference and how the support of Proteus Fund has helped to bolster this work, and read the new digital Annual Report here: https://lnkd.in/eRvg65P5