The imagination, ingenuity, and power of workers, neighbors, and organizers in regions across the country are bigger than the crises they face. NFG’s Building Power in Place (BPP) project bridges organizers and funders with place-specific research highlighting groundbreaking community and worker organizer strategies. BPP showcases the realities of what building power in place looks like and offers funder recommendations for supporting the work.
Photo courtesy of Workers Defense Project.
In Houston, Texas, communities face climate change-fueled hurricanes and disastrous freezes. Shameless voter suppression. Runaway speculation on development. Unchecked evictions. Giant corporate tax havens that allow companies off the hook — even for worker’s compensation.
Houston’s grassroots organizations are holding corporate developers, city and county officials, fossil fuel companies, land-grabbing universities and more to task for creating a haven for low-wage work, climate insecurity and displacement. Spurred by turning points like Hurricane Harvey, new coalitions have solidified that are connecting the dots between issues like voter’s rights, speculation-driven construction, gutted public services, and xenophobia targeting migrants. Movements are successfully shifting power at the county level and on contracting while piloting a new generation of green infrastructure and just transition from fossil fuels.
Following the model set by Houston funders, NFG’s Funders for a Just Economy program is bringing together funders across economic justice, civic engagement, housing, immigration, environmental justice and more. We are organizing grantmakers to join us next Thursday, May 27th at 12-1:30pm CDT to learn more and strategize about the expanding movement infrastructure redefining the social and employment contract in Houston. We’ll dialogue directly about where funders can develop local partnerships that carry a national impact. See more information in the newsletter, and register today for this dynamic meeting.