resource

Various elements must be secured to help build and sustain power including securing resources, infrastructure, emotional and physical support. When you are able to be fully present you can be expansive in your vision, lead with abundance, and move mountains for change. However, racism and oppression limit community members’ access to these supports. While you and your community may not have full access to these pathways to building power, there are ways to build individual and collective muscle around these key elements.

tools

Click to read: Mutual Aid resources by Philly We Rise. Image description: large group of young people marching outside holding climate action protest signs

Mutual Aid Resources

Philly We Rise

Think of existing structures such as churches or recreation leagues, or create new social networks and relationships. This will be necessary to establish a sense of belonging. Providing meals, childcare, transportation support, counseling, and healing resources will support community members' physical and mental wellbeing, further developing the personal power and resilience needed to continue the work.

reflection

  • When you are facilitating meetings, are you providing childcare, food, healing spaces or resources to support those facing mental or physical challenges?
  • How is your community showing up and supporting each other to support those struggling with day to day needs, housing, energy, food, water, etc. in order to create space and opportunity for them to participate and engage in this work?
  • What innovative ways can you crowdsource or create community funds to seed the necessary work and strategy for implementation?
  • How are you creating fair, transparent, and equitable governance over funding in order to not replicate the harms, traumas, and practices of white supremacy?
  • How are you building solidarity economies to create long-term self-determination?

    • Next Steps!

    Create a collective fund.

  • Many communities of color and immigrant communities have long developed and participated in cooperative and solidarity economics as a means of self-determination. By creating a collective fund that aligns with the transparency and decision-making processes established in the collective governance stage, you can build on historical assets while supporting the work in a self-determined way. The Gulf South Rising Community Fund or Put People First Campaign to Abolish Medical Debt are both examples.

    • Seek non-extractive resources.

  • If the community is looking for funding, ask how this funding will support the grounding of your work without requiring more than your fair value of labor.

  • If seeking foundation funding, find funders who are committed to challenge power and structural racism and ask for general operating grants rather than project-specific.

  • If the community is resourcing a project with private capital, get clarity on the values-driven and just terms of the investment. Is the return low and long-term or short-term and high? What are the potential unintended consequences, if any? How might you disrupt them?

  • If the community is seeking non-financial support, like legal, communications or other needs, create clear guidelines on how this resource support will be used. Try to create a collaborative two-way approach so everyone is moving from abundance.

    • Create shovel-ready project plans.

  • Public dollars are often the most impactful and effective resource to achieve your vision. Unfortunately, most public dollars do not invest in the time, capacity, and energy needed to plan and develop projects. Most of the time, public funds flow to communities that have “shovel-ready” projects and plans, which means projects that can hit the ground running if capital is secured. If you are looking for funding to develop infrastructure, be sure to have plans and strategies in place to capitalize on public dollars.

    •