Tides

Traditional philanthropy has been set up to support the needs of people who have power. Our job at Tides is to change that. Hear from Janiece Evans-Page, Suneela Jain, Anucha Browne, Dan Shannon, and many more about Tides' new vision and mission—and the impact we hope to make on the world.

We are horrified by the news reports and video evidence showing the brutal murder of Sonya Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman, on July 6th. A devoted mother of two and a beloved cousin, sister, and friend, Massey was fatally shot in her own home by the police she called for help. Her tragic death underscores a truth Americans have learned too many times: that until we transform the unjust justice system at the heart of our society, Black people will continue to suffer and die. Across our country, Black women are disproportionately targeted, victimized, and killed by law enforcement. According to the African American Policy Forum, a Tides Foundation grantee, Black women make up around 10 percent of the female population in the U.S., yet they account for one-fifth of all women killed by the police and almost one-third of unarmed women killed by the police. In most instances, the police officers were not held accountable.  At Tides, we are shifting power and resources to communities which have been denied both. Our goal is systems change, and we can’t do it alone. The truth remains – Sonya Massey should still be alive.

Remembering these words from Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee today as we honor her life and legacy by working to shift resources and power to communities which have historically been denied both. Rest in power.

We're laser-focused on closing the voter engagement gap and removing the barriers to voting for communities of color, young voters, and low-income voters. We're fighting voter suppression and disinformation and investing in long-term pro-democracy infrastructure for years to come. We're supporting ballot measure campaigns to protect abortion access, raise the minimum wage, and prevent gerrymandering. The 2024 election is a watershed moment for our democracy. We're all in.

One thing we've learned in the past two years: When Americans have the chance to vote on abortion access, we choose access every time. Watch Beth Huang, Program Officer for Tides Foundation’s Healthy Democracy Fund, talk about what’s giving her hope—and why the Healthy Democracy Fund is moving millions to support ballot measures to restore and protect abortion access.

Key takeaway from today's 5th Annual CSR Insights Report: People want to make a difference—and, increasingly, they're advocating for a voice in their company's social impact initiatives. ➡️ Employee engagement is becoming even more important, with 88% of corporate social impact teams reporting that their employee engagement budgets either increased or remained unchanged this year. ➡️ 22% of respondents saw an increase in expectations from employees to participate in making CSR decisions in their companies. (See yesterday's post about Braze for one example of a Tides partner empowering employees to guide their philanthropic efforts through their ERG grantmaking program.) Read the report from the Association of Corporate Citizenship Professionals: https://lnkd.in/e44HBsS3

Want to increase the impact of your company's charitable giving? Get your staff involved. Involving Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) in philanthropic giving empowers staff to make impactful, community-centered grants to organizations they're passionate about. Braze, a Tides partner and Pledge 1% member, is setting an example with their ERG Grant Program which has allocated $300,000 in unrestricted grants over the past year to organizations including The Ali Forney Center, Stand with Asian Americans, Black Girl Ventures, GreenLatinos, Every Mother Counts, Ipas, the Sylvia Rivera Law Project (SRLP), and many more. Read more about Braze's approach to ERG-directed grantmaking: https://lnkd.in/ezQ-qZwH

“Invest in the people that are already doing the work. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel.” — Nakia Woods We gathered physicians, community birthworkers, and grassroots organizers to discuss the steps marginalized communities have been taking to protect themselves in the two years since Roe was overturned. One key point: in communities around the country, heroes are stepping up to address the Black maternal health crisis, provide desperately needed healthcare, and fight for abortion access. Support them.

After Roe was overturned, Tides' Tareya Palmer and a colleague conceived the Just Health Fund to send critical resources to community leaders on the front lines of protecting, providing, and ensuring health equity for marginalized groups. Read Tareya Palmer, MPA on why it's crucial to address abortion access as the health equity issue that it is, and why we're calling on bold funders to join us: https://lnkd.in/eCd3wgZC

It's year-round community organizing—a deep investment in community members who can become trusted messengers—that drives meaningful change and enables regular people to build power. Read Tides' Beth Huang on why it's crucial to fund the leaders who will be there long after Election Day: https://lnkd.in/eJhfRZYt