My husband and I have not been taking things lightly. We have been listening, learning, watching, reading, and discussing everything that has been happening. We feel the pain. Black lives matter.
We want to be allies. In honour of George Floyd's funeral held today, I wanted to share a few organizations my husband and I are supporting and what they do, in case you're also looking for ways to contribute.
Where We've Donated:
The NAACP is a volunteer-run civil rights organization in the US. They have been doing a lot of work to fight for equal rights for POC through their research on the problem and their empowerment programs.
The Bail Project has covered bail for over 10,000 people who have been subject to discriminatory, unjust arrests. 100% of their donations go towards paying for bail. Donations are re-used two to three times as each case is resolved and the bail is refunded.
The Black Lives Matter Toronto chapter lists the demands for which they are fighting across the areas of governance, policing & incarceration, education, Pride Toronto, and ending Islamophobia and white supremacy. They cross out demands as they are met so you can see what they've accomplished and the work to be done.
If you want to explore other organizations, NY Mag shared a list of 115 ways to donate in the US and Global Citizen shared a list of anti-racist organizations in Canada.
A New Organization:
Last week, my friend Mila Olumogba started a non-profit collective (Sesa Collective) of professionals who will be offering BIPOC-run startups and non-profits with pro bono services to accelerate their growth and impact. Services will include marketing, legal, financial, analytical, and beyond. I'm honoured and thrilled to be among the volunteers!
More information will be available on the Sesa Collective website and the instagram page @sesacollective. If you're interested in becoming a volunteer or are seeking support as a client, please reach out to me and I'll pass along your information to Mila!
Lastly, if you know of any interesting organizations making a positive impact or have seen insightful resources, I'd love to hear from you.
Stay well.
-Ivana