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Peace Development Fund Awards $80,000 to Grassroots Organizations Including New Jersey's Best Practices Policy Project
22 social justice organizations across the U.S., Haiti, and Mexico receive funding from the Peace Development Fund.
MORRISTOWN, NJ – The Peace Development Fund (PDF) announced it has awarded $80,000 in grants to 22 social justice organizations across the United States and regions in Haiti and Mexico. These awards are part of PDF's Seeding the Movement Fund (SMF), which supports grassroots organizing led by community members.
One of the recipients is the Best Practices Policy Project (BPPP), based in Morristown, New Jersey. It is the only organization in the state to receive funding this year. BPPP works on intersections of gender and racial equality, labor and human rights, freedom of migration, and community empowerment. They also provide training for sex workers nationwide and advocate for their basic human rights.
Penelope Sanders of BPPP commented, "We are in full defense of the labor rights of sex workers. PDF funding helps our work to end the criminalization of sex workers to ensure that our communities are not negatively affected by policing, or restrictions on public space, housing, education, and financial institutions."
Emily Szerafy-Cox, a PDF Foundation Officer, shared, "This year's grantees represent a wide array of critical social justice issues. Each group is dedicated to shifting power, dismantling oppression, working to build a movement, and creating new structures in their communities and beyond. We are humbled to fund such exemplary organizations.”
Multiple organizations that received funds last year were included in this year's grants, demonstrating PDF's commitment to supporting equity by funding organizations over multiple years. PDF's volunteer board of directors, which reflects marginalized communities, made the grant award decisions.
The 2023 SMF grant awardees include organizations focusing on a variety of issues, including environmental concerns, economic inequity and labor rights, racial justice and Indigenous rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and women’s issues. These organizations are at the forefront of change across the country.
Some of the 2023 SMF grant awardees include: The Alyssa Rodriguez Center for Gender Justice, Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Lactation Collaborative of California, Bantu Safe Haven, Best Practices Policy Project, Beyond Trenches, Center for Social Sustainable Systems, Communities for Clean Water, Dignity Power, Healing Communities PA, Home Roots Foundation, La Colectiva, Manasseh Ministry, Marijan, Montana Two Spirit Society, NYCHA Neighbors Helping Neighbors, Root Cause Research Center, Tight Lipped, Tranzzlation, UnHarming Ohio, Washington Fair Trade Coalition Education Fund, and Whiteswan Environmental.
