In 2021, we continued our commitment to amplifying the voices and strategies of marginalized communities—expanding our framework to include an explicit reparations lens and power-building in LGBTQIA+ communities of color. Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) cannot achieve true liberation without reparations, abolition, and sustained movement infrastructure.

Resourcing Black & Brown LGBTQ+ Youth Organizing and Voter Engagement

2021 was one of the deadliest years on record for transgender and gender non-conforming people in the U.S., and nearly all fatalities were and continue to be Black or Latina trans women. Our funding supported the leadership development, direct action, mobilization, and culture change that Black and Brown LGBTQIA+ youth are leading in their communities. We saw a record number of voter suppression laws targeting communities of color, increasing the critical need for voter education and engagement. We are excited to support efforts that aim to change the culture of voting and engage voters beyond election day.  

Abolition

Abolitionists ask the question: “How do we address harm without causing more harm?" This year, we supported the visionary work of Interrupting Criminalization to continue to find innovative answers to that question. Core to the Hardisty Initiative is a commitment to the creation of movement infrastructure, and Interrupting Criminalization is doing just that. They use abolition as both an organizing tool and a long-term goal, and see transformative justice as a forward-thinking approach to violence that seeks safety and accountability without relying on alienation, punishment, or State or systemic violence, including incarceration or policing.

The Jean Hardisty Initiative honors Jean Hardisty. She was a Women Donors Network member whose lasting influence guides our Steering Committee’s grantmaking and learning. From supporting Black-led movement-building to combatting the resurgence of the Right, our Initiative’s values are grounded in Jean Hardisty’s research and analysis.

See our full list of 2021 grantees here.