Aid & Abet

I know, like me, every year you get appeals at the end of the year from all sorts of organizations asking for your money. This is a good opportunity to talk about how each of us needs to support the activists and organizations in our communities – whatever those communities might be. While other periods in social movement history have included an responsibility for funding our movements, the radical community has seemed to have moved away from feeling this sense of obligation for giving our hard-earned dollars to social movement organizations, no strings attached.

I know I seem to talk about money endlessly (see here and here for example), but imagine the impact on social justice movements if each of us gave away just 1% of our income.  I feel it’s part of my responsibility, as a relatively privileged person who cares about the world, to do everything I can to make positive change – and that includes thinking of money less as “mine” and more as a tool with which things are accomplished. My writing and activism are tools, but so is money.

So, I’d like to share five of the organizations that I have given money to, because in the sea of appeals from liberal organizations with bandaid solutions, I want to think about truly radical organizations that are often overlooked in this fundraising season.

1. Riseup – This small collective that provides free email, list, and hosting service to the radical community. Just the email accounts alone they provide allow the global justice community to survive. Go directly to their donate page here.
2. Bitch Magazine – I wrote about their emergency fundraising drive back in September. But guess what – while their appeal was a stop-gap measure, independent media still needs your help, and Bitch is currently looking for 500 sustainers to help them meet their day-to-day operating needs. Please go to this page to become one of them.
3. smartMeme – Yes, I know I just wrote a blog post about them a few days ago, but their awesomeness has not changed, and you should still donate money to them to support their work in movement messaging and visioning. Please go to their donate page here.
4. Iraq Veterans Against the War – Yeah, a bright spot in the anti-war movement at the moment, they are doing really smart organizing, incorporating great messaging and using different tactics like street theater. You can support them here.
5. Reclaim the Media – This Seattle-based group is not the behemoth of Free Press, but is a small, effective organization that has accomplished a lot – and has a lot of potential. Not only is it one of the best sites for media-related news, they have an impressive array of programs, especially since they only have one paid staff person. And they made really neat media heroes trading cards. Here’s how to support them.

And yes, there are about a million and one organizations that deserve your money – the important thing is that you pick one or two or four and give.

And one more thing:

Consider making your donation really effective by donating every month. Becoming a sustainer for an organization you really support – donating the same amount every month indefinitely – allows the organization to rely on your support and plan more effectively.