On Jan. 30, Episcopal City Mission (ECM) presented its annual Burgess Urban Fund grants to 20 Massachusetts grassroots community organizations working against social injustice.
The Burgess Urban Fund was established in 1975 to improve the lives of the urban poor and oppressed. Grants are intended to reach community-based organizations that have the power and capacity to reach into many neighborhoods. Over its 40 years, the fund has awarded nearly $7 million in grants; this year the grants ranged from $10,000 to $20,000.
“The Burgess Urban Fund recognizes that community organizing is an important process that develops power and capacity in solidarity with those in need. Strong organizing requires grantees to engage members of the community to identify shared concerns and create goals for social change; develop new leaders, especially among those affected by social inequality; undertake projects with concrete goals for the core constituency; articulate both the immediate and root causes of the problem through social change; and collaborate with other organizations, regional and statewide,” said Dr. Ruy Costa, Executive Director of Episcopal City Mission, in a news release.
The fund focuses on six areas: faith-based organizing, immigrants’ rights, workers’ rights, housing/tenants’ rights, poverty-related organizing and youth organizing.
The Burgess Fund Grantees at Emmanuel Church, Boston.
This year’s 20 Burgess Urban Fund grantees are:
- Agencia ALPHA, Boston
- Boston Youth Organizing Project
- Brazilian Immigrant Center, Brighton
- Brazilian Women’s Group, Brighton
- Brockton Interfaith Community
- Centro Comunitario de Trabajadores, New Bedford
- Community Economic Development Center of Southeastern Massachusetts, Fall River
- Dominican Development Center, Jamaica Plain
- Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation: Youth Force
- Ex-Prisoners Organizing for Community Advancement, Worcester
- Greater Four Corners Action Coalition, Dorchester
- Massachusetts Community Action Network, Dorchester
- Merrimack Valley Project, Lawrence
- MetroWest Worker Center, Framingham
- Student Immigrant Movement, Boston
- United Neighbors of Fitchburg
- WATCH, Waltham
- Women Encouraging Empowerment, Revere
- Worcester Homeless Action Committee
- Youth on Board, Boston
“ECM’s Burgess Urban Fund grant and support of our work has enabled us to have great success with the recent Raise Up Massachusetts campaign winning an increase in the minimum wage from $8 to $11 an hour, and up to five days of sick time for all workers. This will make a huge difference to families that struggle daily to make ends meet and make difficult decisions about whether to go to work or stay home to take care of a sick child. Our 2014 grant will build on this victory towards taking the next step for economic and racial justice,” Lew Finfer, Executive Director of Massachusetts Communities Action Network, said in ECM's news release.