Welcome
North Star Fund is 40 years bold. For 40 years, we’ve been shifting power to create a more just New York by moving money into the hands of activists where it is more accountable to communities and movements.
Bold is Changing Who Decides in Philanthropy
Bold is Changing The Rules
For 40 years, we’ve been shifting power to create a more just New York by moving money into the hands of activists where it is more accountable to communities and movements.
Take a look at some of the important victories you helped support, the leaders you supported, and see how you’re helping to build organizations for the struggles ahead.
Bold is Fighting for Housing Justice
North Star Fund has been funding bold housing organizing for forty years. We support calls for sustainable, equitable community development and safe, affordable housing.
In fall 2018, knowing tenant laws were due to expire in 2019, grassroots organizers asked us to support a first-ever statewide strategy session to plan the fight for permanent protections for tenants. What were these grassroots leaders able to do as a result?
Bold is Raising Money from Your Community
Our 2019 Giving Project brought together over twenty people from different race and class backgrounds to recognize their shared stake in supporting local grassroots movements for justice.
What does that look like?
Take a look at how these New Yorkers stepped outside their comfort zones and took part in a a growing national movement to practice sharing power within philanthropy.
Bold People Power in the Hudson Valley
Rural communities in New York’s Hudson Valley are building bold people-powered networks to resist racism and xenophobia, and they’re building them one town at a time.
Take a quick look at different types of organizing that’s we’re supporting in the Hudson Valley, and learn more about the big change to our Hudson Valley grantmaking we made in 2019!
Grants
Grassroots Action
$490,000
Grassroots Action grants supporting established organizations led by New Yorkers who are directly affected by the real-life problems caused by racism, sexism and greed. These organizations are mobilizing thousands of people in campaigns where they get to raise their voices and be heard. In the 2018-19 fiscal year, these grants ranged from $10,000 to $15,000 and include access to resources to help these organizations continue to grow.
Full List
African Communities Together
Arab American Association of New York
Black Women’s Blueprint
Brandworkers
Brooklyn Movement Center
CAAAV Organizing Asian Communities
CASA: Community Action for Safe Apartments / New Settlement Apartments
Chinese Staff and Workers’ Association
Communities United for Police Reform (CPR)
Community Food Advocates
Crown Heights Tenant Union / Urban Homesteading Assistance Board
Damayan Migrant Workers Association
Future of Tomorrow/Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation
Faith in New York
Families United for Racial and Economic Equality (
Flanbwayan Haitian Literacy Project
Flatbush Tenant Coalition/Flatbush Development Corporation
FPA-Foundation
Jahajee Sisters: Empowering Indo-Caribbean Women
Justice Committee
Masa
Metropolitan Council on Housing
Movimiento
Neighbors Helping Neighbors
Neighbors Together
New Immigrant Community Empowerment (NICE)
New York State Youth Leadership Council
NY Teamsters for a Democratic Union
NYC Coalition for Educational Justice
Parent Action Committee / New Settlement Apartments
Rockaway Youth Task Force
Street Vendor Project
Sylvia Rivera Law Project
Teachers Unite
Tenants and Neighbors
Urban Youth Collaborative
Worker’s Justice Project
YA-YA Network
Young Women of Color HIV/AIDS Coalition
Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice
Catalyst Grants
$195,000
Catalyst grants provide seed funding of $5,000 and $10,000 to support newer groups led by New Yorkers from communities rising up in response to injustice. These grants come with annual renewals, technical assistance and trainings for emerging organizations. This allows grantees to build their leadership, expand their reach and deepen their strategies. Some of these groups were also awarded special one-time grants.
Full List
Alliance of Families for Justice
Black Trans Media
Black Youth Project 100 Education Fund
Campaign for Alternatives to Isolated Confinement (CAIC)
Carroll Gardens Association/Domestic Workers Union
Centro Corona
CUNY Rising Alliance
East Harlem/El Barrio Community Land Trust
Foreclosure Resisters
House Lives Matter (HLM)
IntegrateNYC
Million Hoodies Movement for Justice
Northern Manhattan is Not for Sale
Parole Preparation Project
Project Hajra
Release Aging People in Prison (RAPP)
Voces Ciudadanas
Total Grants: $5.8 Million
The two grant types listed above are just a sample. Altogether in our 2019 fiscal year, we awarded over $5.8 million in hundreds of grants through our New York City and Hudson Valley Community Funding Committees, Rapid Response, Let Us Breathe Fund, our Giving Project, special initiatives and donor-advised funds. You can see the full list here.
Events
For 40 years, North Star Fund has brought together community members to celebrate our social justice movements, challenge ourselves to transform our relationships to money and power, learn from each other and have fun!
This past year we offered a steady stream of special celebrations, unique learning opportunities—including multiple events in the Hudson Valley—and our biggest gala ever, bringing together over 1,500 people in total.
Here are some highlights from 2018-2019. You can learn more about what’s coming on the events calendar on our website.
Event Photo Decolonizing Wealth Photo by Walter Hergt
Discussing how to build an equitable economy in New York, Photo by Neha Gautam
People Power Lab 2018, Photo by Neha Gautam
Members of Release Aging People in Prison at the 2019 North Star Fund gala, photo by Gerard Gaskin
Beacon Brunch
Sweet Justice BK, Photo by Danielle Pearce
Giving Project Celebration 2019, Photo by Neha Gautam
