The mission of the funder, presumably the Pittsburgh Foundation based on the context, is focused on supporting nonprofit organizations by facilitating general operating funding to cover critical needs such as staffing and utilities. This support helps these organizations to effectively carry out their missions, emphasizing the Foundation's role in bolstering the operational capabilities of nonprofits in its community.
The General Support Grant Program of the Social Justice Fund is designed to offer operational support to organizations committed to advocacy, mobilization, and healing work. The program recognizes the importance of flexible funding in enabling these organizations to carry out their missions effectively. By focusing on these key areas of work, the Social Justice Fund aims to bring about greater justice for economically underserved populations, people of color, LGBTQIA, immigrant, and disability communities. The grant supports efforts to elevate issues within the political agenda, strengthen commitments to improve policies or practices, and increase resources for affected communities. This encompasses a wide range of activities, from petitions and public awareness campaigns to community mobilization efforts and the promotion of resilience and wellness as responses to oppression. With one-year grants that are potentially renewable for up to three years, the program emphasizes the development of organizational capacity, networking, and collective impact through access to workshops, training, and peer-learning opportunities.
The preferences of this funder focus on fostering leadership among individuals directly affected by the challenges targeted by the organization or project. This approach mandates fair representation of such individuals in roles where decisions are made. It is crucial to acknowledge and tackle the uneven effects of societal injustices, both historical and ongoing, on people of color—including but not limited to Asian, Latino/a, African, Arab, and Native American communities. Furthermore, there is an emphasis on initiatives that navigate the complexities arising from various overlapping factors of identity and oppression, such as age, race, income, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, and immigration status. The funder values organizations deeply rooted in their communities, drawing upon the definition from Leveraging A Network for Equity (LANE). This entails having a notable presence and history within their communities, maintaining enduring relationships that shape their objectives, and a focus on engaging and uplifting local inhabitants.