Goal: To increase community awareness of and involvement in social justice and equity issues through the civic engagement activities of religious organizations and nonprofit community groups
Overview: This goal area strives to foster a community culture that encourages a diversity of religious groups that may work either solely as clerical agencies or together with community organizations to engage residents in civic engagement work. Social justice and equity efforts often are most effectively achieved through communal practice with religious, ethical, and spiritual components. The history of social justice movements in this country is rich with examples of alliances between religious and community-based organizations, most notably the civil rights era, as well as nonviolent resistance and support for worker justice and immigrant rights. Advocates for social justice often find inspiration in the wisdom and values shared by many religious traditions, and many individuals within faith traditions feel called upon to support issues of justice and equity as part of their faith-in-action work. This history demonstrates that social justice and equity efforts are often most effectively achieved through coalitions that contain religious, ethical, and spiritual components.
Under this goal, MCF will support projects that incorporate the following strategies:
Strategy 1: Convene and train clerical, lay leaders, and community members to advocate for social justice and equity issues in public policy
Activities may include public policy and advocacy organizing and group meetings that address particular civic issues. Other indicators may include an increase in trained clerical and lay leaders who are active in local issues.
Strategy 2: Support collaboration and dialogue among religious and secular organizations to conduct civic engagement work that improves community life
Coalitions among religious and secular organizations are encouraged with the goal of increased collaborations for addressing social justice and equity issues.
Process: Register with the Grant Application Center starting October 1, 2008, which is the Registration Open Date for this goal. This system enables you to complete and submit all application materials online.
Once you have registered, please complete and submit a Letter of Intent (LOI), even if you have received funding from MCF in the past for this kind of work.
If your LOI is approved, you will be notified how to prepare and submit a full proposal, also using the Grant Application Center.
Deadline for LOI: November 1, 2008
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