FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

June 12, 2020 

 

Contact: 

Jessicah Pierre, jessicah@samaracollective.com, (617) 401-1470

Monique Nguyen, monique@mataharijustice.org, (713) 382-1783

Gloribell Mota, gmota@nubeastboston.org, (617) 480-8410

​
 

Mass Redistribution Fund Announces Second Round of COVID-19 Aid to Frontline Grassroots Organizations 

​

 

Boston, MA - The Mass Redistribution Fund (MRF), a Massachusetts-wide COVID-19 emergency fundraiser launched in early April by a dozen grassroots leaders, is distributing its second round of grants today, redirecting $260,000+ in donations from over 900 individuals donors and foundations to critical relief efforts across the state. 

 

Funds collected by the MRF will go to 27 grassroots organizations working at the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis to support renters facing eviction, undocumented families without access to food and others- as well as organizing policy campaigns to ensure a just recovery from the pandemic and beyond. 

 

Many residents enduring financial crises as a result of the economic shutdown, such as undocumented hourly workers, cannot access government aid or unemployment benefits, despite paying taxes. The MRF provides support to individuals and foundations seeking to contribute directly to frontline relief during the coronavirus crisis.

 

The Mass Redistribution Fund is governed by an Advisory Board of grassroots community leaders from Massachusetts who came together across issues and geography to help unite our communities in this time of crisis.

 

“The power of the Mass Redistribution Fund is that we’re a strategically organized response to allocate funding to groups that are chartering the future survival of our community by transforming money into immediate aid and political power,” said Monique Nguyen, MRF advisory board member and Executive Director of Matahari Womens Worker Center. 

 

MRF was initially funded by MA residents who pledged to donate their stimulus checks to join a growing movement of people putting community health over personal wealth contributing to a diverse group of direct relief funds and urgent efforts across Massachusetts to stabilize families, workers, elders, prisoners and immigrants, and to amplify the long-term changes we need for community resilience next time a crisis hits.   

 

“
Grassroots organizers know that broad solidarity is key to successfully taking our common fights to the next level,” said advisory board member Alex Papali who serves as the Green Justice Organizer at Clean Water Action. “MRF is helping build the movement we need to make meaningful changes in oppressed communities.”

 

The Fund is supporting 27 recipients - an increase from the 20 recipients that received funding during the first allocation - that are all Massachusetts-based grassroots organizations working to meet the continuous needs arising from the COVID-19 crisis and to achieve a just and sustainable recovery.
 

“At the Pioneer Valley Workers Center, we are thrilled to partner with the Mass Redistribution Fund to support our Undocu-Worker Solidarity Fund meant to help those who have no other source of income at this time,” said Margaret Sawyer, Co-Director at the Pioneer Valley Workers Center. “Our initial funding from MRF was supplemented by donations from over 900 individuals and foundations, and in the past two months, we have been able to send $195,000 to 450 families, nearly all restaurant workers and farmworkers who are not employed or not fully employed due to COVID.” 

 

Here is the official list of recipients: 

​

1. Activated Massachusetts African Community (AMAC)

2. Alliance to Mobilize Our Resistance (AMOR)

3. Alternatives for Community and Environment (ACE)

4. ARISE for Social Justice

5. Asian Community Emergency Relief Fund

6. Boston Ujima Project - Worker and Resident Care Fund

7. City Life/Vida Urbana

8. Center for Cooperative Development and Solidarity (CCDS) COVID-19 Emergency Fund

9. Chelsea Collaborative

10. La Comunidad

11. Cosecha Massachusetts - Immigrant Community Mutual Aid

12. Dorchester Not for Sale

13. Egleston Square Main Streets

14. Essex County Community Organization (ECCO)

15. Families for Justice as Healing (FJAH), with Sisters Unchained

16. Haley House

17. Jericho Boston

18. Mass UndocuFund

19. Matahari Women Workers' Center Care Fund

20. Merrimack Valley Project

21. Mutual Aid Eastie

22. Mutual Aid Worcester

23. New England United 4 Justice (NEU4J)

24. One Chelsea Fund with Green Roots

25. Pioneer Valley Workers Center - 413 Undocu-Worker Solidarity Fund

26. South Asian Workers Center

27. Women Encouraging Empowerment (WEE)

 

“Relationships created through the MRF advisory board and MRF recipients are early materials of mutual aid infrastructure,” said advisory board member and Director of Boston Ujima Project, Nia Evans. 

 

The MRF is currently accepting donations for the next round of funding to be given to grassroots organizations that are continuing their efforts around addressing the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

###

​

The Mass Redistribution Fund is hosted by the Center for Economic Democracy (CED), a Boston based 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. CED provides fiscal sponsorship and administrative support to multiple social justice funds with over $5 million in philanthropic and investment assets under management.