NEW GRANTS

Students Fight for Justice in Higher Education $5000 for Targeted Activist Youth (TAY) Development grants [1] for five college students ages 21 to 23 who were beaten and charged with felonies for peacefully protesting the profound inequities in their state’s education system. FL

Families Fight to Regain Stability $4500 for educational and therapeutic support for three children, ages five, 10 and 13, from two activist families who have faced years of rippling effects of FBI targeting and persecution for anti-racist organizing. GA, IN

Father Falsely Accused $3600 to support STEM education for three children, ages 13 to 21, whose father spoke out against the Iraq war, was falsely accused of terrorist activity and was hunted by the FBI in an attempt to silence him. OH

Mom Organizes Against Police Violence $1500 for therapy for the 17-year-old son whose father was killed by police; the family has had to relocate to avoid police harassment as they fight to end police shootings for good. MN

Student Harassed $1500 for educational services for a 15-year-old Black student in a majority-white school who filed a civil rights lawsuit after a teacher shoved and berated her for declining to say the pledge of allegiance. SC

Teen Activist Creating Safer World $1500 for organizing support for a 15-year-old drag performer and gender liberation activist who builds safe spaces for gender-nonconforming youth despite years of harassment. NY

Mother’s Livelihood Threatened $1500 for educational support for the 11-year-old boy whose mother faced threats against her business and her personal safety for helping to protect Black women’s rights to reproductive autonomy. GA

CIVIL LIBERTIES

Activists Forced out of Work $8200 for a broad range of programs for seven children, ages four to 21, from four families whose parents were fired for advocating for equity in schools, racial justice and free press rights. CA, GA, MI, MN

Father Tortured $6000 for homeschooling support for four children ages eight to 15 whose family fled the U.S. to escape the FBI’s harassment of their father for his public opposition to U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. He was arrested, tortured and extradited back to the U.S., which forced the family to relocate once again. GA

FBI Whistleblower Prosecuted $4000 for tutoring for two children, ages nine and 12, whose father leaked documents that exposed racist surveillance tactics in the U.S. He was sentenced to prison and forced to liquidate all assets to pay legal fees. CA

Mother Surveilled $4000 for childcare and recreational activities for three children, ages four to 11, whose mom faced harassment and surveillance for advocating for political prisoners unjustly targeted in the U.S. “war on terror.” MA

Educator Falsely Reported $3000 for tutoring for the two children, ages 10 and 16, whose mother, a teacher, fought for the well-being of all students after her young autistic child was physically assaulted by an aide at school. As a result of her efforts, the school fired her and reported her as an unfit parent. AL

Mayor Fights to Govern $1500 for childcare for the three-year-old daughter of a town’s first Black mayor, a longtime community activist, who has been systematically barred from assuming office and suspended from his EMT position by a corrupt group of town officials who do not want to see him in power. AL

Journalist Stabbed $1500 for tutoring for the eight-year-old daughter whose father, a journalist, was attacked while covering a neo-Nazi rally. He was arrested and had his camera confiscated while his attacker walked free. CA

Mom Harassed $1500 for dance and music lessons for a seven-year-old girl whose mom went public about being stopped by a Customs and Border Patrol agent because she was speaking Spanish. She took legal action and had to move to escape the harassment she endured for speaking out. Location Withheld

ENVIRONMENTAL & ANIMAL RIGHTS

Parents Fight to Protect Environment $19,380 for a broad range of programs and two Carry it Forward (CIF) awards [2] for 14 children, ages seven to 22, from five families. Some parents were beaten and arrested while marching against environmental racism, while others were attacked or imprisoned for their organizing work. AR, CA, FL, GA

Environmental Racism Protesters Targeted $11,100 for educational services and recreational opportunities, including a CIF award, for seven children, ages two to 19, from four families who have spent years organizing against environmental racism in their communities and have faced targeting by employers and police. AL

Pipeline Protestors Persecuted $8600 for summer camp, tuition and homeschool supplies for six children, ages six to 19, from three families. Their parents helped disrupt pipeline operations and bring attention to the impact of the fossil fuel industry. One parent was physically assaulted, another faced felony charges and a third was forced to relocate. NM, VA, WI

Environmental Lawyer Survives Assassination Attempt $1500 for tutoring for the 17-year-old son whose father lives in exile in the U.S. The father faced threats to his life for his advocacy in his home country for rural communities’ right to their natural resources. MA

Young Environmental Activist Expelled $1500 for homeschooling support for a 14-year-old who was expelled from school and harassed after he began a public protest every Friday afternoon to raise awareness of global heating. WI

Father Falsely Accused $1500 for tutoring for the 16-year-old son whose father spent decades litigating against a large oil company and achieved a historic victory. As a result, the company targeted him relentlessly, which has resulted in frozen assets and jail time. NY

GENDER EQUALITY, LGBTQIA+ & REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS

Reproductive Justice Organizer Threatened $8400 for tutoring and therapy for six children, ages two to 17, from two families that faced severe harassment and attacks as a result of their fights for reproductive justice. Location Withheld

Daughter Harassed $4200 for educational supplies, including two CIF awards, for four children ages 17 to 23 whose family faced harassment after their mother held school personnel accountable for their wildly inappropriate behavior towards her daughter and other female students. AL

Mother and Daughters Assaulted $1500 for school tuition for the 16-year-old son whose family had to flee their home country after his mother and sisters were brutalized for the mom’s work against female genital mutilation. NY

Mother Threatened with Loss of Son $1500 for equine therapy for the 15-year-old daughter whose mother, an LGBTQIA+ rights activist, was threatened by the state with the removal of one of her children because of her organizing. OR

HUMAN RIGHTS

Parents Forced to Flee $9000 for tuition and enrichment activities for six children, ages six to 17, from four families whose parents fled their home countries after their human rights activism put them in immediate danger. IL, MA, NY

Activist Forced out of Work $3200 for arts enrichment and a CIF award for three siblings, ages 11 to 19, whose mother advocated against racism and rape culture in schools. In retaliation, she lost important contracts with the local schools and government and was forced to relocate. OK

Mom Fights for Indigenous Rights $3000 for sports for two siblings, ages seven and nine, whose mom was repeatedly stalked and threatened for her efforts to change Columbus Day to Indigenous People’s Day. NM

IMMIGRANTS' RIGHTS

Immigrants’ Rights Advocates Targeted $10,498 for education and sports expenses for seven children, ages seven to 17, from three families. Their parents were detained, fired or targeted by ICE as a result of their work exposing injustices in the immigration system. Locations Withheld

Dad Targeted While in Sanctuary $2100 for school supplies and a CIF award for two children, ages 14 and 19, whose father is an immigrants’ rights leader. Since being denied a stay of deportation and entering sanctuary, DHS and ICE officials have escalated threats and pressure against him. Location Withheld

Hunger Strike Participant Threatened $2000 for educational supplies and sports programs for two kids, ages 10 and 14, whose father participated in a hunger strike at a detention center to protest the detention of immigrants and unsafe conditions during the pandemic. As a result, he was threatened with deportation and told he would not be eligible for release. Location Withheld

Mom in Asylum Limbo for 10+ Years $1500 for tuition for a 17-year-old boy whose mother is an immigrants’ rights activist. Because of her organizing, her asylum case was delayed for 12 years; this caused her family great financial stress and led them to spend years unhoused. NY

Father Deported $1500 for educational expenses for a 16-year-old girl whose father was detained and deported in an apparent act of retaliation for his years of leadership within the immigrants’ rights movement. Location Withheld

LABOR & ECONOMIC JUSTICE

Mom Fired for Advocacy $4000 for school tuition for two kids, ages 11 and 15, whose mother was fired for advocating for the needs of her students. GA

Labor Organizer Followed $2000 for tutoring for the 10-year-old daughter of an Amazon employee who spoke out against the company’s mistreatment of workers. She was followed on multiple occasions in suspected targeting for her activism, making her feel unsafe in her home and forcing her to relocate. CA

Union Organizer Fired $1500 for school tuition for the nine-year-old daughter whose mother was fired for organizing a union at her Starbucks. TN

PEACE

Children and Parents Working Together for Peace $10,450 for a wide range of programs and one CIF award for nine children, ages five to 20, from three families in pacifist communities. Their parents have engaged in peaceful anti-war protests and many have been imprisoned for civil disobedience. NC, VA, WA

Support for Children of Torture Survivors $3500 for a group grant for occupational therapy and enrichment activities for kids whose activist parents survived torture in their home countries. The program serves 13 children, ages 10 to 21, from five families. IL (Read our spotlight profile to learn more about this program.) 

Father Fights to Stop Grand Jury Witch Hunts $2000 for educational support for the 17-year-old daughter whose father, a member of a peace and international solidarity group, had his home raided and was threatened with arrest but refuses to testify before a grand jury investigating anti-war activists. IL

Adoptive Dad Thwarted by Felonies $1500 for sports expenses for the 16-year-old son whose father has been arrested over 100 times for his direct actions related to peace and social justice. He has two felony convictions for actions he took more than 20 years ago, which have kept him from being able to legally adopt his son. DC

Peace Activist’s Vehicle Vandalized $1500 for tuition for the 14-year-old grandson whose grandmother (with whom he lives part time) travels the U.S. advocating for social justice. In response to her activism, her vehicle has been vandalized on numerous occasions and drivers have tried to run her off the road. GA

Father Charged for Protesting Unethical War $1000 for a computer for the 16-year-old son of a pacifist who fled to Canada after refusing to be deployed to Iraq and was subsequently charged with a felony. Location Withheld

PRISONERS’ RIGHTS/U.S. POLITICAL PRISONERS

Sons of Political Prisoners Targeted $7500 for school tuition and sports programs for five children, aged 12 to 19, from two families. Both fathers, themselves the sons of political prisoners, have experienced harassment and job loss because of their activism. GA, PA

Mothers Threatened for Helping Prisoners $7500 for educational support and recreational activities for five children, ages nine to 18, from two families. Their mothers have been denied jobs or threatened with prosecution for advocating for individuals wronged in the criminal justice system. AL, NY

Dad Punished for Anti-Prison Art $4700 for music, art and an Attica Grant [3] for the 10 and 14-year-old daughters whose incarcerated father advocates for prison abolition in his poetry and writing. His advocacy has resulted in prolonged periods in solitary confinement, violent attacks and being barred from communication with his family. CO

RACIAL JUSTICE

Fathers Fired and Harassed for Organizing $15,000 for tuition and sports programs for ten children, ages one to 16, from four families. Fathers in all four families lost their jobs or faced police harassment for their public-facing anti-racist organizing work. CO, GA

Fighting Racism in Education Costs Families $8100 for a wide range of programs for six kids, ages six to 18, from three families involved in the fight for racial justice in education. Some parents are students and others are teachers, but all have worked to improve equity in schools and universities and have been harassed, threatened and/or lost their jobs as a result of their organizing. GA, OR

Mothers Persist Despite Violent Intimidation $5000 for three children, ages four, 15 and 16, from three families. Their mothers are leaders in the fight for police reform and justice for victims of police violence. All three have received death threats, attention from white supremacists, and pressure to relocate their families. MD, TX, WA

Mom Beaten and Imprisoned $4500 for educational support for three children, ages 11, 16 and 20, whose mother has been beaten and jailed because of her work for racial and gender justice. OR

Mother Fired for Advocating for Anti-Racist Workplace $3000 for recreational activities for two children, ages 10 and 15, whose mom was fired after she advocated for an anti-racist framework at her job. She was subsequently harassed, and her home was threatened, forcing the family to move. NC

Peaceful Organizer Charged $2000 for mental health services for the 15-year-old child of a racial justice organizer who was unjustly arrested at a peaceful protest. Because prosecutors charged her with gang involvement, she faced up to eight years in jail. AZ

Student Bullied for Anti-Racist Actions $1600 for a TAY Development grant and a Carry it Forward award for the 21-year-old volleyball player who was relentlessly bullied out of school by peers and teachers after taking a knee for racial justice. IL

CIF AWARDS

$4200 for seven CIF awards for educational expenses for seven young adult beneficiaries in five families. Their parents are active organizers for environmental rights, peace and racial justice. AL, FL, IL

GROCERY GIFT CARDS

$2,000 to provide $200 grocery gift cards for current RFC beneficiary families facing emergency circumstances.

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[1] TAY Development grants of up to $1000 are given to Targeted Activist Youths to further their educational needs or develop their organizing skills.

[2] CIF awards of $600 are given to 18 to 24-year-olds to help pay for the costs associated with college or similar programs to help prepare them for adult life.

[3] Attica Fund Prison Visit grants enable the children and grandchildren of political prisoners to visit their incarcerated loved ones.