By Will Collette
For that reason, the
Providence-based Fund for Community Progress
has been one of my favorite places to give.
FCP founder Joe Vanni |
Founded in 1982 by my dearly
departed friend, organizer Joe Vanni, the idea from the start was to raise
money to fund organizations that changed the social policies that create
poverty or impede people from working their way out of poverty.
For example, they have funded
the George Wiley Center ,
run by legendary organizer Henry Shelton, best know for challenging utility
companies over their rates and their shut-off practices.
This month, the Fund for
Community Progress has sent out an emergency appeal to seek help for its 28 non-profit member organizations Many are facing severe challenges to their survival as the struggle to fund
their work becomes so much harder because of the bad economy. The Fund hopes to
raise at least $15,000 before June 30 to help these groups make it through the
end of this fiscal year.
My enthusiasm for the Fund for
Community Progress in no way diminishes my support for direct service organizations,
such as the Rhode Island Food Bank or our local charities like the Jonnycake Center, WARM or RI-CAN. In times of severe hardship such as now, I
think we all must do what we can to be both charitable to our neighbors and support the fight for social
change.
Some of the Fund’s grantee
groups directly organize. Others act as advocates. Just about all of them do a
great job of public education on the issues they address.
Here is a list of the member
groups of the Fund for Community Progress:
List of Fund Agencies 2012
AIDS Project R.I. (A Division of Family Service of
R.I.)
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Advocacy,
Affordable Health Care & Mental Health Issues
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Advocacy,
Affordable Health Care & Mental Health Issues
|
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Advocacy,
Community Improvement & Sustainability, Parenting & Youth Development
|
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Advocacy,
Community Improvement & Sustainability
|
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Advocacy,
Health Care & Mental Health Issues
|
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Community
Improvement & Sustainability, Parenting & Youth Development
|
|
Advocacy,
Community Improvement & Sustainability, Parenting & Youth Development
|
|
Advocacy,
Affordable Energy & Housing, Community Improvement & Sustainability
|
|
Community
Improvement & Sustainability, Parenting & Youth Development
|
|
Affordable
Energy & Housing, Affordable Health Care & Mental Health Issues,
Parenting & Youth Development
|
|
Advocacy,
Affordable Energy and Housing, Community Improvement & Sustainability
|
|
Advocacy,
Affordable Energy & Housing, Community Improvement & Sustainability
|
|
Advocacy,
Affordable Health Care & Mental Health Issues, Parenting & Youth
Development
|
|
Affordable
Energy & Housing, Community Improvement and Sustainability, Parenting
& Youth Development
|
|
Affordable
Energy & Housing, Affordable Health Care & Mental Health Issues,
Parenting & Youth Development
|
|
Advocacy,
Community Improvement & Sustainability
|
|
Advocacy,
Community Improvement & Sustainability
|
|
Advocacy,
Parenting & Youth Development
|
|
Advocacy,
Community Improvement & Sustainability, Parenting & Youth Development
|
|
Advocacy,
Affordable Health Care & Mental Health Issues, Parenting & Youth
Development
|
|
Advocacy,
Affordable Energy & Housing, Affordable Health Care & Mental Health
Issues
|
|
Advocacy,
Community Improvement & Sustainability
|
|
Affordable
Health Care & Mental Health Issues
|
|
Affordable
Energy & Housing, Community Improvement & Sustainability, Parenting
& Youth Development
|
|
Advocacy,
Affordable Health Care & Mental Health Issues, Community Improvement
& Sustainability
|
|
Advocacy,
Affordable Energy & Housing
|
|
Advocacy,
Parenting & Youth Development
|
|
Parenting
& Youth Development, Advocacy, Community Improvement & Sustainability
|