Just A Start
Founded in 1968, Just A Start is a community development corporation dedicated to promoting equity by creating access to stable housing and building pathways to economic opportunity. JAS builds and preserves affordable housing, offers education and workforce training for youth and adults, and provides housing resources and financial literacy to low- to moderate-income people in Cambridge and surrounding communities. Just A Start serves approximately 2,600 families and individuals annually.
RAHF made a $100,000 Community Development capital campaign grant for Rindge Commons: An Economic Mobility Hub in June 2023.
Amachi Pittsburgh
Amachi (ah-mah-chee) is Nigerian Ibo for “Who knows what God has brought us through this child?” The English translation of “amachi’ forms the centerpiece of their mission to empower young minds to overcome the challenges of parental incarceration and reach their full potential. Amachi’s expertise involves galvanizing secular and faith-based organizations in partnership while mobilizing caring, adult volunteers to address this crisis on three fronts:
1) One-on-One Mentoring to help break the generational cycle of incarceration,
2) Family Strengthening and Reunification Support to strengthen family ties that help reduce recidivism, and
3) Amachi Ambassadors to empower youth to use their powerful voices and compelling stories as advocates.
RAHF has made 3 Youth Violence Prevention grants to Amachi, totaling $170,000.
Natural Resources Defense Council
NRDC is one of the nation’s most effective environmental action groups, combining the grassroots power of 1.4 million members and online activists with the courtroom clout and expertise of more than 350 lawyers, scientists, and other professionals. Additionally, NRDC’s Green Finance Center has broad experience. They co-founded and serve as the Secretariat of the global Green Bank Network (GBN); have led efforts to expand the green bank model internationally; and have worked in the United States alongside community development financial institutions (CDFIs) and credit unions to chart innovative clean energy models. Building on this experience and more than ten years of work on green banks, NRDC is exceptionally qualified to help further catalyze the growth of green financing in the United States.
RAHF has provided 16 grants to NRDC, totaling $292,000, including General and Environment Initiative grants.
Maya Organization
https://www.mayaorganization.org/#/
MAYA Organization, located in Pittsburgh, empowers, educates, and advocates for pregnant, birthing, and postpartum people, and those touched by the criminal justice system. MAYA focuses on two programming streams: Perinatal Support Services for underserved birthing people and mental health support for incarcerated people. MAYA’s services are free and open to all, including childbirth education, doula care, mentorship, counseling, and free baby items to the program participants.
RAHF made a $35,000 Diversity Equity & Inclusion Giving Circle grant for general operating support in November 2023.
Girl Up Initiative Uganda
Girl Up Initiative Uganda (GUIU) was established in December 2012 to respond to the unmet need to advance educational and economic opportunities for young women and adolescent girls in urban slum areas of Kampala. GUIU envisions a gender-equitable world where girls thrive and lead. GUIU reaches this vision by building adolescent girls’ leadership and mentorship capacities to become spokespersons for girls’ rights and drivers of systemic gendered change in their communities.
RAHF has provided 3 International Development grants to GIUI, totaling $97,000.
Gainesville Giving Garden
https://www.gainesvillegivinggarden.org/
The Giving Garden is committed to building food sovereignty in Alachua County, Florida, by providing horticultural education for traditionally under-resourced communities and growing produce to enable regional fresh food access. Through local partnerships, harvests are distributed to food-insecure community members every week. The farm sees upwards of 50 volunteers during weekly volunteer days, during which the Giving Garden enables the community to uplift itself and local food sovereignty.
RAHF made a $30,000 Community Farming Giving Circle grant for general operating support in June 2023.