Florida Rights Restoration Coalition — Power Building (2017)

The Open Philanthropy Project recommended a grant of $558,000 to the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition (FRRC) via The Advocacy Fund to support power-building work. FRRC is led by Desmond Meade, a formerly incarcerated advocate and organizer who is chair of the sponsorship campaign for the 2018 Florida Voting Rights Restoration for Felons ballot initiative.^[1]Archived copy of link: Ballotpedia, October 2017 [archive only] This grant is intended to allow FRRC to increase its organizing and movement-building capacity in Florida ahead of the ballot initiative, particularly by mobilizing returning citizens. Specifically, FRRC will use these funds to: launch regional chapters; hire fellows, organizing staff, and support staff; recruit local leaders and volunteers; launch leadership development and organizing training; and conduct public education and engagement campaigns advocating for the restoration of voting rights for returning citizens. Additionally, FRRC will use part of these funds to make a sub-grant to Organize Florida.

We have previously supported the FRRC with general support grants in August 2016 and February 2017. Our Program Officer for Criminal Justice Reform, Chloe Cockburn, considers Desmond a talented and committed leader, and while she would like to see the ballot initiative pass, primarily views this grant as a way to strengthen FRRC’s long-term position as a central voice in the criminal justice reform movement in Florida.

This grant was made by a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization, to which we occasionally make funding recommendations.

This is a discretionary grant, and falls within our focus area of criminal justice reform.

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