This election, like many before it, feels like a sea change. But in truth, it is neither an end nor a beginning. It is simply a step on the long road towards tomorrow – a journey we must travel together.
The deep divisions in our society, laid bare by this election, underscore the challenges ahead. It would be easy to succumb to discouragement, to retreat in the face of uncertainty and conflict. But at SFF, we choose to forge ahead with renewed determination. We choose to double down on our commitment to social justice and racial equity, to embrace a vision of a Bay Area – and a nation – where everyone, regardless of background or identity, can thrive.
To achieve this vision, we must actively build our collective power – a power fueled by love. As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. cautioned:
“Power without love is reckless and abusive, and that love without power is sentimental and anemic. Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice, and justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands against love.”
We know that love requires a level of intimacy and proximity that hate does not. Love compels us to build relationships, to see humanity in one another, and to work together towards a shared future where all can prosper.
So today, I call for a courageous love, a love that fuels our fight for justice and empowers us to dismantle the systems that stand against it.
I want to gratefully acknowledge the tremendous effort made to get out the vote here in the Bay Area and across the country. Our grantees, donors, and partners poured their hearts into advocacy and voter mobilization efforts, all with the aim of making our elected government, and the laws it enacts, more representative of the people it serves.
If you, like me, are ready to take action, here are ways to meet this moment:
Support our Rapid Response Fund, which provides funds to frontline social justice organizations in the Bay Area advocating for change. The fund generally provides grants within 30 days.
Learn about the new We Are California movement launched by social justice leaders to strengthen our democracy and ensure no one in California is left behind.
Contribute to the SFF Democracy Fund, which ensures that Bay Area residents can exercise their political voice and funds local nonprofits working to create a thriving, multi-racial democracy.
Attend a webinar to hear from movement organizers and philanthropic leaders how they are approaching the road ahead:
- #RaceAnd the Way Forward: Racial Justice After the 2024 Elections, Wed. 11/13, 12–1:30 pm, hosted by Race Forward
- We Create The Moment: Post-Election Debrief, Wed. 11/13, 4-5 pm, hosted by United We Dream Action
- Impacts on Bay Area BIPOC Communities | Post-election Debrief, Thurs. 11/14, 3–4:30 pm, moderated by SFF’s Raquiba LaBrie and hosted by Black Funders Network of the Bay Area, Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy, and Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy
We look forward to our continued work with you to manifest a society where everyone thrives.
Fred
