Community Change

Community Change

Founded	1968
Type	Nonprofit
Focus	Jobs and wages, immigration, retirement security, affordable housing, racial justice and barriers to employment for formerly incarcerated individuals
Location	Washington, D.C.
Origins	Response to civil rights concerns
Area served	Low-income communities across the U.S.
President	Dorian Warren
Revenue	$37,372,900 (2013)[1]
Website	communitychange.org

Community Change, formerly the Center for Community Change (CCC), is a progressive community organizing group active in the United States.^[2] It was founded in 1968 in response to civil rights concerns of the 1960s and to honor Robert F. Kennedy.^[3][4] The organization's stated mission is "to build the power and capacity of low-income people, especially low-income people of color, to change their communities and public policies for the better."^[5]

Community Change headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Activities

Community Change generally works in low-income areas, especially within communities of color, and attempts to create resident-based groups to work on local issues of concern. The organization sponsors internships and training programs in several areas, including community organizing, service learning, union organizing, electoral engagement, and youth/student organizing.^[6] The organization provides resources for grassroots groups including campaign strategy, funding and social media strategy. In 2004, through the collaboration with immigrant groups, Community Change organized the Fair Immigration Reform Movement that "empowered immigrants to speak out".^[7] Community Change has helped to create government programs like the Community Reinvestment Act and the food stamps program.^[8]

The organization seeks to create workplace environments that value family, to guarantee minimum wage, "unlock opportunities in the poorest communities, and increase income taxes for the wealthy.^[9]

The Center for Community Change launched the Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM), an immigration reform movement working for comprehensive immigration reform. FIRM received funding from the Open Society Foundations and the Ford Foundation.^[10][11]

Funding

Community Change has received funding from a range of progressive organizations including the Alliance for Early Success, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Democracy Alliance, Every Citizen Counts, Human Rights Campaign, MoveOn, New America (organization), Planned Parenthood, the Tides Advocacy Fund, and The Voter Participation Center.^{[12][13][14][15]}

See also

• Stephanie Land, a writing fellow for Community Change

References

1. "IRS Form 990 2013" (PDF). Internal Revenue Service. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
2. Dreier, Peter (October 24, 2013). "Activists to Watch: Deepak Bhargava". Moyers & Company. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
3. Epstein Korten, Alice (2009). Change Philanthropy: Candid Stories of Foundations Maximizing Results through Social Justice. John Wiley & Sons. p. 277. ISBN 9780470522110.
4. Odekon, Mehmet (2006). Encyclopedia of World Poverty, Volume 1. SAGE Publications. p. 134. ISBN 9781452265186.
5. "Mission". Center for Community Change. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
6. Rimer, Sara (April 10, 2009). "Community Organizing Never Looked So Good". New York Times. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
7. Stolz, Rich (2011). "Lessons For The Future Of Immigration Reform". Social Policy. 41 (3): 4–19 – via Education Source.
8. Odekon, Mehmet (2006). Encyclopedia of World Poverty, Volume 1. SAGE Publications. p. 134. ISBN 9781452265186.
9. Leong, F; Tang, M (2016). "Career Barriers for Chinese Immigrants in the United States". Career Development Quarterly. 64 (3): 259–271. doi:10.1002/cdq.12059 – via Education Source.
10. "Center for Community Change / Fair Immigration Reform Movement". Open Society Foundations. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
11. "Center for Community Change". Ford Foundation. 2015. Archived from the original on 2015-09-10. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
12. Blumenthal, Paul (January 29, 2015). "Groups With Liberal Ties Tapped To Re-Elect The GOP Establishment". Huffington Post. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
13. Grim, Ryan (February 28, 2012). "Democracy Alliance Dumps Progressive Organizations". Huffington Post. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
14. Warren, Dorian; Praeli, Lorella. "Rising With Resilience" (PDF). Community Change. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-07-16. Retrieved 2022-07-17.
15. Warren, Dorian; Praeli, Lorella. "The Power Within Us: 2019 Annual Report of Community Change and Community Change Action" (PDF). Community Change. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-07-16. Retrieved 2022-07-17.

External links

• Community Change website
• FIRM website