Impact Fund

Happy MLK Day! Martin Luther King Jr. once said, 'The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.’ Today we are honoring his legacy of advancing civil rights and reflecting on how his vision informs our work.

As we face a slow and uneven recovery from the pandemic, it’s especially important that we remain vigilant against injustice and continue to support low-income and BIPOC communities that suffer, said Impact Fund Executive Director, Jocelyn Larkin. The Impact Fund, the nation’s only charity providing broad support to advance the use of impact litigation as a tool to achieve economic, environmental, racial, and social justice, has just made recoverable grants totaling $110,000 in its winter cycle to fund four lawsuits protecting the rights of marginalized communities threatened by uncaring corporate interests and small-minded government. https://www.impactfund.org/news-release-010721

In a truly horrible tale of what #ForcedArbitration means, a woman who had symptoms of early labor, arrived late to an appointment and was turned away, with the doctors’ office rescheduling for four days later. A day before the new appointment, she gave birth to a stillborn baby. Under normal circumstances, the patient would’ve been able to go through the state’s legal process, which meant either agreeing to arbitration or moving to trial. Women’s Care, though, insisted on enforcing the binding arbitration agreement, which meant she (as well as her husband and then-unborn child) had already given up their rights. https://www.bloomberg.com//the-doctor-will-see-you-once-yo

When I would come to work, I would feel sick to my stomach in anticipation of being publicly misgendered, said Sergeant Paul. This experience was humiliating, embarrassing and ultimately very isolating. That's why, together with Legal Aid at Work we took his case on and won! https://www.impactfund.org/legal-practitioner-bl/flint-paul

Impact Fund friend and keynote speaker at our 2018 Gala, Gina McCarthy, has been tapped to to oversee domestic climate policy in the Biden administration. We're thrilled for her, the incoming administration, our country, and the planet! https://thehill.com//530581-overnight-energybiden-reported

Kamala Harris’ election to the vice presidency has, in her words, broken one of the most substantial barriers that exists in our country. Harris has thanked the generations of women who paved the way for her success, including the Black women who are, often, too often overlooked but who so often prove they are the backbone of our democracy. The Biden administration will likely have another barrier-shattering opportunityappointing a Black woman to the U.S. Supreme Court. As food for thought, here is a collection of impeccably credentialed and widely published Black women law professors. https://www.law.com//too-often-overlooked-black-women-are/

Don’t be fooled by hoaxes aimed at breeding fear and intimidating voters. Don’t let your voice be silenced. If you have not done so already, cast your vote today! No one, not even election officials, can see who you vote for. No one has the right to interfere with your ability to vote or your choices on the ballot. Local election officials, nonpartisan volunteers, and members of your community are ready to stand with you as you exercise your fundamental rights. If you have any questions or issues voting contact Election Protection at 866-OUR-VOTE. https://866ourvote.org

Longtime veteran Impact Fund leader and friend Abby Ginzberg has this amazing documentary about Congresswoman Barbara Lee screening at DOC NYC Film Festival Online for 2020. Check it out!

Since January 2017, this administration has worked aggressively to turn back the clock on our nation's civil and human rights progress. Here, documented, are more than 300 instances that include this administration's assault on voting rights, blatant attacks on health care access, discrimination against the LGBTQ community, people of color, working people, immigrants, people with disabilities, and women. The list goes on. https://civilrights.org/trump-rollbacks/

We're one of 370 #CivilRights organizations demanding the Senate act to ensure a fair and equitable census. https://civilrights.org//broad-coalition-calls-on-senate-/

In early 2020, Impact Fund and Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP joined Western Center on Law & Poverty to to watch and support the D.C. case, and over the summer, submitted an Amicus Brief which appears to have had a substantial impact on the overall outcome of the case particularly regarding the discretionary exemptions statute, which we argued the USDA had right back in 1999. In her decision, Judge Howell agreed with our interpretation of that statute through explicit mention of the State Plaintiffs’ reply brief, which refers heavily to our Amicus Brief. We are very proud to have had a hand in such a significant decision. https://wclp.org/joint-statement-federal-judge-strikes-dow/

The Supreme Court is allowing the Trump Administration to cut the census short. Today is your last day to participate. Spread the word! Here’s how people can make sure they are counted: ONLINE at 2020Census.gov by October 15, 2020 at 11:59 pm Hawaii Standard Time (HST) (6:00 am Eastern Daylight Time on October 16, 2020) BY PHONE at 844-330-2020 (English) or 844-468-2020 (Spanish) through October 15, ... PAPER census questionnaires must be postmarked by October 15, 2020. See more

Due to the consequences of overextraction, overconsumption, and carbon emissions from the use of fossil fuels, we now have to confront the certainty of climate change. Indigenous communities in Alaska tend to be disproportionately exposed to its effects, which are having multigenerational and cultural impacts. https://nonprofitquarterly.org/an-indigenous-vision-for-ou/

The environmental conservation movement itself began when Indigenous people were violently removed from their homelands. The recurring theme has been to "remove the Indians." Regenerative agriculture must not follow suit. https://nonprofitquarterly.org/regeneration-from-the-begin/

What will you be celebrating on October 12. Here at the Impact Fund, along with many others, it will be #IndigenousPeoplesDay! https://nonprofitquarterly.org/baltimore-city-council-vote/

Join us 10.21 for the livestream of our annual gala. A donation of any size gets you a ticket! https://www.impactfund.org/news-release-100720

There is a high bar for such criminal action. To be convicted, LaPierre would have to be shown to have engaged willfully in the fraud. That might involve personal expenses that were paid for by the organization including luxury clothing and travel expenses for himself and his family on top of a multimillion-dollar salary. https://nonprofitquarterly.org/nras-lapierre-faces-irs-inv/

Terrible mistreatments and abuse, appalling conditions, and widespread medical neglect speak to a dysfunctional system that was absolutely unprepared to handle the outbreak of the pandemic, painting a truly disturbing picture of thousands of lives whose humanity has been suspended by a system that renders them essentially disposable and unworthy of protection and basic medical and mental health care. https://nonprofitquarterly.org/deadly-indifference-appalli/