What is the Fund for Racial Equity?
ACT for Alexandria is bringing donors and community members together to fight against generations of racial injustice in Alexandria. The Fund for Racial Equity has been created for a single goal: to provide a sustainable source of funding dedicated to supporting efforts that dismantle systemic racism and advance racial equity in Alexandria. We are seeking committed donors to join us in making a meaningful financial commitment to support this goal.
The Alexandria City Council in Resolution No. 2974, adopted in January 2021, declared that “People who live, work and visit in Alexandria today continue to experience bias, discrimination, and unequal outcomes and/or treatment in every field and sector including but not limited to government, housing, employment, environment, wealth healthcare, education, transportation, [and] the legal system…”
It is well established that racial disparities are the greatest roadblock to achieving social and economic opportunity and health and well-being for all residents. By fighting against racial injustice, we create a better city for all Alexandrians.
The fund itself is community-driven, guided by the experiences and insights of the people living in Alexandria. We are focused on community decision-making, centering the voices and perspectives of those most impacted by systemic racism.
A Community Advisory Board will establish the fund’s priorities and lead decision-making.
What will we prioritize?
Based on discussions with community leaders representing Alexandria’s Latino, immigrant, and African American communities, five priorities emerged:
- Advocacy and civic engagement
- Affordable housing
- Education
- Health and well-being
- Wealth and income disparity
These priorities will be refined by the Community Advisory Board. Funding guidelines will be announced in the Spring of 2024.
What do we need?
The Fund for Racial Equity needs to be creative, nimble, and it needs you to help make that happen. There is no single silver bullet to ending systemic racism. We need donors to work alongside community members who have the wisdom and lived experience that will guide us toward a better, more equitable tomorrow. We need partners who are willing to support emergent and complicated work, tackling both immediate and long-term needs in Alexandria.
Join us in our vision of a thriving Alexandria where all residents have the opportunities and resources to live healthy, fulfilling lives free of racism, discrimination, poverty, violence, and other systems of marginalization. Contact Heather Peeler, ACT President & CEO, (heather.peeler@actforalexandria.org for more information and to get involved.
Donate to the Fund!
Meet the Community Advisory Board
The Board is comprised of 11 people who live and/or work in Alexandria, who will guide the grantmaking process for the Fund.
