Where to Donate in Support of Protest and Recovery Efforts Across the Country

An Instagram post is not enough

June 1, 2020 12:24 pm
Demonstrators protesting the death of George Floyd hold up placards up near the White House.
Demonstrators protesting the death of George Floyd hold up placards up near the White House.
PHOTO BY ROBERTO SCHMIDT

Protests across the nation have taken place in response to the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man who was killed by Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin after the officer knelt on Floyd’s neck until he went limp.

The civil unrest in the nation after decades of institutionalized racism and police brutality that has gone largely unchecked, as well as our country’s failed response to COVID-19, a disease that has left millions unemployed, over 100,000 dead and is disproportionately killing Black people, cannot be ignored.

COVID-19 has prevented many from going out and protesting, but there’s still plenty you can do beyond re-sharing a photo with a hashtag on Instagram. We’ve compiled numerous ways for you to help the victims of racial violence, those protesting and businesses that have been affected.

As always, make sure you double-check where you’re donating, as some places are currently being overflowed and your funds could be better used elsewhere. On top of donating you can sign petitions, text and call Minneapolis’s district attorney and mayor, as well as your local officials, to demand criminal justice and police reform. You can also educate yourself on the long history of racial injustice and white privilege with this anti-racial reading guide, and learn more about community policing reform with a report and toolkit developed by the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.

  • George Floyd Memorial Fund: The official fund for George Floyd will cover funeral and burial expenses, mental and grief counseling, lodging and travel for all court proceedings and additional assistance to the Floyd family.
  • Ahmaud Arbery Fund: The fund will help Ahmaud Arbery’s mother and her family with financial support after her son was chased and gunned down by two white men in Georgia.
  • You can find a list of funds to help more victims here.
  • The Minneapolis Foundation: If you want to aid in long-term, community-based solutions in Minneapolis specifically to prevent violence, address systemic inequities and reform the criminal justice system, the Minneapolis Foundation has already committed hundreds of thousands of dollars from its Fund for Safe Communities and is subsequently looking for donations.
  • Neighbors United Funding Collective: Organized by the Hamline Midway Coalition in St. Paul, Minnesota, the NUFC is raising money to rebuild storefronts in one of the hardest-hit neighborhoods.
  • Northside Funders Group: In partnership with the Minneapolis Foundation, the Northside Funders Group is raising money specifically for businesses that have been affected by demonstrations in North Minneapolis, a predominantly Black neighborhood that often doesn’t get the same spotlight as other areas of the city.
  • Midtown Global Market Mend: A cultural center in the heart of Minneapolis home to 45 small businesses, which has also been a center of donations and clean-up efforts, is seeking donations in order to repair the building and rebuild small businesses in the greater community.
  • National Bail Fund Network: A complete directory of over sixty community bail and bond funds across the country that help pay bail for low-income individuals who can’t afford it. This page also takes donations and splits them between 38 community (and counting) funds across the country.
  • Gas Mask Fund: You can directly support Black youth activists by donating money to help them buy military-grade gas masks to protect against teargas.
  • Reclaim the Block: If you’d like to donate to police-reform efforts in Minneapolis, Reclaim the Block focuses on community-based solutions in lieu of funding the Minneapolis Police Department.
  • Black Visions Collective: A Black-led queer- and trans-centered organizing network committed to dismantling systems of oppression and violence.
  • Dallas Businesses Thread: A list of funds helping Black-owned and POC-owned businesses that were damaged by the riots in Dallas.
  • Migizi Communication: Donate directly to Migizi, a non-profit, Native youth organization that was burned in Minneapolis.
  • Black-Owned Business Thread: A list of Black-owned businesses that have been affected by the protests.
  • North Star Health Collective: A St. Paul-based organization that provides health services and support at protests.
  • NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc: The fund supports racial justice through advocacy, litigation and education.
  • Communities United Against Police Brutality: CUAPB provides assistance to individuals and families dealing with the effects of police brutality. 
  • Help Seward Neighborhood Rebuild: A rebuilding effort for a neighborhood in Minneapolis near the epicenter of the protests, on behalf of the Seward Neighborhood Group.
  • Mutual Aid Funds: If you’re looking to lend a hand in a more general way, look for a mutual aid fund in your city or state that will help Black communities and others affected by both COVID-19 and recent destruction. This list on Twitter is a good place to start.

Want to do more than donate?

If you’ve already donated, don’t have the means to donate or just want to do more, here are some resources for getting involved in protests, clean-up efforts and larger reforms.

  • The Movement for Black Lives: The nationwide coalition of Black-led organizations has begun the Week of Action in Defense of Black Lives, running through June 7, which offers ideas for community involvement at different risk levels so everyone can join in.
  • Campaign Zero: Want to learn more about potential police reforms that could bring change in your community? Campaign Zero breaks it down into digestible information and real policy solutions.
  • Color of Change: An online racial-justice organization that creates campaigns to address problems that exist in politics, the workplace, the economy and elsewhere. Join via email to get updates and action items, and consider donating, too.

This list will be updated periodically. If an organization has capped donations, please consider donating elsewhere.

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