This moment calls for more than traditional philanthropy - it’s time for all of us to GET LOUD

Grassroots organizations have long been the beating heart of our communities. And with a wave of harmful legislation threatening our civil liberties and well-being (the state-level anti-trans bills, and the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v Wade and striking down gun safety laws to name a few), they have never been more essential. 

Working alongside the people they serve, they relentlessly advocate for the rights, resources and policies to improve the lives of their communities. Yet, despite the essential nature of their work, they are historically under-resourced, under-funded and, often, under-recognized.   

We at The Elevate Prize Foundation launched GET LOUD to change that. The Elevate GET LOUD Award exists to disrupt the model as far as who is recognized and supported as well as how: our goal is to fuel grassroots organizations and to democratize philanthropy, opening the nominations up to the public. Each month, the initiative will grant $10,000 to a grassroots organization on the front lines of change, with a new cause announced each time.  

When we initially planned for the launch of GET LOUD, we envisioned leading solely with one for Pride. But on the heels of horrific gun violence across the country, we felt called to show up and do more, and ultimately doubled down on our commitment, donating $10,000 to an organization supporting the LGBTQ+ community for Pride AND $10,000 to an organization mobilizing to end gun violence for Public Safety. 

The number of nominations we received, and the excitement around this award, was truly outstanding and echoed our own beliefs that gun violence and LGBTQ+ support are priorities in need of immediate action. Gen Z especially showed up as true champions of these issues – highlighting just how important their voices are in creating change. The two organizations selected for June have blown us away with their impact:  

The LGBT+ Center Orlando, Inc. will receive $10K to deepen its work promoting and empowering Orlando’s LGBT community and its allies through information, education, advocacy and support.  

Paterson Healing Collective will receive $10K to continue its mission of supporting survivors and advocating for an end to gun violence. 

We are in awe of the work of both organizations, and all the organizations that were nominated for these awards. If you aren’t already familiar with their work, I encourage you to check out their pages and see how you can support them.  

This is how change should be – mobilized and decided upon by the people. Philanthropy, democratized.  

That’s exactly what we’re doing each month, indefinitely. This is a call-to-action for all of us to be a meaningful part of this work. If there is a cause you believe should be invested in, reach out to us on Instagram (@ElevatePrize). And, if you know of an organization that’s making real, lasting change in your community, consider nominating them for this monthly $10,000 award so that we can continue to empower grassroots organizations making real change.

And to take action in support of Reproductive Justice, here are some powerful steps you can take now.

Donate, Volunteer, Advocate:

• Donate to the National Network of Abortion Funds 
• Donate to indie clinics via Keep Our Clinics
• Volunteer as a clinic escort in your area
• Volunteer virtually by helping to make sure digital abortion access data is up-to-date for the patients who need it
• Demand your local representatives push for protected abortion access in your state