Foundations
Here's a look at documents from U.S. foundations
Featured Stories
Rockefeller Foundation: Mission 300 Launches Private Sector Council to Boost Electricity Access and Job Creation in Africa
NEW YORK, April 2 -- The Rockefeller Foundation posted the following news release on March 31, 2026:
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Mission 300 Launches Private Sector Council to Boost Electricity Access and Job Creation in Africa
The World Bank Group, the African Development Bank, and The Rockefeller Foundation launched a new Mission 300 Private Sector Council to mobilize the billions in private investment needed to connect 300 million Africans to electricity by 2030 --while unlocking job creation across the continent.
Fourteen leaders from diverse sectors will help drive strategies to crowd in capital and deal-making
... Show Full Article
NEW YORK, April 2 -- The Rockefeller Foundation posted the following news release on March 31, 2026:
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Mission 300 Launches Private Sector Council to Boost Electricity Access and Job Creation in Africa
The World Bank Group, the African Development Bank, and The Rockefeller Foundation launched a new Mission 300 Private Sector Council to mobilize the billions in private investment needed to connect 300 million Africans to electricity by 2030 --while unlocking job creation across the continent.
Fourteen leaders from diverse sectors will help drive strategies to crowd in capital and deal-makingcapability, maximize economic transformation, and scale up catalytic finance platforms--especially for local currency--to accelerate commercial investment that supports both energy access and employment. Makhtar Diop, Managing Director of International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group, and Ray Chambers, Chair of the MCJ Foundation, will serve as Co-Chairs of the Private Sector Council.
"Mission 300's success depends on mobilizing private investment at scale and implementing strategies shaped by businesses with experience in Africa's energy sector," said Makhtar Diop, Managing Director of IFC. "This council brings exactly that--senior leaders with the networks and expertise to translate ambition into impact."
Mission 300 is an initiative by the World Bank and African Development Bank, supported by The Rockefeller Foundation, Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, and Sustainable Energy for All to connect 300 million people in Africa to electricity by 2030--while helping create more jobs.
Nearly 600 million people in Africa lack access to electricity. Closing the gap will require unprecedented scale, speed, and investment-- with increased engagement from the private sector. IFC and MIGA, members of the World Bank Group, have committed $5 billion in support of private sector investment under Mission 300 by 2030.
Since the launch of Mission 300 in 2024, the initiative has connected 44 million people to electricity. Thirty countries have signed energy compacts, with efforts to expand infrastructure, integrate regional power, embrace renewables, and boost private investment.
"The launch of the Mission 300 Private Sector Council is a critical step towards unlocking the scale and speed of private investment that Africa needs to achieve the goal of Mission 300. Considering that about 50% of energy compact investments will be drawn from the private sector, bringing captains of the private sector into Mission 300 will strengthen the link between policy reform, catalytic finance, and bankable projects--thereby accelerating delivery, supporting local industry, and creating jobs across the continent," said Dr. Kevin Kariuki, Vice President, Power, Energy, Climate and Green Growth, African Development Bank Group.
The Rockefeller Foundation's public charity, RF Catalytic Capital (RFCC), will host the secretariat for the council, which will meet quarterly.
"Half of Mission 300 electricity connections are going to come from off-grid solutions. Private sector investment is critical to building out off-grid energy options and achieving Mission 300 goals," said Andrew Herscowitz, CEO of the Mission 300 Accelerator. "The Mission 300 Accelerator is looking forward to working with the IFC, African Development Bank, and our Private Sector Council to ensure that we can accelerate commercial investment and change lives."
The Private Sector Council includes representatives from the following companies:
* Airtel Africa PLC
* Delta40
* DLO Energy Resources Group
* Elsewedy Electric
* EQT Corporation
* GOGLA
* Meridiam
* Sahara Power Group
* Scatec
* Husk Power Systems
* Total Energies
* The MCJ Amelior Foundation
* Standard Bank
* Zhero
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About the World Bank Group
The World Bank Group works to create a world free of poverty on a livable planet through a combination of financing, knowledge, and expertise. It consists of the World Bank, including the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA); the International Finance Corporation (IFC); the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA); and the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). For more information, please visit www.worldbank.org, ida.worldbank.org/en/home, www.miga.org, www.ifc.org, and www.icsid.worldbank.org.
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About the African Development Bank Group
The African Development Bank Group is Africa's premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). On the ground in 41 African countries with an external office in Japan, the Bank contributes to the economic development and the social progress of its 54 regional member states. For more information: www.afdb.org
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About The Rockefeller Foundation
Investing $30 billion over the last 113 years to promote the well-being of humanity, The Rockefeller Foundation is a pioneering philanthropy built on unlikely partnerships and innovative solutions that deliver measurable results for people in the United States and around the world. We leverage scientific breakthroughs, artificial intelligence, and new technologies to make big bets across energy, food, health, and finance, including with our public charity, RF Catalytic Capital (RFCC). For more information, sign up for our newsletter at www.rockefellerfoundation.org/subscribe and follow us on X @RockefellerFdn, Instagram @rockefellerfdn, YouTube @RockefellerFdn, and LinkedIn @the-rockefeller-foundation.
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Original text here: https://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/news/mission-300-launches-private-sector-council-to-boost-electricity-access-and-job-creation-in-africa/
Getty Acquires Two 17th-Century Dutch Still Life Paintings
LOS ANGELES, California, April 2 -- The J. Paul Getty Trust issued the following news release on March 31, 2026:
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Getty Acquires Two 17th-Century Dutch Still Life Paintings
The artworks are the first by each artist to enter Getty's collection
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The Getty Museum has acquired "Glass Vase with Flowers and Fruit" by Jan Davidsz. de Heem (1606-about 1684), the preeminent master of floral still life painting in the "golden age" of Dutch art; and "Still Life with Assorted Fruit" by Pieter Claesz (1597/98-1660), his slightly older predecessor. The De Heem painting went on view today in the Getty
... Show Full Article
LOS ANGELES, California, April 2 -- The J. Paul Getty Trust issued the following news release on March 31, 2026:
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Getty Acquires Two 17th-Century Dutch Still Life Paintings
The artworks are the first by each artist to enter Getty's collection
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The Getty Museum has acquired "Glass Vase with Flowers and Fruit" by Jan Davidsz. de Heem (1606-about 1684), the preeminent master of floral still life painting in the "golden age" of Dutch art; and "Still Life with Assorted Fruit" by Pieter Claesz (1597/98-1660), his slightly older predecessor. The De Heem painting went on view today in the GettyCenter's West Pavilion and the Claesz painting will go on display at a later date. These are the first paintings by these two artists to enter Getty's collection.
"Glass Vase with Flowers and Fruit" features a variety of meticulously rendered botanical elements, including ripe plums, berries, roses, morning glory, milk thistle, honeysuckle and flame tulips--still a highly prized flower in the Netherlands. Artists often combined flowers from different seasons in one still life to signify God's creativity, with some blossoms slightly past their peak, representing the brevity of life.
Insects busily engage with nearly every section of De Heem's arrangement and, like certain flowers, carried symbolism. Butterflies and caterpillars, associated with metamorphosis, represented the transience of life and the soul freed from greed and desire. And, according to literary tradition, ants were respected as hardworking and symbolized diligence and frugality.
"This is the exceptional flower still life the Getty Museum has been seeking for over two decades," said Timothy Potts, Maria Hummer-Tuttle and Robert Tuttle Director of the J. Paul Getty Museum. "With its energetic composition, strong palette and diverse botanical elements, 'Glass Vase with Flowers and Fruit' will be the most consequential addition to our collection of northern Baroque paintings since we acquired 'Rembrandt Laughing' in 2013."
Considered the most important Dutch still life painter of the mid-17th century, De Heem helped transform the genre of still lifes and developed its early characteristics of refined handling and precise observation into vivid displays. He was inspired by "tonal" still life painters of Haarlem, including Pieter Claesz, who left a lasting mark on his early work.
During the early 1640s, influenced by the lavish still lifes of Frans Snijders, De Heem devised one of his most significant themes--the luxurious banquet still life. Between 1672 and 1675, he created nine extravagant flower arrangements that demonstrate his skill of illusionism and accurate botanical and entomological observations. "Glass Vase with Flowers and Fruit" was one of these seminal works and was unrecorded until it emerged from a German private collection in 2022.
Claesz's "Still Life with Assorted Fruit" is a key painting from the artist's early career that focuses on fruits, known in Dutch as a "fruitagje." The painting includes a rich assortment of grapes, strawberries, gooseberries, cherries, apples, hazelnuts and walnuts. Still lifes that portrayed a variety of food often alluded to abundance and prosperity--comforting notions during periods of war and religious upheaval. Certain elements reappear in Claesz's later paintings, such as the knife resting on the edge of the table and the transparent wine glass, or "birkmaier."
"Pieter Claesz was one of the most influential and innovative 17th-century practitioners of the still life genre," said Anne Woollett, curator of paintings at the J. Paul Getty Museum. "We are delighted to welcome this small yet visually sumptuous painting that represents the skillful command of illusion for which Claesz was renowned."
"Still Life with Assorted Fruit" was located in an English private collection until the mid-20th century, when it entered the Lester L. Weindling collection of Dutch and Flemish paintings in New York. Getty acquired the work at auction from Sotheby's on February 5, 2026.
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Original text here: https://www.getty.edu/news/getty-acquires-two-17th-century-dutch-still-life-paintings/
Freedom From Religion Foundation: Okla. Taxpayers Seek to Block Unconstitutional Religious Public School
MADISON, Wisconsin, April 2 -- The Freedom From Religion Foundation posted the following news release on April 1, 2026:
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Okla. taxpayers seek to block unconstitutional religious public school
A group of seven Oklahoma taxpayers -- including families with children attending public schools -- filed a motion today in federal court seeking to intervene in a lawsuit brought by the National Ben Gamla Jewish Charter School Foundation.
This religious organization is trying to open the nation's first religious public charter school in Oklahoma -- a clear violation of state and federal law that
... Show Full Article
MADISON, Wisconsin, April 2 -- The Freedom From Religion Foundation posted the following news release on April 1, 2026:
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Okla. taxpayers seek to block unconstitutional religious public school
A group of seven Oklahoma taxpayers -- including families with children attending public schools -- filed a motion today in federal court seeking to intervene in a lawsuit brought by the National Ben Gamla Jewish Charter School Foundation.
This religious organization is trying to open the nation's first religious public charter school in Oklahoma -- a clear violation of state and federal law thatdefines charter schools as public schools that must be secular and open to all students. Like all public schools, charter schools cannot lawfully indoctrinate religion or discriminate. However, Ben Gamla's charter school application makes clear that Jewish religious teachings will be integrated into "every dimension of . . . life" at the school, including classroom instruction and other activities.
Additionally, Ben Gamla's application indicates that the school plans to exclude students and staff who do not share its faith. Ben Gamla's application states: "Admission assumes the student and family willingness to adhere with respect to the beliefs, expectations, policies, and procedures of the school." Students and families outside that faith would effectively be excluded on the taxpayer's dime because the school would promote the beliefs of a specific religion. And Ben Gamla's application further states that the school may base employment decisions on religion.
The public school families are seeking to join the lawsuit, The National Ben Gamla Jewish Charter School Foundation Inc. v. Drummond, to oppose Ben Gamla's effort to force Oklahoma to authorize and fund an unconstitutional religious public charter school. They object to their tax dollars funding a public charter school that will indoctrinate students into a particular religion, in violation of Oklahoma and federal law and our nation's longstanding commitment to the separation of church and state. They also object to public funds being diverted from their nonreligious and inclusive public schools -- which already face serious resource limitations -- to a religious school that plans to discriminate based on religion. These taxpayers are asking the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma to allow them to participate in the case in order to safeguard their interests in public education, religious freedom and church-state separation.
"My family is Jewish. We know firsthand that people of all faiths are best served when public schools don't impose one idea of religion over others," says Kara Joy McKee, a proposed intervenor and parent of a public school student. "A religious public charter school would undermine religious freedom and drain tax dollars from schools that are welcoming to students of all faiths, families and backgrounds."
"Public education is a foundation of our pluralistic society, and it is worth protecting," says another proposed intervenor Rabbi Dan Kaiman, Principal Rabbi of Congregation B'nai Emunah in Tulsa, Okla., and the parent of two public school students. "I care deeply about Jewish education, but our community does not need or want the government's help to pass our values on to our children. The separation of church and state is what protects every faith community, including my own."
The proposed intervenors are represented by the Freedom From Religion Foundation, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the Oklahoma Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, Education Law Center and the American Civil Liberties Union. Many of these organizations represented Oklahomans who challenged the first attempt to establish a religious charter school in their state, which the Oklahoma Supreme Court declared unconstitutional two years ago.
"We're honored to be part of this pushback against religious imposition," says Freedom From Religion Foundation Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. "The public school system must remain secular -- and we'll do our utmost to ensure that."
"The courts, Oklahoma public school families and taxpayers, and Jewish leaders in the state all have rejected the creation of the nation's first religious public school," says Americans United President and CEO Rachel Laser. "We're proud to represent Oklahomans who won't let a religious organization backed by Christian nationalists strong-arm the people of Oklahoma into violating the Constitution's promises of religious freedom and church-state separation."
"Oklahoma kids and families deserve public schools that embrace everyone," notes Oklahoma Appleseed Interim Executive Director Brent Rowland. "That includes respecting the religious freedom of every child and family rather than imposing a government-supported religious viewpoint on students, regardless of what the viewpoint is. We're grateful for partners and for Oklahomans who steadfastly insist on religious freedom within every public school -- whether neighborhood or charter -- and stand against diversion of public school resources to establish religious schools."
"Our clients are seeking to vindicate the age-old, basic constitutional principle that religious schools can't be public schools, and public schools can't be religious," says Daniel Mach, director of the ACLU Program on Freedom of Religion and Belief. "That vital protection, guaranteed by both Oklahoma and federal law, helps ensure that public education remains available to all students, free from religious pressure or discrimination."
"There is a concerted effort underway to demolish the church-state separation and anti-discrimination guarantees that are crucial parts of this nation's public school system," says Jessica Levin, litigation director at Education Law Center. "The Oklahoma Supreme Court has declared religious charter schools unconstitutional, but just two years later we must defend against them once more. We will never stop fighting to protect and strengthen the public education opportunities that are the bedrock of our democracy."
Ben Gamla's lawsuit was filed less than two weeks after Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond filed a lawsuit in state court arguing that the Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board intentionally and improperly manipulated the administrative record of its denial of Ben Gamla's application in a manner designed to aid Ben Gamla's litigation position. Concern about statements by a majority of the board's members expressing disagreement with state law prohibiting religious public charter schools is one reason that the proposed intervenors are seeking to participate in Ben Gamla's lawsuit.
Americans United Associate Vice President and Associate Legal Director Alex J. Luchenitser is the lead attorney for the proposed intervenors, representing them together with Nancy A. Noet and Samuel T. Grover of the Freedom From Religion Foundation; AU Constitutional Litigation Fellow Luke Anderson; Brent Rowland and Morgan Bandy of Oklahoma Appleseed Center for Law and Justice; Dan Mach and Heather L. Weaver of the ACLU; Jessica Levin, Wendy Lecker, Patrick Cremin and Katrina Reichert of Education Law Center.
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The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to defending the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters relating to nontheism. With about 42,000 members, FFRF is the largest association of freethinkers (atheists, agnostics and humanists) in North America. For more information, visit ffrf.org.
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Americans United for Separation of Church and State is a religious freedom advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1947, AU educates Americans about the importance of church-state separation in safeguarding religious freedom. Learn more at www.au.org.
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The Oklahoma Appleseed Center for Law and Justice is a 501(c)3 public interest law firm that fights for the rights and opportunities of every Oklahoman.
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Education Law Center (ELC) pursues justice and equity for public school students by enforcing their right to a high-quality education in safe, equitable, nondiscriminatory, integrated and well-funded learning environments. ELC seeks to support and improve public schools as the center of communities and the foundation of a multicultural and multiracial democratic society. Visit edlawcenter.org.
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For more than 100 years, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has worked in courts, legislatures, and communities to protect the constitutional rights of all people. With a nationwide network of offices and millions of members and supporters, the ACLU takes on the toughest civil liberties fights in pursuit of liberty and justice for all.
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Original text here: https://ffrf.org/news/releases/okla-taxpayers-seek-to-block-unconstitutional-religious-public-school/
[Category: Religion]
FFRF: Supreme Court Conversion Therapy Ruling Will Harm Children
MADISON, Wisconsin, April 2 -- The Freedom From Religion Foundation issued the following news release on March 31, 2026:
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FFRF: Supreme Court conversion therapy ruling will harm children
Today's U.S. Supreme Court decision in Chiles v. Salazar unfortunately has handed another victory to litigants who continue to use our courts to mold the law to reflect their religious beliefs.
A Christian therapist, represented by Alliance Defending Freedom, orchestrated a legal challenge to a Colorado law that banned licensed medical professionals from performing conversion therapy on children. Conversion
... Show Full Article
MADISON, Wisconsin, April 2 -- The Freedom From Religion Foundation issued the following news release on March 31, 2026:
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FFRF: Supreme Court conversion therapy ruling will harm children
Today's U.S. Supreme Court decision in Chiles v. Salazar unfortunately has handed another victory to litigants who continue to use our courts to mold the law to reflect their religious beliefs.
A Christian therapist, represented by Alliance Defending Freedom, orchestrated a legal challenge to a Colorado law that banned licensed medical professionals from performing conversion therapy on children. Conversiontherapy is the widely condemned practice of trying to change someone's sexual orientation or gender identity/expression to conform to heterosexual and cisgender norms. In a 8-1 decision, the court ruled against Colorado's law.
Justice Neil Gorsuch authored the court's opinion, which held that the conversion therapy regulation in Colorado restricted the speech of the therapist and is therefore subject to the highest First Amendment scrutiny.
"This is a disappointing decision, which likely will lead to further harm to children," says Freedom From Religion Foundation Legal Director Patrick Elliott. "This case continues the trend of the Supreme Court favoring religious litigants under the guise of free speech."
In its friend-of-the-court brief, FFRF argued that this case was yet another example of the Supreme Court improperly allowing religious litigants to use hypothetical and even insincere legal injuries in support of lawsuits designed to strike down laws based on nothing more than religious or ideological objections. This has been an alarming trend in recent years, and religious parties are now regularly obtaining sweeping legal precedents that are weaponizing their faith against vulnerable groups, especially the LGBTQ+ community.
Last term, the Supreme Court concluded that gender-affirming care like puberty blockers and hormone therapy can be regulated (and even banned completely) because they include more traditional health care like medication and needles. However, since conversion therapy is accomplished through talking, the court found it is not traditional health care, but "speech," which cannot be regulated in the same way.
Although the court acknowledged that laws can regulate conduct in ways only incidentally having an impact on speech, the majority concluded that "all Ms. Chiles does is speak -- and, as far as she is concerned, speech is all Colorado seeks to regulate." As a result, the majority held that the law must be subject to strict scrutiny -- a legal standard that is nearly impossible to meet.
"This conclusion is both preposterous and dangerous," says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. "Health care, whether it involves physical procedures or mental health therapy, should be regulated based on its safety and efficacy, not religious ideology or preference."
The lone dissenter in the Chiles decision, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, agrees. As she notes, "Chiles is not speaking in the ether; she is providing therapy to minors as a licensed health care professional." Jackson points out that Colorado's law "treats the talk-therapy form of conversion therapy as a prohibited medical treatment" and "all that Colorado's law proscribes is the provision of such therapy to minors." Jackson explains that "states can regulate the medical treatments health care professionals provide to patients without running afoul of the First Amendment, even if the regulation applies to and restricts speech based on its content." Her dissent ends with a warning about what the majority opinion could mean:
Ultimately, because the majority plays with fire in this case, I fear that the people of this country will get burned. Before now, licensed medical professionals had to adhere to standards when treating patients: They could neither do nor say whatever they want. Largely due to such state regulation, Americans have been privileged to enjoy a long and successful tradition of high-quality medical care. ... To put it bluntly, the court could be ushering in an era of unprofessional and unsafe medical care administered by effectively unsupervised health care providers.
As Jacky Chu, a medical student at Stanford University School of Medicine and a public health student at UC Berkeley, writes, "Scientific consensus is clear: Conversion therapy efforts are not only ineffective, they significantly increase a person's risk for depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and suicidal ideation." As a result, every major mental health and medical association has condemned the practice. Following the Chiles decision, however, conversion therapy might not only continue, it could do so virtually unchecked by any standard of care.
The Supreme Court has done a major disservice in its decision today to the counseling profession -- and to the American population at large.
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The Freedom From Religion Foundation is the largest national association of freethinkers, representing atheists, agnostics, and others who form their opinions about religion based on reason, rather than faith, tradition, or authority. Founded nationally in 1978 as a 501(c) (3) nonprofit, FFRF has more than 41,000 members nationwide, with members in every state and the District of Columbia.
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Original text here: https://ffrf.org/news/releases/ffrf-supreme-court-conversion-therapy-ruling-will-harm-children/
[Category: Religion]
David Suzuki Foundation: B.C. weakens electric vehicle targets but resists pressure to cave
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 2 -- The David Suzuki Foundation posted the following news release on April 1, 2026:
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B.C. weakens electric vehicle targets but resists pressure to cave
The province scaled back 2035 goal more than necessary despite rising gas prices and growing electric vehicle demand, says the David Suzuki Foundation
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Amendments to British Columbia's Zero-Emission Vehicles Act announced today weaken the province's target more than necessary, but resisting pressure from automakers to gut the act entirely is a relief, the David Suzuki Foundation says.
In response
... Show Full Article
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 2 -- The David Suzuki Foundation posted the following news release on April 1, 2026:
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B.C. weakens electric vehicle targets but resists pressure to cave
The province scaled back 2035 goal more than necessary despite rising gas prices and growing electric vehicle demand, says the David Suzuki Foundation
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Amendments to British Columbia's Zero-Emission Vehicles Act announced today weaken the province's target more than necessary, but resisting pressure from automakers to gut the act entirely is a relief, the David Suzuki Foundation says.
In responseto the announcement, Thomas Green, Senior Manager of Climate Solutions, David Suzuki Foundation, said:
"We are pleased the B.C. government remains committed to the Zero Emission Vehicles Act and to ensuring electric vehicles are available at dealerships, and fast-charging networks are more accessible. We also welcome the decision to exclude conventional hybrids from qualifying for zero emissions vehicle credits. Without a plug, hybrids always pollute.
"However, weakening the 2035 target from 100 to 75 per cent goes beyond what current circumstances require. B.C. leads the country in electric vehicle adoption, and with rising gasoline prices and purchase rebates reinstated, it's time to maintain ambition, not scale it back.
"British Columbians will bear the cost of climate inaction and will be less prepared for future geopolitical shocks. When families feeling the squeeze at the pump go to replace their vehicles, provincial rules should ensure dealerships are stocked with electric vehicles, which can provide protection against future price spikes."
"Every new fossil fuel vehicle sold locks in years of tailpipe pollution linked to respiratory disease, cardiovascular illness and cancer, along with significant health-care costs. B.C. has built a hard-won advantage in the electric vehicle transition, and as government moves to finalize the requirements for 2028 to 2030, the Foundation will be advocating strongly for clean air and affordable electric vehicles."
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For more information or interviews, please contact:
David Suzuki Foundation: Rosie Rattray, Communications Specialist: rrattray@davidsuzuki.org, 416-570-3728
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Original text here: https://davidsuzuki.org/press/b-c-weakens-electric-vehicle-targets-but-resists-pressure-to-cave/
Central New York Community Launches Participatory Budgeting in Oswego County to Begin Centennial Celebration
SYRACUSE, New York, April 2 -- The Central New York Community Foundation issued the following news release on March 31, 2026:
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Central New York Community Launches Participatory Budgeting in Oswego County to Begin Centennial Celebration
Community members invited to help decide how $75,000 will be invested locally.
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The Central New York Community Foundation will launch the first of five participatory budgeting initiatives across its service area this May, inviting Oswego County residents to help decide how $75,000 will be invested in their community.
The initiative marks the beginning
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SYRACUSE, New York, April 2 -- The Central New York Community Foundation issued the following news release on March 31, 2026:
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Central New York Community Launches Participatory Budgeting in Oswego County to Begin Centennial Celebration
Community members invited to help decide how $75,000 will be invested locally.
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The Central New York Community Foundation will launch the first of five participatory budgeting initiatives across its service area this May, inviting Oswego County residents to help decide how $75,000 will be invested in their community.
The initiative marks the beginningof the Community Foundation's two-year celebration of its 100th anniversary in 2027. As part of the centennial effort, the Community Foundation will host participatory budgeting projects in each of the five counties it serves, awarding a total of $500,000 in funding determined directly by residents.
Participatory budgeting is a community engagement process in which residents work together to identify local needs, develop project ideas and vote on how funding should be allocated. Throughout the month of May, Oswego County volunteers will meet to brainstorm ideas, hear from county and city officials and collaborate to turn community priorities into feasible project proposals. At the end of the process, residents will vote online for the proposal they believe will best serve their community.
"This initiative reflects our commitment to listening to residents and investing in ideas that come directly from the communities we serve," said Melanie Littlejohn, president & CEO of the Community Foundation. "As we approach our centennial, participatory budgeting is one way we are celebrating our history while empowering residents to help shape the future of Central New York."
The Oswego County process will take place over four sessions during May. The first two sessions will be held Tuesday, May 5 and Wednesday, May 6, 2026, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at Camp Zerbe, located at 253 NY-104 in Williamstown. During these sessions, residents will learn about the participatory budgeting process, share ideas and begin developing project proposals.
A proposal presentation night will be held Wednesday, May 27, 2026, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. via Zoom. Community members are encouraged to attend to learn about the proposals before voting begins.
Voting will take place Thursday, May 28, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Residents may vote online for the project they believe best serves the community's needs. An in-person gathering will also take place from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at The Children's Museum of Oswego County, located at 7 W. Bridge St. in Oswego. Free shuttle service will be provided to and from the Oswego County Courthouse and Breitbeck Park parking lots.
The participatory budgeting initiative is designed to ensure that funding priorities are determined by residents themselves. Participants will work with nonprofit organizations, grassroots groups and local leaders to identify a priority issue, co-design potential solutions and develop proposals that address community needs. Residents will ultimately decide which project receives funding.
Following the Oswego County project, the Community Foundation will host participatory budgeting initiatives in Madison County in June, Cortland County in August, Cayuga County in September and Onondaga County in 2027.
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Original text here: https://cnycf.org/central-new-york-community-launches-participatory-budgeting-in-oswego-county-to-begin-centennial-celebration/
AIDS Foundation of Chicago: "We Don't Wait. We Stand Up" - Advocacy Day 2026 Meets the Urgency of This Moment
CHICAGO, Illinois, April 2 -- The AIDS Foundation of Chicago issued the following news on April 1, 2026:
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"We don't wait. We stand up": Advocacy Day 2026 meets the urgency of this moment
On Tuesday, March 24 at 8:30 a.m., HIV advocates from across the state, along with AIDS Foundation Chicago's (AFC) Policy & Advocacy team, arrived at AFC's downtown offices to travel to Springfield for our annual Advocacy Day. The excitement and energy of the team was on full display. We got on a bus and set out for Springfield, chatting and rehearsing our advocacy pitches for the following day.
Each
... Show Full Article
CHICAGO, Illinois, April 2 -- The AIDS Foundation of Chicago issued the following news on April 1, 2026:
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"We don't wait. We stand up": Advocacy Day 2026 meets the urgency of this moment
On Tuesday, March 24 at 8:30 a.m., HIV advocates from across the state, along with AIDS Foundation Chicago's (AFC) Policy & Advocacy team, arrived at AFC's downtown offices to travel to Springfield for our annual Advocacy Day. The excitement and energy of the team was on full display. We got on a bus and set out for Springfield, chatting and rehearsing our advocacy pitches for the following day.
Eachyear, AFC and Illinois HIV advocates join together for a day in Springfield to connect with legislators directly in support of essential policies promoting health equity and justice in Illinois. This year in particular had a potent aura of urgency, as the consequences of the Trump administration's cuts to health and housing services cast a dark shadow over everyone in Illinois, especially those living with and vulnerable to HIV. Despite this, and perhaps also because of it, our advocates were fired up.
On Wednesday, March 25th, we set out for the Capitol. Advocates were eager to meet their elected officials and tell their story. Whenever they were faced with ambivalence or hesitation from a lawmaker, our advocates did not waver in their determination to have their voice heard.
While our team in Springfield was working within the Capitol, many more advocates were emailing their legislators through our Action Center. In the month of March alone, over 880 emails and social media posts were sent to state officials, demanding their support for our Advocacy Agenda.
The day concluded with a press conference featuring AFC's Policy team, advocates with lived experience, and elected officials. "We don't wait. We stand up," said State Senator Mike Simmons in his remarks. Speakers highlighted the urgent need for policy to be passed to support increased funding for HIV and housing services in Illinois'sstate budget, open an overdose prevention site in the West Side of Chicago, remove prior authorizations for HIV-related medications from insurance plans in Illinois, and establish a LGBTQ & HIV long-term care Bill of Rights.
Experienced participants often say Advocacy Day can be the fastest long day of your life, and this year was no exception. Once legislators were called to the floor, we gathered for a celebratory lunch before heading back on the bus. Our spirits were high, and the energy on the ride home was palpable.
To everyone who acted, whether in person or digitally (or both), thank you. If you haven't yet, there is still time! Lawmakers are hearing from us, and we must maintain our momentum and volume throughout the Illinois Spring Legislative Session. Continue to take action through the link below. There is no limit to how many times you can act. Tell your friends, tell your family, tell your loved ones to join you in making Illinois a better and more just place for everyone.
Don't forget to take action on all four campaigns!
Click here to visit our Action Center and contact your state legislators (https://aidschicago.quorum.us/actioncenter/).
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Original text here: https://www.aidschicago.org/we-dont-wait-we-stand-up-advocacy-day-2026-meets-the-urgency-of-this-moment/
