Washington, DC – Today, Omidyar Network announced the final round of investments as part of its Economic Response Advocacy Fund. The Fund was established to create a stronger, more inclusive economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Eighteen organizations were selected through an open proposal process to receive an average of $83,000; the Fund dispersed $1.5 million. Fifty percent of the groups are led by people of color and 61% are locally-based.
Omidyar Network established the Economic Response Advocacy Fund to infuse 501c4 funding into national, state, and local advocacy and organizing efforts to address the immediate economic toll of the COVID-19 pandemic on working people, while reshaping our economy to ensure working people are less vulnerable in the future.
“Omidyar Network created the Economic Response Advocacy Fund to support individuals and communities that are bearing the economic brunt of the COVID-19 crisis,” said Joelle Gamble, Principal of Omidyar Network’s Reimagining Capitalism team. “We are proud to partner with so many organizations that are committed to rebuilding a post-pandemic economy that is inclusive, equitable, and resilient.”
“Workers Defense Action Fund is honored to be a recipient of the Economic Response Advocacy Fund. 501c4 funding for advocacy work is truly vital to achieving systemic change, but it can be difficult to come by. This important opportunity from Omidyar Network will enable us to seize on this moment to achieve real change for immigrant workers across Texas,” said Emily Timm, Co-Executive Director of the Workers Defense Action Fund.
“The support from Omidyar Network allows New York, the original epicenter of the COVID-19 crisis in the United States, to be responsive to our communities’ needs on the ground and organize to demand systemic efforts to address this crisis as it evolves,” said Jonathan Westin, Executive Director of New York Communities for Change.
“We are honored to partner with Omidyar Network to continue fighting for economic justice for immigrant workers alongside the Central Labor Council of Nashville and Middle Tennessee. The ongoing pandemic has laid bare the deep inequities in our economic system as we see the devastating impact on those who were already struggling to get by. By investing critical funds in relief and advocacy campaigns in the South, Omidyar Network is fueling transformative work that will not only help workers weather this crisis but also build a more balanced, inclusive, and equitable economy,” said Lisa Sherman-Nikolaus, the Executive Director of TIRRC Votes.
“TIRRC Votes and the Central Labor Council of Nashville and Middle Tennessee laud the expanded collaboration with Omidyar Network. These partnerships are pivotal in building power for Covid-19 impacted workers, especially in underrepresented communities, and provide opportunity for joint capacity building,” said Vonda McDaniel, President of the Central Labor Council of Nashville and Middle Tennessee.
“MOSES Action is grateful for Omidyar Network’s generous support, as we continue our work to address the systemic inequities that have led to COVID-19’s outsized impact on communities of color in Michigan. In the coming months we will focus on advancing key policy changes in the areas of water equity and affordability, safety net expansion, workers’ rights, criminal justice reform, and Michigan taxation practices – areas in which structural racism has led to disadvantages that put Michigan’s low-income residents of color at greater risk for COVID-19,” Ponsella Hardaway, Executive Director of MOSES Action.
Organizations receiving support from the Economic Response Advocacy Fund include:
- TIRRC Votes + Central Labor Council
- Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy
- LA Forward Action
- Hoosier Action
- Center for American Progress
- New York Communities for Change
- Make the Road Action NY, NJ, CT & PA
- Workers Defense Action Fund
- Michigan People’s Campaign
- MOSES Action
- Ole Education Fund
- Center for Tax Justice
- Maine People’s Alliance
- Free Press Action Fund
- Jobs with Justice
- Roosevelt Institute
- Groundwork Action
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Omidyar Network (ON) seeks to create a more equitable economy, promote responsible technology that improves lives, and discover the emergent issues that will shape our future. Established in 2004 by philanthropists Pam and Pierre Omidyar, the founder of eBay, ON has committed more than $1 billion to innovative for-profit companies and nonprofit organizations to catalyze economic and social change. Read more about how Omidyar Network is responding to COVID-19 pandemic here.
