I’m writing to share with you some news about my staff position at Critical Resistance (CR), share deep appreciation for our movement and to invite you to some upcoming organizing and fundraising opportunities with CR and movement partners. (Please be sure to scroll down to see the announcements, below.)
Transitions and Reflections
After eight incredible years on CR staff, I will be leaving the Development Director position in Critical Resistance at the end of February. CR has been my political home for over a decade. I've been a CR volunteer since the 2008 CR10 conference (via the Freedom Archives) and then joined as a volunteer chapter member of CR Oakland through the 2010-2015 Stop the Injunctions campaign in Oakland. I'm humbled and modestly proud of the victories that CR has secured with coalitions and movement partners in this time:
a full grassroots victory against gang injunctions with Stop the Injunctions Coalition, an end to the Urban Shield SWAT training and weapons exposition, halts on jail expansion and a jail closure in San Francisco and Los Angeles, a people's victory against proposed package and visitation restrictions in New York State Prisons, to name a few. With tens of thousands of people, we've shown that abolition is practical and actionable.Thank you for your contributions, effort and donations to fuel this organizing.
Currently, I am inspired by the Close California Prisons Campaign (info below) and our national strategic plan. I look forward to seeing how CR puts prison industrial complex abolition into action through campaigning in 2022 and beyond.
CR and movement partners created some great political tools in my time here, and I hope that they continue to serve the movement to dismantle the prison industrial complex (PIC):
Organizational updates It's been inspiring to organize with you all in order to build CR’s financial resources and fuel our organizing to dismantle imprisonment and policing. Thank you— truly. When I joined staff at Critical Resistance in 2014, I was given the mandate to continue to build our grassroots fundraising base, continue to stabilize from the 2008-2010 financial crises, and then re-grow our budget, following a 65% grassroots income and 35% foundation income strategy. Building off the strong support of people’s love for CR as a political organization since 1998, we enacted a modest, but visionary series of annual grassroots fundraising plans. Together, with your generous and multi-year support, we have steadily replenished CR’s capacity to budget generously and sustainably for our organization, campaigns and projects. We really appreciate your gifts.
There is much promise and hope for CR in my transition for the organization: financially, we have a good rainy day fund, the ability to dream about needed campaign and project expenses, a healthy fundraising plan, the ability to meet our annual budget, and our amazing funding base of donors, donor organizers and funder commitments. In terms of people, we have a great Infrastructure and Development team including Shirley Leslie, CR’s Development Coordinator, and Nick DeRenzi, our Development Assistant and a CR Oakland chapter member.
The Development team will be supported by CR’s Co-Directors, CR’s National Fundraisers, movement partners, and you to carry out our Fundraising and development projects in 2022. We invite you to join us today at CR’s Grassroots Community Reportback (Tuesday, February 15, at 4-5:30 PM PST / 7-8:30 PM EST), RSVP here.
I look forward to continuing my commitment to abolition after I leave CR, and I hope that you will continue your support of Critical Resistance during this crucial time. With my departure, CR is seeking to hire an experienced radical resource-raiser for the Development Director position. See the announcement below, and help spread the word? Thank you so much for every way you help this organization stay strong.
And a Special Preview...
This year I invite you to support Building People Power and an upcoming capital campaign project to fund the renovation 4400 Telegraph in Oakland, CA. Building People Power will permanently hold our offices and a movement center where people can come together to dream, strategize, and organize for abolition.
We have the building and a $5M seed gift from a loyal major donor—and are aiming to raise a matching $5M from our donors and supporters to bring our vision to life, including environmentally sustainable design and accessibility in alignment with Building People Power's commitment to disability justice.This spring and summer, we will be inviting our networks to join the cause. We'll need passionate and dedicated folks to make it happen— stay tuned for how you can help. You can read more about the space and our 2021 Freedom Fridays series here.
Stay in touch
If you have questions, please let me know. I will be on this [email protected] email address until 2/28/22. Should you want to contact CR after that, please email [email protected] for Development-related matters or [email protected] to connect to the right person at CR.
Thank you
I am so thankful for the movement organizers and elders who led me to CR, who shaped and developed this organization, and who keep sharpening and expanding the movement to abolish policing, caging and social control. Thank you all again for your support, solidarity and commitment. It's been an honor to organize with you for CR.
Onward, and cheers,
Jess
Every gift helps us chip away at the prison industrial complex. Donate here.
P.S. This month, I invite you to check out the organizing opportunities below, such as the Close California Prisons Campaign Info Session on Thursday Feb 17th, 5:30-7:00pm PST; if you are based in CA, rsvp here to join).
Help Critical Resistance find a new
National Development Director!
We're seeking a National Development Directorto build and further diversify Critical Resistance’s fundraising and development capacity with an emphasis on grassroots fundraising, ensure CR’s financial oversight and health, and strengthen the stability, growth, and vitality of CR.
The Development Director will work with Critical Resistance members, staff, and allies, to develop, coordinate and lead grassroots fundraising activities including grants, events, direct asks and mailings with some grant writing. The Development Director will also provide fundraising training and planning assistance to members; build and maintain CR’s relationships with donors, prospects, and allies; and support the overall health of the organization.
Aligned with CR’s supportive supervision model, the Development Director is the staff supervisor for the Infrastructure and Development (ID) Team and supervises individual people in roles, including the Development Coordinator, Development Assistant, Operations Coordinator, and relevant contractors. The Development Director may also serve as mentor or supervisor for other CR staff or membership projects.
This is a full-time position. Salary is $85,000, with six weeks paid vacation, and an expansive benefits package. Deadline to apply is March 11, 2022, with applications being taken on a rolling basis.
Join us February 15 for our Community Reportback: Celebrating Our 2021 Wins, Grounding to Keep Fighting in 2022! Curious about the abolitionist strides your contributions of labor and resources helped CR achieve in 2021? Want a clear grounding in our current campaigns, projects, and tools, so you can plug yourself and your networks in to prison industrial complex (PIC) abolition even more deeply in 2022? Join us for the Community Reportback!
Liberation is Essential: A New Tool for Abolitionist Interventions in Public Health Systems
Critical Resistance has worked together with Human Impact Partners to produce a resource filled with recommendations for abolitionist interventions that can be made to public health systems and practices. Check out the resource here.
Close CA Prisons Campaign Info Session
Thursday Feb 17th, 5:30-7:00pm pst
The proposed CA budget recently dropped and we're entering legislative season where we'll be able to make our biggest impact in pressuring the legislature and governor to close prisons. In this session we'll review our research and demands, share campaign strategy and next steps, answer your questions, and you can learn more about how to be engaged in the coalition, including joining a workgroup.
Mark your calendar: Join us in continuing to mobilize to Assembly Budget hearings to demand a reduction in prison spending and closing of prisons! Check out our previous Senate Sub5 Action Toolkit for background info. Having a large showing of support for prison closure helps up the pressure for the legislature to take action urgently to close prisons! At each action hour we'll have a zoom breakout to help train and prep people for public comment. New members welcome!
