After three years of being on Critical Resistance (CR)'s Development team, I am excited to step into the role of National Development Director!
Over the past few years, I've learned so much about fundraising as organizing, and the importance for movement organizations to be resourced by and for community. I have built solid relationships with CR members, grassroots donors, movement partners, foundation funders, event attendees, and supporters from afar - and I genuinely look forward to deepening these relationships. Experiences and learnings alongside CR's amazing network of organizers and partners have strengthened my commitment to prison industrial complex (PIC) abolitionist organizing and politics, as well as increased my adeptness at resourcing our work amidst an ever-shifting landscape.
I'm immensely grateful to the past and present CR Development team members and leaders, who crafted the infrastructure for me to step into this role strongly and confidently. Jess Heaney robustly held down the Development Director role for nearly a decade, helping the organization grow tremendously with great care, intention, and strategy. Thank you, Jess!
I am excited to continue growing and engaging our network of support so that CR can sustain the crucial organizing we continue to do - whether those are efforts to close California prisons, end immigrant detention in New York, uplift the expertise of imprisoned organizers, or create valuable tools that bolster anti-PIC campaigns and projects globally.
If we've ever shared space at a Freedom Friday event in North Oakland, webinar, or giving circle; if we met at a mail night pre-covid; if you've received emails from me over the years; or if I haven't yet had the pleasure of crossing paths with you - I look forward to connecting with you during my new chapter within CR!
- Shirley Leslie
(any pronouns)
National Development Director
Critical Resistance
Subscribe by August 1: New Issue of The Abolitionist - On Housing Justice!
Sneak a peek into Issue 37 of The Abolitionist newspaper on housing justice and PIC abolition on our website here. Sign up for a paid subscription (or sign up an imprisoned loved one or comrade for a free subscription) by August 1 and we'll mail you a print copy of our latest issue in August.
Join us for a workshop with Interrupting Criminalization and Community Justice Exchangeexploring why PIC abolition requires dismantling the criminal court system. This event is part of Interrupting Criminalization's series "Building Your Abolitionist Toolbox," and is the launch event for a forthcoming digital resource hub for organizers, activists, legal workers and community members to defund and divest from criminal courts.
Closed Captioning, ASL, and Spanish translation provided. Learn more and RSVP here.
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