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A couple of weeks ago we had our first mostly in-person staff retreat since February 2020. For a majority of our now 24-person staff, it was the first in-person RG staff retreat they’d ever attended.
We worked hard and played hard together. Setting goals and vision for next year, as well as staying up late playing games, laughing, and telling stories. I felt sadness and nostalgia for former co-workers who have moved on as well as joy witnessing current staff’s relationships with each other deepen. I left the retreat with a sense of groundedness and gratitude. First, that I am working to change the world with this particular configuration of brilliant, caring people. Second, that through them I am connected to you, our membership and our community.
At this year’s staff retreat, we found a new clarity about what the next few years will bring. A clarity that came from the collective, that next year our work will be an “inch wide and a mile deep,” continuing to invest in building the leadership of the massive growth of the last two years. Doing this well will set us up to have an even deeper and further reaching impact in 2024 in resourcing movements, issue-based campaigns and the general election, and changing cultural narratives. These things in turn will likely spur interest in RG, and we will be back to the beginning of our organizing cycle. Absorb → Develop → Act → Repeat
In terms of this year, we have finalized our Strategic Framework across staff, national member council, and board! We’ll be sharing more about the framework in the new year. Not only does it provide a clearer and more solid foundation for our organizing, but I’m proud to say that we got there through a deeply collaborative process of power-sharing across the organization. It’s inspiring to see what’s possible with collaborative governance.
We are also done with hiring for the year, after filling five vacancies from last year and adding five new positions. It’s wonderful to be welcoming new comrades into this kick-ass organization. You can check out our recently updated staff page [[link removed]] .
We’ve also added new chapters in Maine, Austin, and Ohio; and are $8M shy of our goal to move $100M through the Redistribution Pledge to movements with our Fall Drive starting in less than two weeks.
All that to say, this organization is smart and powerful. I am blessed to get to work alongside this team and I continue to be humbled and grateful to lead this transformative organization. If you’ve led or are leading in RG, thank you for all that you do. If you haven’t gotten more involved yet, I invite you to. There is magic, connection, and a sense of purpose waiting for you.
Gratitude,
Yahya Alazrak
Executive Director
FALL DRIVE UPDATES
This Fall drive (Oct 17 - Nov 21) is coming! In that time, members and staff will leverage the power of the ask – to renew membership (or to become a member), [[link removed]] to resource our partners, [[link removed]] and to sign the redistribution pledge [[link removed]] as acts of collective power-building. Over 500 RGers have signed the pledge to move over $91 million to social movements this year! During the Drive, we want to get to $100 million pledged, and we 100% can! We also want to raise the remainder of our organizational budget, which is 95% funded by membership contributions from about 1100 members who are asked to move 5% of their overall annual giving to RG. RG also asks that members move 10% of their overall giving to our campaign partners, the Movement for Black Lives and the Center for Popular Democracy. Though the Fall drive has not yet launched, right now is an excellent time to rededicate ourselves to this work, [[link removed]] to resource our campaign partners, [[link removed]] and to pledge [[link removed]] to redistribute for the long haul!
FUND ABORTION NOW UPDATE
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The Fund Abortion Now! campaign held our first local event in August with the RG NYC chapter and NYAAF (New York Abortion Access Fund). Attendees from both groups mingled as they tye-dye’d NYAAF shirts and donated to NYAAF directly. It was great to build relationships across both organizations, and now attendees have colorful NYAAF shirts to wear and promote the amazing work of the only abortion fund in New York state. Please check out fundabortionnow.us [fundabortionnow.us] for additional campaign resources and please reach out to the campaign at [email protected] if you’re interested in holding a local event of your own.
CHAPTER / CIRCLE / COUNCIL UPDATES
Maine Chapter members sit on the grass near picnic table outside [[link removed]] Maine Chapter
We had our first in person meeting ever! On the beautiful campus of Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, we held our very first retreat among the flowers and apple trees!
Some highlights of the day:
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- meeting in-person amongst all the yellow flowers and sunshine at MOFGA in Unity
- somehow making a hybrid retreat work with zero previous experience
- sharing money stories (some for the first time!)
- exploring white supremacy culture and its antidotes through an embodied movement activity
- eating delicious tacos together (with a doggy friend!)
- digging into some big questions about partnerships and where we need to do more work as a chapter
Looking forward to more in person events were we can build a community committed to equitably redistributing our wealth.
[[link removed]] New York City Chapter / RG Labor Circle
The RG Labor Circle is very excited to invite RG members to a virtual event on Thursday, October 6, 7:30-9 pm ET / 4:30-6 pm PT to discuss the results of our survey on our constituency's relationship to work and organized labor. This summer, we sent out the survey to fill in some of the gaps in our understanding and help us prioritize the next steps in developing a shared labor analysis and politick within RG. Now’s the time to review the results! On 10/6 we will discuss RG members’ labor analysis and experience, strategize with us about the role of YPWW in labor organizing, and get more involved in current work and potential future projects of the Labor Circle!
RSVP here: [link removed] [[link removed]]
Zoom here: [link removed] [[link removed]] (also on RG NYC calendar)
Email us: [email protected] [[email protected]?subject=RSVP%20Labor%20Circle!!]
National Member Council
The National Member Council (NMC) celebrated our first year of organizing and meeting this summer! Thus far, this membership body has involved at-large members, as well as representatives of chapters in NYC, St. Louis, Boston, Chicago, NC Triangle, Maine, LA, Atlanta, Vermont, Asheville, Bay Area, Philly, and the Twin Cities. Check out the NMC One-Pager [[link removed]] to learn about the purpose, scopes, and structure of this membership body.
While the first year of the NMC focused on infrastructure and developing systems for shared governance, this year we’re eager to dig into membership trends and needs, implementing the recent strategic plan, and figuring out ways to better connect members to the NMC and RG National.
The NMC also has a budget to support emergent needs of membership bodies (e.g. emerging chapter formations, member-based projects, member conflict mediation, cross-chapter workshops). Reach out to the NMC via the NMC One-Pager [[link removed]] for more info or with a request.
UPCOMING EVENTS
[[link removed]] October RG 101
Register [[link removed]] Thursday, October 13th from 7-8:30 pm ET/ 4-5:30 pm PT
Calling all new folks, lurkers, people who are interested in learning about RG! This space is intended for young people with wealth 18-35 but anyone is welcome. Join to learn more about RG’s work and how to get involved!
Register [[link removed]] Join the Inaugural Climate Justice Giving Circle with Center for Popular Democracy Action
October 11-Nov 8th, 2022. Every Tuesday 7 ET/ 4 PT for 5 weeks
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Join our inaugural joint giving circle to gain skills and community to take action on climate. In this 5 week small group giving circle, learn with other RG members how to combat climate grief and apathy through people power. Our partners with the Center for Popular Democracy Action will share vision, political analysis and skills for how young people (and specifically us with access to wealth and class privilege) can build power and support frontline communities to win life saving policies in the next few years. In 5 weeks, you’ll get trained in transformative fundraising and get to practice, get connected to a cohort of people who want to take action, and build with CPD Action to win a majority in Congress that will do more than the bare minimum to keep our planet habitable, but work for a just and resilient economy.
Register [[link removed]] Canvass with the RG Action Branch of Seed the Vote!
October 20-24, 2022
What : Join the Resource Generation Action branch of Seed the Vote to knock doors and build movement power through the 2022 midterms!
Who : We’re looking for RG members– at large, in chapters, new and old, who have vision and excitement around national campaign work to join us to canvas and build relationships with each other.
WHen: October 20-24th. Where: Philadelphia, PA. Can’t make it the weekend of Oct 22? Join with other RG members to canvass with Seed the Vote [[link removed]] anytime now until Nov 8th in 7 locations around the country.
Why: As young people with access to wealth, we can show up with more than money– with our hearts and our feet to talk to support movement organizations to invite and absorb new members in key political moments- like elections. Conversations with a voter at the door have been proven to be the most effective thing we can do to get people to vote. In Arizona in 2020, Seed the Vote volunteers had over 16,000 conversations with voters at the door, in a state that was won by only 10,457 votes! More questions about what canvassing will be like? Check out the delegation guide [[link removed]] and this video [[link removed]] .
[[link removed]] RG Member Leader Labs: Peer Support Spaces
Register [[link removed]] Wednesday, October 26, 5-6 pm PST / 8-9 pm EST
Want to learn from RGers across the country? This hour-long virtual peer support call is designed for current dues paying members to connect with one another to workshop organizing challenges. We hope you join us with questions and ideas about how to work through organizing towards RG’s mission in such difficult political times.
[[link removed]] Roles for RG members in the Solidarity Economy, and Fundraiser for Baldwin House
Register [[link removed]] Sunday, October 2, 2-3:30 pm PT / 5-6:30 pm ET
Tuesday, October 4th, 5-6:30 pm ET / 8-9:30 pm ET
What could our economy look like? What role can we play in growing the Solidarity Economy? At this event hosted by the DC Chapter of Resource Generation, we will explain and celebrate the roles RG members have played in the Solidarity Economy, including the creation of housing cooperatives. We'll explore different ways for young people with wealth and class privilege to participate in the Solidarity Economy.
This is part dreaming, part community building, part skill-sharing, and part fundraiser for Baldwin House!
Baldwin House is buying an apartment building in Washington DC to create affordable housing for Black and Brown working-class neighbors, centering Queer tenants. Every member of Baldwin House will own their unit. This effort is unique because neighbors are serving the typical role of investor and developer - this is a people-powered project, made possible in no small part by the RG members. More info about Baldwin House is here and you can reach out to RG member, Gabrielle Newell [[email protected]?subject=Baldwin%20House%20Event!] for more information: [link removed] [[link removed]]
[[link removed]] Redistribution Plan Workshop & Fundraiser for Baldwin House
Register 10/16 [[link removed]?] Sunday, October 16th from 2-3:30 PT / 5-6:30pm ET
Register 10/17 [[link removed]?] Monday, October 17th from 5-6:30 PT / 8-9:30pm ET [[link removed]?]
Join the DC Chapter of Resource Generation for a workshop on how to create a Redistribution Plan, also known as a Giving Plan as part of Resource Generation's Fall Drive. This is part workshop, part community-builder, and part fundraiser for Baldwin House. The same event will also be offered on October 16th & 17th.
DC Chapter Resource Generation members will share models for developing Redistribution Plans, how they factor their housing costs into their Redistribution Plans, and their role in an effort to create affordable housing in Washington DC.
FALL DRIVE MEME ROUND-UP
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We encourage you to consider joining RG as a dues paying member [[link removed]] , and if you would like to get involved in your local chapter, please fill out this intake form [[link removed]] !
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