DSM SURJ 2022 Update
Published on December 28, 2022 by jean-odonnell
DSM SURJ is just getting started with our new fiscal sponsor - Open Collective Foundation - and we are still transitioning our finances to the platform. We are very excited about the transition and have been so impressed with the platform and all of the wonderful staff that have helped us so far.
DSM SURJ in 2022 has been working with our "accountability partners" to advance racial and economic justice in Des Moines, Iowa. Projects that our partners are working on include: equity in public education, ending racial profiling by local law enforcement, developing leaders within our Latinx youth population, providing rent relief and mutual aid to vulnerable populations in Des Moines, developing a Community ID program that would serve our residents who are undocumented.
In the past year we have offered opportunities for our members to learn about systemic racism in our local school districts and governments, and then to take action with our partners in their work to dismantle these systems.
The donations we received in 2022 went to financially support our accountability partners but also to pay our operating expenses: online conferencing/meeting services, email services, website hosting fees, closed captioning service for our online meetings, and supplies/postage.
The biggest challenges DSM SURJ faced in 2022 included:
DSM SURJ in 2022 has been working with our "accountability partners" to advance racial and economic justice in Des Moines, Iowa. Projects that our partners are working on include: equity in public education, ending racial profiling by local law enforcement, developing leaders within our Latinx youth population, providing rent relief and mutual aid to vulnerable populations in Des Moines, developing a Community ID program that would serve our residents who are undocumented.
In the past year we have offered opportunities for our members to learn about systemic racism in our local school districts and governments, and then to take action with our partners in their work to dismantle these systems.
The donations we received in 2022 went to financially support our accountability partners but also to pay our operating expenses: online conferencing/meeting services, email services, website hosting fees, closed captioning service for our online meetings, and supplies/postage.
The biggest challenges DSM SURJ faced in 2022 included:
- figuring out whether to incorporate or find a fiscal sponsor;
- dealing with member burnout from the constant challenge of advocating and working for racial justice in a very conservative and white state during a time of great instability in our national politics with COVID always lurking in the background;
- figuring out better and more effective ways to engage our membership.
Given these challenges DSM SURJ was very successful in 2022 with deepening our relationships with our accountability partners and being more proactive with our support.
In 2023 our goals are:
In 2023 our goals are:
- to continue and grow our support for our partners
- to learn how to use the tools of the Open Collective platform to increase the engagement of our members in the work of our partners and to build our base.
- to develop better ways to communicate with our members by transitioning to communication tools offered by our national organization - Showing Up for Racial Justice.
- to call people in to leadership roles.