The recent grant awards of the Sociological Initiatives Foundation reveal a familiar list of discriminatory practices and public policy concerns identified by immigrant communities in the U.S.

The research and community organizing projects supported by the foundation this year will investigate a wide range of issues such as wage theft, discrimination, fraud, workplace safety, and the effects of recent anti-immigrant legislation.

Most of the projects link the research process with a grassroots advocacy campaign and typically involve a number of coalition partners in the effort.

To view the grants list, click here.

The foundation trustees are currently conducting a review past projects and have not yet identified the deadlines for its next funding cycle.

Please check back in June for more information about deadlines and changes in funding guidelines.

Authors Rebecca Paradiso and Kate MacCrimmon have posted a useful primer on Comm-Org about research and community organizing titled: So What’s This Research Stuff About?

The Sociological Initiatives Foundation has awarded Community Voices Heard (CVH) of New York, the Leo P. Chall Award. The award recognizes outstanding work of organizations funded by the foundation. It honors organizations that link research with social action, thereby building capacity and changing public policy.

The 2011 award recognizes the statewide organization as a model of how member-led advocacy organizations can integrate research with community organizing. CVH is a multi-racial organization led by and for low-income people, predominantly women, working to build power in New York City and State. Continue reading →

The Foundation is pleased to announce its 2011 grants.

Grants to advocacy organizations supporting immigrants and low-wage workers once again figured prominently in the foundation’s portfolio.

Most of the research projects supported coalition-based advocacy campaigns that addressed social problems of national significance and featured strong research partnerships with academic researchers and institutions.

To read the 2011 awards, click here.

The Sociological Initiatives Foundation has named Community Organizing and Family Issues (COFI) of Chicago, Illinois the 2010 recipient of the Leo P. Chall Award.  The Chall award recognizes exemplary research projects funded by the foundation. It honors organizations that successfully link research with social action, thereby strengthening community organizations and influencing public policy. Continue reading →

Survivors of domestic violence link research with community organizing to help reform New York City Family Courts that have failed to protect women and children. The research revealed systematic bias and an indifference to domestic violence in families.

Re-victimizing Women and Endangering Children

“My husband was given physical custody of our son, even though I had been home with him since he was born. Neither the law guardian nor the judge asked me a single question. The law guardian never even met our son” (Alice)

New York City’s Voices of Women Organizing Project had often heard that visits to family courts traumatized victims of domestic violence. Project members decided to document the experiences of formerly abused women served by the family court system. Continue reading →

The Foundation is often asked to define what it means by community based research. The University of Washington School of Public Health and Community Medicine offers a useful operational definition of community-based research:

“Community-based research takes place in community settings and involves community members in the design and implementation of research projects. Such activities should demonstrate respect for the contributions of success which are made by community partners as well as respect for the principle of “doing no harm” to the communities involved. Continue reading →