Many of you have reached out to us via email, sent notes with donations, left comments on our social media posts and otherwise expressed both your support for our work and concern for RFC beneficiaries. Given the current political climate, it’s an incredibly challenging time for progressive activists and those supporting them; your fears, and the concerns of the beneficiary families we work with, are legitimate and deeply troubling.

And yet, I continue to be inspired and deeply moved by the courage, resistance, commitment and resolve of so many people who are continuing to fight for the values, individuals and communities they deeply support. Reading applications for our spring 2025 grants this week is giving me a bit of whiplash: I am so furious to hear about the hardships too many people are facing, and at the same time I’m drawing hope from learning how many members of our community continue to do the hard, all-too-often dangerous work of building a better world for us all.

We talk about the RFC as a community. In the spirit of that vision of our interconnectedness, I feel it is important to communicate the reality facing RFC-supported activists and their families who were already dealing with targeting for their progressive organizing and now are encountering additional danger, attacks and repression. I do so to provide a sense of the enormity of the challenges so many members of our community are facing and in the hopes that it moves you to act in whatever way feels meaningful to you, whether that is getting involved locally, organizing at the regional or national level or providing financial support to groups doing work that matters to you.

Here are just some of the updates we received from families applying for RFC grants this cycle:

● "I currently work with primarily immigrant families and the current targeting of Black women as well as the Latinx community has left our community in a chronic state of fear and uncertainty." 

● "We were contacted...and informed of a plot against my life. We had to flee temporarily to a shelter in an undisclosed location... After returning to our home, [my child] is still very... scared for me, and angry about what has happened."

● "My case [suing local police and city officials for false arrest and police brutality during a peaceful demonstration] has been going on for years and is now at a point where it is ramping up and regaining media attention. [My son] has been getting threats at school from other kids who have seen the news and have parents that are in opposition to my work and support what the city did to me and several of my comrades. My son has been receiving support from this grant for a while now and it has been really helpful for us to ensure he has the mental health support he needs to handle what is going on."

These updates are chilling and painful and they illustrate the real danger that people are facing right now as they fight back against this repressive, reactionary administration. But there are signs of hope. While many of the updates from our grantees are grim, we have also received news of some remarkable examples of resilience and how people continue to show up for the causes and people who matter to them. I share these examples (all from activist parents whose children receive RFC grants) in the hope they can model resistance, the importance of building and deepening community connections and how to care for each other despite the risk for all of us:

● "I have been doing a lot of collaborating with other good folks locally around hosting Know Your Rights trainings, finding emergency shelter, establishing long term, off grid housing options and providing healthy food…. and just driving food to people who are afraid to drive now."

● "[Our youngest children] are growing up in an environment that emphasizes courage and compassion. They are learning the importance of family unity and emotional strength as they witness their parent’s perseverance. Their ability to adapt and find comfort in close relationships has been reinforced…. [our] eldest has faced the emotional weight of seeing his parent targeted, but this has also strengthened his resilience and leadership skills. He has become more engaged in critical thinking, advocacy, and standing up for what is right. Despite the challenges, he has shown remarkable maturity, learning how to channel his experiences into positive action. While the targeting of their parent has brought obstacles, it has also instilled in the children a profound sense of determination, unity, and a deeper understanding of the importance of justice. They are growing into strong, compassionate individuals who recognize the power of resilience and advocacy."

We’ll share more after the Board meets to review applications and make granting decisions. For now, I hope we all recognize the profound challenges facing many members of our community and the courage of so many peoples’ ongoing acts of resistance; and that we all recommit to stand with these activists and their children.