In addition to supporting the children of targeted activists, the RFC also supports Targeted Activist Youth (TAY). These young people who faced harassment for their own organizing are eligible for regular grants if they are under 18. Once they graduate from high school, they can receive Carry it Forward (CIF) awards as well as special Development grants of up to $1000 per year to further their education, support their emotional needs or develop their organizing skills. Funds are intended to support their development as activists and their transition to adulthood.
Some of the remarkable young people who have benefited from recent TAY grants include: a college student who was fired for trying to unionize her Starbucks, a 14-year-old who was expelled for leading a school strike for climate change and a young racial justice organizer hit by a government official's car during a protest.
We have seen more and more young people joining social movements to fight for a more just world. In solidarity with their efforts, the RFC pledges to stand with young activists who face harassment, imprisonment and other forms of targeting.
To make this funding stream for youth activists sustainable, we need your help. Applications for TAY grants are outpacing our available funds for this special program, and we need our supporters to help make up the difference. If you would like to allocate your RFC donation to the Targeted Activist Youth fund, please dedicate it "in honor" of the TAY fund with your online donation here. If mailing your donation, please write "for TAY" on the memo line of your check.