The Revolution Will Not Be Funded: Beyond the Non-Profit Industrial Complex Conference
April 30-May 1, 2004 University of California-Santa Barbara
Updated Registration Information and Program
Social justice organizations within the U.S. largely operate the 501(c)3 non-profit model. This conference will address the impact of the non-profit industrial complex on social justice movements, including anti-violence organizing. Activists often have difficulty conceiving of developing organizing structures outside this model. Yet we know that social justice movements in other countries often reject this model as counterproductive toward creating real social change.
This conference will explore the following issues.
* What is the history of how the non-profit model developed, and what reasons did it develop? How did it impact the direction of social justice organizing? * How has funding from foundations impacted the course of social justice movements? * How does 501(c)3 status impact social justice organizations' relationship to the state? How does non-profit status allow the state to co-opt our movements? * Are there ways the non-profit model can be used subversively to support more radical visions for social change? * What are the alternatives for building viable social justice movements? How do we fund the movement outside the non-profit structure? * What models for organizing outside the NGO/non-profit model exist outside the U.S. that may help us?
This conference will bring together activists to both assess the impact of non-profit industrial complex on social justice movements, and consider alternative possibilities for social justice organizing. There are no simple answers to these questions, but we hope to provide a space where we can collectively analyze and strategize around these issues.
This conference is particularly timely because social justice organizations across the country are critically re-thinking their investment in the 501c3 system. Particularly with funding cuts from foundations as result of the current economic crisis, as well as increased surveillance on social justice groups through "homeland security," social justice organizations are assessing if there are other possibilities for funding social change that do not so heavily rely upon state structures. This conference will provide a space for us to address these issues and envision new possibilities and models for future organizing.
WHO IS THIS CONFERENCE FOR?
This conference is for anti-violence activists, social justice activists, and people working within non-profits who want to struggle with these issues.
Contact Information: Andrea Smith Program in American Culture 3700 Haven Hall University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI 48109 734-231-1845
website: www.incite-national.org (Note: web site information will be posted by November 1, 2003.)
Draft Conference Schedule
Rather than organized around pre-set workshops, this conference will be organized around small discussion groups so that all participants will have ample opportunity to share their experiences, analyses and strategies. (Note: all speakers are confirmed, but additional speakers may be added to the program.)
Friday, April 30 5-7 PM Registration
7-10 PM Social Justice Movements and Non-Profits -- Historical Context * Speakers: Ruthie Gilmore, Critical Resistance Suzanne Pharr, Highlander Center Madonna Thunder Hawk, Women of All Red Nations Paula Rojas (Chile): Sista II Sista * The speakers will address the impact of the non-profit/NGO model on social justice movements in the U.S. and globally. What were some of the organizing models of both anti-violence and other social justice movements prior to the growth of the non-profit model? Can these models inform our organizing today? How has the non-profit model shifting the focus of the anti-violence movement from organizing to social service delivery? What has been the impact of the NGO model on organizing in non-U.S. countries? What can we learn from models that come out of a non-U.S. context?
Saturday, May 1 8-9 AM Registration
9-10:45 What is the Non-Profit Industrial Complex? * Speaker: Dylan Rodriguez, Critical Resistance Christine Ahn, National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, and author of "Foundation Trustee Fees: Use and Abuse" Anannya Bhattacharjee, World Social Forum-India Elham Bayour (Palestine): Incite! Women of Color Against Violence Surina Kahn, former direction of the International Gay & Lesbian Human Rights Commission * The speakers will address the relationship between the non-profit system, capitalism, and the state. How do foundations function as form of structural adjustments which actually take money from the poor to benefit the wealthy classes? How as the NGO model served to promote U.S. imperialism abroad? How has the non-profit system allowed the state to co-opt social justice struggles? In particular, how has reliance on foundation and state funding impacted the anti-violence movement?
11:00-12:45 Working Groups
12:45-2:30 Lunch
2:30-4:15 Alternatives to the Non-Profit Model * Organizations: Sista II Sista (Brooklyn, New York) Project South (Atlanta, Georgia) CREA (India) San Francisco Women Against Rape (California) * These organizations will discuss their attempts to struggle with the non-profit system. What are the alternatives to foundation funding? Are there ways to work within the non-profit model and use it subversively for radial political goals? How have movements in other countries reframed this issues that might be informative to social justice organizations within the U.S.? How do anti-violence organizations who do receive federal, state or foundation monies struggle with doing anti-violence work within a radical political framework?
4:30-6:15 Working Groups
6:30-7 Closing Plenary - Next Steps
Conference Logistics: The conference will be on the campus of University of California-Santa Barbara. Detailed information about the conference will be sent to confirmed participants.
Lodging: We have blocked rooms in three hotels in Goleta, close to the UCSB campus and the airport. Please make your own hotel reservations directly. The rates posted are guaranteed until the date listed, and you should say that you are attending the INCITE! conference for these discount rates. Additional Helpful information on lodging in the Santa Barbara area is listed on the UCSB web site: www.admit.ucsb.edu/vcen/index.asp
Hotels * Best Western South Coast Inn 5620 Calle Real, Goleta, CA 93117 Reservations: 805 967 3200 Rate: $98 + tax /night, Sunday ñThursday; $108 + tax/night, Friday & Saturday Number of blocked rooms: 30 (10 singles and 20 doubles) Reservations must be made by March 29, 2003
* Holiday Inn 5650 Calle Real, Goleta, CA 93117 Reservations: 805 964 6241 Rate: $119.99 Number of blocked rooms: 60
* Motel 6 5897 Calle Real, Goleta, CA 93117 Reservations: 805 964 3596 Rates: Single: $72.99 - Double: $78.99 Number of blocked rooms: 10 single, 10 double
Transportation between Hotels, Campus and Airports: We plan to provide shuttle service between the hotels and campus, once in the morning and once at the end of the day. All 3 hotels are in walking distance from each other. Best Western South Coast Inn and Holiday Inn provide shuttles to campus and/or airport. Motel 6 does not provide shuttle service but there is a bus stop across the street from Motel 6 for a bus to the campus.
Free/lower cost housing MAY be available in student dorm rooms (you will need to bring a sleeping bag). Please indicate your need on the registration form.
Transportation to Santa Barbara: By Plane: The closest airport is located about a mile from the UCSB campus. Most major airlines fly into this airport with connections to San Francisco, Phoenix, Denver, Las Vegas, LA, etc. You can also fly into Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), about 2.5 hours away from Santa Barbara. From LAX, you can take the Santa Barbara Airbus or rent a car and drive to SB. The (www.sbairbus.com) (phone: 800-423-1618) provides several daily bus trips from LAX to Santa Barbara.
By Train: Santa Barbara is served by Amtrak Train, with Santa Barbara & Goleta stops (1-800-872-7245). By Bus: Santa Barbara is also served by Greyhound bus (805) 965-7551 or (800) 454-2487.
By Car: General Driving Directions Traveling south on Highway 101: Take the Storke Road/Glen Annie Road exit off US 101 approximately twelve miles north of Santa Barbara. Turn right on Storke Road and proceed two miles to El Colegio Road. Turn left on El Colegio Road and proceed to the campus West Gate entrance. Traveling north on Highway 101: Take the Airport/UCSB exit (Highway 217) off U.S. 101 approximately eight miles north of Santa Barbara to the campus East Gate.
Registration Please print out form and mail it in
REGISTRATION IS LIMITED TO 300. NO REGISTRATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER APRIL 1, 2004. PLEASE MAIL IN YOUR REGISTRATION. REGISTRATION WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED BY PHONE, FAX OR EMAIL.
REGISTRATION FEE: REGISTRATION IS SLIDING SCALE FROM $0-$50, DEPENDING ON YOUR ABILITY TO PAY. WE ALSO APPRECIATE ANY ADDITIONAL DONATIONS YOU CAN MAKE TO HELP DEFRAY THE EXPENSES OF THIS CONFERENCE.
IF YOU ARE SENDING REPRESENTATIVES FROM YOUR ORGANIZATION, WE RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT YOUR PRIORITIZE THE PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN OF COLOR.
Registration form: Name:
Organization:
Address:
Phone:
Email:
Race/Ethnicity
Special Requests: (day care, language translation, accessibility, free/low-cost housing, etc.)
Why are you interested in the conference?:
Checks can be made payable to Center for Human Rights Education Mail checks and registration forms to: Andrea Smith Program in American Culture 3700 Haven Hall University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI 48109 734-231-1845
NO REGISTRATION ACCEPTED BY EMAIL, PHONE OR FAX
Confirmation Packets will be sent to confirmed participants beginning February 1, 2004. Please print neatly so we will be able to send the packet to the correct address. -- Yoshie
* Bring Them Home Now! <http://www.bringthemhomenow.org/> * Calendars of Events in Columbus: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/calendar.html>, <http://www.freepress.org/calendar.php>, & <http://www.cpanews.org/> * Student International Forum: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/> * Committee for Justice in Palestine: <http://www.osudivest.org/> * Al-Awda-Ohio: <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Al-Awda-Ohio> * Solidarity: <http://www.solidarity-us.org/>