Lydia Davis Barrett Social Justice Grant
The grant will be invitational and in the amount of between $5000 and $10,000. The Board of Trustees will invite an organization to apply. This is not a competitive grant and is outside of the Foundation’s competitive grant cycle.
The Ford Foundation states: effective social justice philanthropy aims to end the injustices suffered by one group of people at the hands of another. These injustices often result in social, economic, and/or political inequalities. But rather than focus on the effects of unjust treatment, good social justice grantmaking attempts to undo the mechanisms of oppression.
This grant will focus on programs and organizations that:
- Focus on root causes of inequity rather than symptoms.
- Strive for lasting systemic and institutional change.
- Use a combination of tactics such as policy advocacy, grassroots organizing, litigation, and communications that together are more likely to yield enduring results.
- Strengthen and empower disadvantaged and vulnerable populations to advocate on their own behalf.
About Lydia Davis Barrett
Prior to her appointment as Executive Director at the Montclair Fund for Women, Ms. Davis Barrett was hired in May 2001 as a Consultant to the Board Directors of YWCA Montclair-North Essex after the agency had a succession of interim directors, sharp decrease in memberships, declining finances, and struggling programs. The Board trusted that Mrs. Barrett’s record of turnarounds in non-profit agencies, government, and grantmaking foundations would help to inform their effort to stabilize the YWCA.
As Consultant to the Board, Ms. Davis Barrett guided the agency through an in-depth analysis of its financial history and status, governance, external challenges, and feasible options for pursuing its historic vision with a fresh, sustainable strategy. Lydia’s analysis proposed the Transformation Plan: to maintain the YWCA’s legal incorporation, restructure to one board, sell their building and property and consolidate assets and cash into an investment fund that could enough generate income for support a lean grant making operation.
After three meetings, the Membership approved the Transformation Plan and in February 2002, the Board of Directors hired Lydia as Executive Director. In 2003, MFW sold the 18,000 sq ft property, developed an Investment Policy, selected an investment firm, and began awarding grants as YWCA/MFW. By 2004, the YWCA Montclair-North Essex obtained approval from the NJ Secretary of State to keep its Incorporation (EIS number) and change its name to Montclair Fund for Women. In 2005 the Board obtained the IRS status of private foundation but was denied continued affiliation with the YWCA-USA.; this led to the disaffiliation from YWCA national and the foundation moved forward as Montclair Fund for Women.
After earning a Masters of Public Administration, Ms. Davis Barrett’s previous positions included Director, Montclair Division of Welfare, where she gained community recognition, wrote editorials, and received both the Salvation Army local Others award and the NAACP award for setting practices that were respectful of clients. She served as Program Officer for the Victoria Foundation, where she introduced grants for environmental projects at inner-city agencies and published Op-Eds on environmental justice. Ms. Davis Barrett was appointed President/CEO, Urban League of Essex County, where she paid off $400,000 of agency debt and created new programs, including a brand-new $4 million Family Technology Center. She was Vice President for Community Development and Faith-Based Funding. As Director of MFW, Ms. Davis Barrett introduced Social Justice as a grant award category.
Because of her long history of leadership and service to the people of Montclair and Essex County, and particularly for her unparalleled work with the Montclair Fund for Women, MFW is honored to be able to create this annual grant in her honor.
