Below is a sample of projects that SHIFT has supported.
Present:
SHIFT Convening and Action Lab
Is it possible to bring people together across racial, political, and geographic divides to advance the common good? Since kicking off this inquiry in 2021, SHIFT has brought together leaders from the bridging, organizing, and governance fields to learn from one another and collaborate through a Convening and Action Lab. Learn more here.
The Democracy Collaborative is an action-oriented think-do tank seeking to build a democratic economy through political-economic institutional change. They do this both through their on-the-ground community wealth building practice and through interventions in the ideas system and at the level of policy and politics, both in the US and abroad. Support from SHIFT has allowed them to expand their staff and improve their communications systems. Their pilot projects in the Netherlands, Scotland, England, and elsewhere have been aided with SHIFT grants.
Sustainable Economies Law Center
The Sustainable Economies Law Center (SELC) provides highly accessible legal tools to groups of people who don’t otherwise have access to them, aiming to cultivate a new legal landscape that supports community resilience and grassroots economic empowerment. Examples of groups they support include: worker cooperatives, immigrant farmers, urban agriculture projects, car sharing programs, housing cooperatives, child care cooperatives, micro-enterprises, and other innovative projects.
Past:
Dēmos is a movement-oriented think tank committed to racial justice. Through research, advocacy, strategic communications, litigation, and deep partnerships with grassroots organizations across the country, Dēmos builds power with and for Black and brown communities. Dēmos connected with SHIFT at a time when they yearned for an opportunity to step back, reflect on their successes, and plan for the future. SHIFT supported them to hold a retreat to do just that, positioning them to grow their efforts with intention.
Ethics and the Common Good at Hampshire College
Hampshire College is a place where students chart their own path, with the guidance of advisors. SHIFT worked with students, staff, faculty and outside facilitators to create Ethics and the Common Good, a program to give students the tools to stay true to their values. Because students who attend Hampshire are, by and large, independent-minded, they go into areas where they will be influencing others. Therefore, it seemed a likely place to have a significant impact on future enterprises. The program was so successful that the College incorporated the ideas from it into the core curriculum.
The economic system prevalent in the U.S. disproportionately benefits a fraction of the population. The majority have been left out. Seeking a system that benefits all, SHIFT partnered to form Shareable.net to promote sharing for “a more resilient, equitable, and joyful world.” Since 2009, Shareable has been a leading news and action hub for the solidarity economy. They’ve published over 4,500 stories and 300 how-to guides to promote the people-powered solutions already working around the world. They have advised countless social entrepreneurs, policymakers, and organizers on how to harness the power of sharing to improve their communities.
Anthony Williams began dancing at age 16, and became a principal dancer in the Boston Ballet before he turned 20. He says dance kept him off the streets and saved his life. His dance company and school work to engage dancers, who don’t always feel welcome in the ballet world, in both classic and contemporary performances. SHIFT was an early supporter of Williams’ Urban Nutcracker, which mixes tap, hip-hop, and other forms of dance into the traditional classical ballet choreography and is performed annually at one of Boston’s premier theaters.
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