A healthcare case study about how faith and comprehensive healthcare coexist.

Across various faith traditions, from Reform/Progressive Judaism to Protestant and Catholic Christianity to progressive Muslim organizations and others, many believers openly support comprehensive healthcare and sexuality education. It is part of their broader, shared value system that upholds human dignity, justice, and community well-being. In fact, groups like Muslim Wellness Foundation and the Unitarian Universalists’ Our Whole Lives program specifically develop and distribute resources and programs to support sexual health, anti-violence, consent, LGBTQIA+ inclusion, and gender/sexuality diversity.

Yet many institutional religious policies continue to shape access to health in harmful ways, such as blocking birth control access and curbing HIV/AIDS prevention, despite clear evidence that positions do not reflect what more believers actually think or practice. This creates a great power gap where institutions speak for communities that don’t need them

A faith-based nonprofit faced this exact challenge.

Before We Started

After conducting groundbreaking research, they had a comprehensive report detailing their faith’s institutional restrictions on contraception, plus polling data from five countries showing that followers of the faith tradition neither followed nor supported the institutional position. It was gold because they had concrete, compelling evidence of the gap between doctrine and lived beliefs and experiences. But, they didn’t have a strategy to get that information into the hands of advocates, influencers, or the public in ways that could shift narratives about religious doctrine and policies about reproductive health.

Time was of the essence. They were staring down an important 50th anniversary, but they didn’t have the internal staff and digital infrastructure in place to turn research into action.

We saw an opportunity to strengthen their paid advertising and develop systematic approaches to mobilizing partners by creating shareable content for influencers.

What Changed

From Unused Research to Movement-Wide Resource

We transformed the report and polling data from internal documents into widely shared advocacy tools. Through a social media toolkit and targeted outreach strategies, our efforts mobilized major reproductive health and rights organizations—including SIECUS, Reproductive Health Access Project, AWID, PSI, DAWN, Population Institute, CHANGE, and Ipas—to share the resources with their networks. The research, which before had been sitting on desks and shelves in the nonprofit’s office, was now being amplified by some of the sector’s most influential voices.

From Limited Paid Advertising to Strategic Investment

We shifted the organization’s mindset from sporadic, underperforming paid posts to a more strategic approach to digital advertising. During the engagement, 71% of their paid advertising was directly managed by our campaign. As a result, the campaign’s paid post achieved a 41% engagement rate. They dramatically outperformed their other paid posts, which ranged in engagement from 1.95% to 6.03%. Audiences weren’t just scrolling past the content, they were actively engaging with, sharing, and clicking through it to read the research.

From Modest Reach to 20k+ People in One Month

Through strategic paid posts during one month alone, July, we reached 23,185 targeted audiences who cared about the intersection of faith, reproductive rights, and policy. Not only did this represent a significant expansion of the organization’s influence during the critical anniversary period, it also ensured that the report and polling data reached far beyond the nonprofit’s existing base.

From Isolated Content to Top-Performing Posts

Our campaign content included links to the report, polling data, and timely news articles about religious refusals and reproductive healthcare access. It regularly ranked among the organization’s top-performing content for the entire year.

From Reactive Posting to Data-Driven Digital Strategy

Using our data analytics skills, we provided the organization with comprehensive insights that they didn’t previously know about their social media audiences, which were predominantly women (between 73% and 78%), highly educated (61% of fans held college degrees), and more likely to engage with specific types of content. This transformed how they understood and communicated with their supporters in general.

From Missed Opportunity to Momentum

We created complimentary digital strategies for the organization’s board meeting and other in-person events, ensuring attendees could view and support the campaign in real-time. This integrated digital advocacy with in-person organizing, thereby multiplying the campaign’s impact beyond what either approach could achieve on its own.

The Lasting Impact

People of faith often care deeply about human dignity, justice, and community well-being.

This campaign fundamentally challenged the narrative that institutional religious doctrine reflects what people of faith actually believe. By strategically disseminating polling data showing that followers of the faith themselves neither followed nor supported the institutional restrictions on contraception, we strengthened the evidence-base for advocates pushing for policy change in global health.

Faith-based organizations have no need to abandon their religious values. In fact, this campaign helped the nonprofit use digital strategies and data science to challenge institutional power from within. It established a model for how the relationship between religious doctrine and modern life can be re-examined through data. Research can be transformed into advocacy tools through strategic digital marketing. Organizations can mobilize entire networks of partners through clear calls to action and well-designed campaign strategies.

Most importantly, we helped shift the conversation from “this is what religious doctrine says” to “this is what people of faith actually believe.” It gave advocates, policymakers, and faith communities themselves the evidence to demand change on contraception access, HIV/AIDS prevention, and reproductive healthcare worldwide. Faith and comprehensive healthcare access can—and sometimes indeed do—coexist. 

Ready to make a lasting impact? Get us on your team.

The post Case Study: Closing the Gap Between Perception and Reality first appeared on .

A human rights case study about how solid digital and data investment can yield strong financial support.

Truth matters. Around the world, speech is recognized as a human right, especially within journalism, as it built the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Similarly, in the United States, freedom of the press is also a constitutionally protected right, which is enshrined in the First Amendment.

Yet, having a freedom granted doesn’t mean you’re able to use it. Corporate media outlets may self-censor to protect billionaire owners, shareholders, or government and other institutional sources’ interests. For example, it’s hard to imagine many media outlets running stories on their parent company’s unfair labor practices, poor environmental record, or shady political ties. This is why investigative reporting plays a particularly important role. It’s mission-driven journalism in the public interest instead of clickbait that generates ad revenue.

Before We Started

One of our clients, an independent, Pulitzer Prize-winning nonprofit investigative newsroom published major, ground-breaking reporting enabled by their successful Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. With the rapid spread of misinformation and disinformation, they needed to:

• raise funds to support their work, and 
• simultaneously expand public awareness of the importance of their recent reporting.

Yet, they had a healthy distrust of the internet, especially social media, due to its role in spreading misinformation and lack of editorial standards. Unfortunately, this limited their abilities to widen their audience and raise money in an electronic world. After all, they were journalists—not campaigners, marketers, or digital fundraisers.

So, they connected with us.

What Changed

From Fundraising Skepticism to 4X Returns

We built trust by shattering their assumptions about digital advertising. Our first campaign earned the organization a 4X return on investment. In other words, for every dollar invested in the campaign’s advertising, they raised four dollars in donations. Additionally, we introduced their work to 114,560 additional potential supporters, which represented a more than 51% increase from the previous year. 

From Newsletter-Based Outreach to Multi-Platform Engagement

We built sophisticated retargeting infrastructure that transformed how they engaged potential donors. Previously, if someone clicked a donation link in their newsletter but didn’t give, that opportunity was lost. Our retargeting campaigns reached their newsletter subscribers on various news sites, social media platforms, and mobile apps. This layered, integrated approach to donor cultivation gave audiences multiple opportunities to complete donations. Their number of donors increased by more than 20%.

From Lapsed Donors to Reignited Supporters

We even reignited many dormant supporters. The success of our retargeting strategy meant that people who had previously donated and stopped reupped their donations when they saw our timely ads connected to the organization’s investigative reporting. 

From Ad Hoc Efforts to Strategic Infrastructure

We provided the organization with comprehensive tracking, optimization, and performance analysis data. Because it was their largest foray into digital fundraising at the time, we helped them better understand their donors’ demographics as engagement patterns, allowing them to identify which narratives most effectively converted their attention into action.

As with anything new, there were a few bumps. Problem-solving during a few crunch moments, we extended campaign timelines, worked directly with their in-house and contracted web teams to implement better conversion tracking capabilities, and adjusted strategies to overcome barriers that would have derailed less experienced partners. In the end, we built up their integrated digital fundraising infrastructure from scratch.

The Lasting Impact

The partnership fundamentally changed how the investigative journalism organization understood digital fundraising and audience development. Nonprofit journalism can, indeed, generate positive returns on digital advertising investments.

By introducing their reporting to over 100,000 people and converting many into financial supporters, we helped them extend fundraising efforts beyond foundation funding to build direct support from the communities they serve. Each of the newly recruited donors represent someone who values investigative journalism enough to actually fund it. We demonstrated that demand for independent journalism remains strong, and that people also want to help sustain it.

Perhaps most significantly, we helped them understand that digital fundraising is about creating multiple touchpoints that give potential supporters numerous opportunities to act. The retargeting infrastructure we built meant that they could engage someone interested in their FOIA-based investigations, their political corruption coverage, or their accountability journalism strategically over time, not just in a single moment.

This case study demonstrates that human rights organizations, including those working in press freedom, can experience strong financial support for justice when they invest in solid digital and data infrastructure.

Ready to make a lasting impact? Get us on your team.

The post Case Study: Investigative Journalism as a Human Rights Tool first appeared on .

An income and employment justice case study about disrupting systemic barriers to financial equity.

Money touches everything. Economic justice is about dignity, rights, and systemic change. For over two decades, we’ve worked at the intersection of income equity and human rights, understanding that economic systems shape: gender pay gaps, discriminatory hiring, pregnancy discrimination, immigrant worker exploitation, and more. These issues are fundamentally connected, and those at the intersections of race, gender, and immigration status often feel the impact most acutely.

We’ve lived these issues; we understand them. As a woman-owned firm that employs women, including LGBTQIA+ women and women of color, we practice what we advocate. We maintain a flat organizational structure where power and decision-making is distributed across the firm. Our multi-generational team means some decisions are youth-led while others are informed by deep history and knowledge of movement work.

Income and employment justice starts at home. We constantly balance two commitments. We ensure fair wages for our team, including raises, benefits we’re not required to provide as a small business, and competitive compensation whether someone is a consultant working a few freelance hours or a full-time employee. We also keep out costs accessible for nonprofit clients and mission-driven businesses focused on impact, not profit margins. We understand the tension because we actively work through it, and that lived experience informs how we help others navigate these challenges.

Having managed both corporate initiatives and grassroots campaigns, we bring a unique intersectional lens to economic justice work. We help organizations tell the real story behind the numbers through data and research, create digital campaigns that drive action for worker rights, connect with donors who understand intersectional justice, and shape stronger narratives about economic dignity and power. Whether we’re providing additional income to women freelancers or building comprehensive strategies for organizations fighting systemic inequality, we are proving that the system isn’t broken: it’s built this way. And we’re helping rebuild it differently.

Before We Started

A woman-owned leadership and career advancement company had a mission to help women, including women of color, increase their access to power, money, and advancement opportunities. They offered classes, retreats, and professional development opportunities designed to address the systemic barriers that block professionals of color from economic equity. 

The problem was, their digital presence didn’t tell the full story and transformative nature of their work. Their website contained basic service descriptions without articulating the change they created or why their work mattered.

While they produced content, they lacked a systematic approach to reaching their target audience consistently and then evaluating what worked best. They had no newsletter strategy, which meant potential and current clients didn’t have a reliable, consistent touchpoint. Their social media presence was inconsistent and text driven, which led to lower engagement.

Most critically, the gap between the quality of what they offered  and the clarity of their communications meant potential clients couldn’t fully understand why they needed to work with them, which limited their abilities to serve more women of color who deserve economic justice and advancement.

What Changed

From Service Descriptions to Impact Messaging

We upgraded their website text, rewriting it to share a clearer story of their impact and purpose. We moved them from mere descriptions of what they offered to explaining why it mattered and what it changed for their clients. The new messaging centered storytelling and a more humanized, personal connection. 

From No Newsletter to High Open Rates

We developed and implemented a newsletter strategy that consistently achieves 60-77% open rates. This far exceeds industry standards of 15-25%. As a result, their newsletter continues to be a reliable source for acquiring new clients, sharing timely updates and insights, and demonstrating ongoing thought leadership.

From Sporadic Content to Strategic Engagement

We provided ongoing guidance surrounding what issues, conversations, and moments throughout the weeks, months, and years connected to their work, ensuring their content remained relevant to current economic justice discussions. We coached them away from posting when they felt like it to strategically engaging their audiences with content that they were likely to care most about. This helped re-position them as responsive thought leaders rather than occasional contributors in the space.

From Text-Only to Visual Storytelling

Our graphic design package provided visual content for their classes and retreats, which modernized how they communicated opportunities to their community. This visual dimension made their work more shareable, more engaging, and more accessible. This was particularly important for their target audience of busy professional women who were often juggling home and work life responsibilities.

From Isolated Services to Integrated Strategy

Perhaps most importantly, we built their overall digital content. By providing strategic guidance on platforms, timing, messaging, and visual identity, we helped them develop an integrated approach where their website, newsletter, social media, and other places where they shared and produced content all reinforced the same powerful narrative about women’s rightfully taking up space in their respective professional fields.

The Lasting Impact

We are particularly proud of the 60-77% newsletter open rate because it demonstrates that their audience trusts them as a consistent source of valuable insights. They return to repeatedly consume and engage with the organization’s content. This kind of sustained engagement builds the kinds of relationships necessary for long-term career development, and it creates a community of professionals committed to economic equity.

Most significantly, the narrative transformation from service descriptions to impact messaging helped our woman-owned business client see themselves in their own work and understand the value of strengthening their messaging.

This case study demonstrates that even people who are working in a particular field sometimes need help practicing what they preach.

Ready to make a lasting impact? Get us on your team.

The post Case Study: Amplifying Women’s Earning Potential first appeared on .

A racial justice case study about the power of data. 

As Global North countries continue democratic backsliding, and countries like the United States achieve maternal mortality rates on par with the Global South, our firm is particularly proud of the work we’ve done to build, apply, and adapt analytical toolkits across various communities pushed to the margins, regardless of which countries they live in.

A US-based NGO that moves resources to support movement building assists multiple partners and grantees. As a foundation, they wanted to build a data infrastructure to help them understand which ones were experiencing the greatest wins, so they could replicate those. And, for the things that weren’t working, they wanted to help coach those grantees toward successes that would work in the nonprofits’ favor. 

It’s tricky, though. Because of power imbalances. Large foundations have endowments in the billions. This was a smaller one, but they were still sitting on almost $50 million of assets. As a condition of receiving funding, they asked small nonprofits run by women, Black people, and other under-resourced communities to fork over data on the populations they serve—often including their personal stories, outcomes, and demographics. This is standard practice, as funders use it for research or to make wider decisions about communities based on observed and perceived patterns.

Yes, data-driven decisions matter. As NGOs, foundations, and other large domestic and international organizations increasingly turn to citizen data, it has become even more important to make sure communities themselves have input on what’s happening to their data. They deserve the ability to correct misrepresentations and to provide free, prior, and informed consent. That’s why we were excited that this particular foundation wanted us to work directly with their grantee-partner nonprofits.

We worked with nearly two dozen grantee-partners on various data initiatives, starting by training them on data ownership and stewardship. As one example, we worked to strengthen peer-to-peer messaging strategies, help them mobilize community voices in support of their missions, and understand the importance of collecting their stories, owning data locally, and anonymizing it on digital platforms.

For all of the grantee-partners, we co-established robust metrics systems that equipped them to build credibility, attract independent resources, demonstrate their impact, and create the feedback loops needed for continuous improvement. Such data infrastructure helped compound their work across generations, rather than starting from scratch with each new campaign or initiative—or simply forking their data over to others.

Here’s the story about one of the grantees we worked with.

Before We Started

Let’s be real—you can’t talk about sexual and reproductive health without talking about race. From historically unethical medical practices to today’s maternal health crisis for Black American women, race shapes every aspect of healthcare access and outcomes in the US.

A grassroots nonprofit organization led by and for Black American women and girls was doing extraordinary work across multiple fronts: Black maternal and infant health, breast health initiatives, civic engagement, voter education, beauty justice, environmental justice, and community care. Their influence extended far beyond their local headquarters, reaching Black communities nationwide through digital organizing, policy advocacy, and on-the-ground mobilization during critical election and census cycles.

They had strong numbers showing that what they were doing was working, but they couldn’t tell that story compellingly because the data was fragmented across different systems. Peer-to-peer texting campaign data lived in Hustle’s text marketing platform. Names of breastfeeding workshop attendees were scribbled on paper sign-in sheets. Social media metrics were tracked in Sprout Social and other platforms, but weren’t comprehensively analyzed for impact. Phone banking records were logged inconsistently, with one team rewarding depth (more than one conversation with the same household) and the other striving for reach (fewer conversations with more people). Work plan data was spread across different teams within the organization. Campaign-specific information from General and Primary elections and the related Issue Education civic engagement campaigns was stored in various spreadsheets with uneven documentation styles, reflecting various employees’ personal record-keeping methods.

Our foundation client supporting their work could do so much more (and demonstrate their impact better) if they had that data evaluated, standardized, interpreted, and contextualized both within the nonprofit’s local and the foundation’s broader national frameworks.

Without proper data infrastructure and interpretation, the full scope of their impact risked being underreported or misunderstood—and outside their purview.

We were a uniquely well-matched partner because we understand data justice, civic power, digital engagement, Black American women’s organizing, and reproductive justice. We also understood that the organization itself, not the foundation nor the platforms they used for their work, should own their movement-building data. Foundation aside, in general, it’s vitally important to ensure that Black American women’s organizing power is accurately accounted for and replicated for social change.

What Changed

From Fragmented Data to Comprehensive Documentation

We cleaned and standardized their data ecosystem by verifying phone calls, text messages, workshop attendees, door knocks, volunteer shifts, census pledges, and other data. In our experience, dirty data is a symptom of operational gaps: missing standardized operating procedures, training needs, weak workflow and information-flow implementation, and other structural issues. We flagged gaps and recommended processes to put in place that could help create an even more complete, coherent picture of their organizing efforts’ impact

From Questionable Numbers to Verified Impact

We flagged numbers that seemed like outliers, anomalies, and otherwise verified the data’s accuracy. We pushed back on the foundation’s initial inclination to dismiss impressive reach as errors, and we confirmed what was actually true: their organizing was extraordinary. We compared their totals to other grantees, demonstrating that they met and often exceeded other organizations’ reach.

From Undercounted to Accurately Represented

We integrated their data into a broader national report, showing how Black women and girls were making sure their communities are heard, protected, informed, and mobilized during increasing attacks on the community:

• 350,000+ voters engaged through comprehensive outreach
• Nearly 30,000 reproductive justice advocates identified and mobilized
• 25,000+ census pledges secured, ensuring Black community representation
• More than 64,000 voters reached by phone
• Over 3,000 new voter connections established
• More than 27,000 residents provided with COVID safety information

By co-building with the foundation, the nonprofit, and by extension the community, we demonstrated how multi-issue approaches serve the community holistically, and how Black women’s organizing is central to both local and national electoral outcomes. 

The Lasting Impact

It’s important that Black-led organizations—and funding initiatives targeting Black American communities—are supported by partners who understand the intersections of race, health, civic engagement, and movement-building. Our work highlighted the importance of making sure data is analyzed, contextualized, and owned by the communities at the center of the work. The nonprofit’s work simultaneously addressed voter suppression, reproductive injustice, environmental racism, and health inequities. 

By demonstrating that this single organization outperformed nearly every other grantee while serving multiple intersecting justice issues, we challenged narratives about “capacity.” Black-led grassroots groups are under-resourced yet often outperform. We certainly witnessed, documented, and appropriately shared this in our work.

When Black women organize, they transform democracy. Throughout this collaboration, the voices of 350,000+ Black voters, nearly 30,000 reproductive justice advocates, and tens of thousands of community members were counted and honored in movement work. Black data matters, Black organizing matters, and Black women’s leadership shapes the future.

Ready to make a lasting impact? Partner with us on your citizen data, data analytics, and other data justice projects.

The post Case Study: Boosting Black Women’s Organizing Power first appeared on .

A civic engagement and voting rights case study about formerly incarcerated people’s rights to vote and access to quality mental health care.

Democracy matters. People should be able to make their own informed decisions. This is why civic engagement must include more than voting and contacting elected officials. It’s also important to participate in parent-teacher conferences, community gardens, book clubs, farmers’ markets, credit unions, little free libraries, and all the other ways we engage with each other. But what happens when some members of a community are shut out?

Formerly incarcerated people and returning citizens often face barriers to participation, even long after they have served their time. Led by formerly incarcerated individuals, a Great Lakes-area nonprofit wanted to correct that injustice. In particular, during the 2020 election, they wanted to make sure their community knew how and where to vote. So, they connected with us.

Before We Started

They faced a critical challenge: voting rights vary by state. The very communities they served—people with felony records, those awaiting trial, and recently released individuals—were largely unaware they had the legal right to vote under their state’s law. A swing state, this was vitally important. Misinformation and systemic disenfranchisement kept eligible voters from participating in elections, particularly in communities of color disproportionately targeted by incarceration.

The organization had a minimal digital presence—just 755 monthly Twitter impressions in September 2020, no original social media content, and limited visibility among thought leaders and advocates. Their capacity to reach the communities they served was further constrained by underfunded voter education efforts. They could bring in outside help, but those efforts could face the challenge of building trust. Afterall, the community was rightfully skeptical of outsiders and traditional institutions.

Beyond voting rights, formerly incarcerated individuals faced compounded barriers to mental health care—including distrust of healthcare systems due to historic inequalities, lack of awareness about available services, and cultural incompetence among service providers. Many hadn’t yet been made aware of the free mental health resources available to them, much less how to access them.

What Changed

Voting Rights Campaign

From Digital Invisibility to 87,600+ People Engaged within Two Months

Within a limited timeframe, we helped the organization’s digital presence expand from practically nonexistent to strong and engaged. Twitter reach exploded by 1,462%—from 755 monthly impressions in September to 11,800 in November—and the campaign was seen more than 87,600 times across social media platforms.

From No Original Content to Daily Posts

We knew they had a right to make their voices heard in the democratic process. In September, the organization only reshared others’ content. We built their capacity to produce compelling, original content, reaching 27 posts in October and 45 in November (a 4,100% increase in original content production). More than numbers, our aim was to co-create content with impacted communities, train the organization on digital strategies, and share stories that weren’t usually told.

From Pushed to the Margins to Mainstream Amplification

After working with us, community mentions from advocates and organizations increased 180%—from 15 mentions in September to 42 in November. The organization went from being largely unshared online to being amplified by prominent voices, including Van Jones, Taye Diggs, Governor Whitmer, and their local NAACP chapter. Their massive social media followings exponentially amplified the message that formerly incarcerated people in their state had the right to vote.

From Limited Engagement to Doubled Profile Traffic

Profile visits increased 227%, indicating that people were reading content. They clicked through to learn more, signed up for newsletters, and engaged directly with the organization’s work.

From Misinformation to Informed Participation

Many individuals believed they couldn’t vote due to felony records. The campaign educated them about their actual rights under state law, providing nonpartisan, accurate information that enabled thousands of eligible voters to participate in the 2020 election—a pivotal moment in a crucial swing state.

Mental Health Access Campaign

From Awareness Gap to 108,000+ People Reached

Building on the voting rights campaign’s success, we launched a mental health initiative that reached approximately 108,794 individuals, with 81.5% of video views concentrated in that state, demonstrating highly effective geographic targeting. We improved awareness of mental health resources within the target community.

From Inaccessible Resources to Hundreds Receiving Counseling Information

We created culturally relevant content, including infographics, testimonials, and informational posts that met people where they were, not where institutions wanted them to be. A total of 1,713 individuals received counseling and resource guidance through the campaign’s efforts. This represents a direct, measurable impact on mental health access for a population that historically faces immense barriers to care.

From Limited Visibility to 106,000+ Views

The campaign’s hotline number and digital hub received over 10,000 views on Facebook and more than 96,000 views on Twitter, ensuring thousands of formerly incarcerated individuals could access mental health resources that hadn’t previously been advertised to them.

From Slow Growth to Rapid Mobilization

Despite delays that compressed the campaign into a mere few weeks, we mobilized quickly to ensure maximum impact. We made real-time adjustments to websites, hotline infrastructure, and digital outreach strategies, proving that strategic agility could overcome several timeline constraints without completely sacrificing effectiveness.

The Lasting Impact

These campaigns fundamentally changed how formerly incarcerated individuals in that state understood their rights and access to essential services. We helped shift the organization from a group with a powerful mission but limited reach to one with increased capacity to understand and execute sophisticated digital campaigns, engage influencers, and achieve measurable change.

By breaking down barriers to both civic participation and mental health care, we addressed two critical factors in successful reentry: political voice and psychological well-being.

The voting rights campaign ensured that disenfranchised communities—disproportionately people of color—had accurate, timely information during a pivotal election in a crucial swing state. The mental health campaign addressed the compounded trauma and barriers faced by people returning from incarceration, connecting them to resources that support long-term stability and success.

Together, these campaigns established a model for engaging impacted communities through digital organizing, influencer engagement, capacity building, and culturally competent messaging—a model that continues to inform advocacy work for impacted populations across the US.

We believe the right to vote is a basic human right, and formerly incarcerated people deserve that right just like everyone else. Our clients include individual NGOs and nonprofits, coalitions, federated nonprofits with multiple local or regional affiliates, and foundations supporting multiple grantees that require cross-stakeholder, multi-layered approaches.

If you are working with hard-to-reach communities, we want to support you. Get us on your team.

The post Case Study: Gaining Political Power and Mental Health Access first appeared on .

A climate justice case study about building cultural appetite for policy change.

All people deserve to live with dignity. They also deserve the power to shape their own futures in safe, sustainable communities. When corporations dump toxic waste in our neighborhoods, they do more than poison the planet; they harm our reproductive health, fertility, and abilities to provide community care. This is why, to better understand climate and environmental justice, we have to talk about reproductive justice.

Historically, climate organizations argued there are too many people on the planet, and we need to stop some people (specifically, communities in the Global South) from having more children. Similarly, early reproductive rights activism in the US focused on birth control and abortion access without addressing the racist and eugenicist underpinnings of to whom these services were encouraged, coerced, or forcibly provided.

Population control was the name of the game.

This began to change at Cairo’s 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), when 179 countries agreed that international development policy—including family planning and climate policies—should shift away from population control and move toward supporting individual human rights, reproductive health, and ending gender-based violence.

Though they’ve adopted the Cairo approach and adjusted the way they operated, several legacy organizations still have the word “population” in their name: United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Population Council, Population Connection, Population Action International (PAI), Population Services International (PSI), and more.

Other organizations rejected the Cairo approach. Continuing to support population control, they’ve shapeshifted from anti-immigration, racism, and eugenics to fake environmentalism. Today, they argue the quickest climate solution would be fewer babies in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The racism is evident, especially considering a single child born in the United States has a carbon footprint more than ten times larger than a child born in regions of Africa

We’re aligned with the Cairo approach. With President Joe Biden in the Oval Office and the Global Gag Rule repealed, a US-based nonprofit climate organization partnered with us on an awareness campaign rooted in justice, community leadership and human rights.

Before We Started

They were attempting something critically important but extraordinarily difficult. They wanted Americans to advocate for the permanent end to a harmful US foreign policy that few even know existed, the Global Gag Rule. The policy prohibits foreign NGOs receiving US global health funding from providing, counseling about, referring for, or advocating for abortion services—even if they use their own, non-US funds to do so. This negatively impacts healthcare access, maternal mortality, and other areas of global health.

The climate organization wanted to carefully launch a comprehensive awareness campaign in a culturally appropriate way that centered rights and justice rather than population control. But, they faced several barriers:

• Complex messaging: They needed to navigate nuanced territory between climate advocacy and reproductive justice without perpetuating harm.
• Legacy burden: Their organization’s embarrassing history and name reflected the problematic population control era.
• Credibility gap: They were sometimes shunned by others in the reproductive justice space due to associations with their historical origins.
• Limited reach: They had a medium-sized audience with limited capacity to reach beyond those already converted.

What Changed

From Advocacy Siloes to Cross-Movement Coalitions

We paired our founder—the first Black American woman to be a syndicated magazine and newspaper sex columnist, and a recognized voice at the intersection of reproductive justice, racial justice, and cultural change—with the UN Human Rights Council Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health. For the digital action campaign, Twanna focused on educating US audiences why they should care about international reproductive health policy implemented in their name. The UN Rapporteur brought medical expertise and firsthand accounts of the Global Gag Rule’s damning impact on the ground.

From Sectoral Isolation to Intersectional Understanding

We co-created messaging and provided frameworks for talking about climate justice and reproductive justice without lifting eugenicist messaging or dehumanizing people in the Global South. Perhaps this was our most significant conceptual contribution. We helped a climate organization that works in reproductive health (or a reproductive organization that works in climate—the slash itself was part of the problem) better understand what’s actually happening at the intersection of these movements.

From Limited Reach to Amplified Influence

By partnering our founder’s platform and credibility with the UN Special Rapporteur’s authority, we created bridges between communities that don’t always talk to each other: climate activists, reproductive health advocates, human rights experts, and communities of color who have every reason to be skeptical about population-focused climate messaging.

The extended campaign reached more than 900,000 people and attracted online engagement from: Poor People’s Campaign; global reproductive health organizations Ipas, Safe Abortion Action Fund, Women’s Global Network for Reproductive Rights, Reproductive Justice Honduras, and Reproductive Health Network Kenya; media outlets Politico and National Public Radio (NPR), including Morning Edition and the Throughline podcast hosted by Rund Abdelfatah and Ramtin Arablouei; and dozens of reproductive health professionals, human rights defenders, journalists, and advocates across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the United States.

The Lasting Impact

We didn’t erase the organization’s problematic origins, nor would we want to. Revisionism isn’t our style. Their history exists and truth matters. But we helped them take concrete steps toward building a different future in which conversations about climate, reproductive rights, and justice happen in ways that do not cause harm. We demonstrated to climate organizations how to talk about global health through a lens that centers human rights, bodily autonomy, and global justice.

Reproductive healthcare access is a climate justice issue because people need care, resources, and healthcare to build resilient communities in a changing world. Climate change is a reproductive justice issue because environmental degradation, toxic exposure, and climate disasters directly impact fertility and pregnancy outcomes. We helped make that connection clear and actionable, rooted in the leadership of Black women who understand that justice is indivisible.

When organizations want to repair harm created by their legacies, they need more than good intentions. Sometimes, they need strategic partnerships with voices that communities trust, frameworks that center justice over control, and the courage to do hard work publicly. This campaign demonstrated all three.

Ready to do the same? Get us on your team.

The post Case Study: Rejecting Population Control Narratives in the Climate Space first appeared on .

An art for social change case study about converting attention into impact.

A nonprofit had the benefit of nationally recognized comedians and television show writers at their helm. They knew how to kill it when it came to live comedy stages. Long-form, produced content is where timing, audience energy, and narrative arcs exist in very controlled environments. But the internet is a very wild and untamed world.

Sure they had tons of laughs and star power, but they weren’t completely sure how to translate that into expanding their mission online. The digital world demands speed, brevity, memes, and other visual shorthands. Posts underperformed. Videos were too long. Messages that used to kill on stage were dying on feeds. They knew culture, comedy, and advocacy well. Yet, they had outdated ideas about how algorithms and internet attention work.

We began to discuss what it could look like to transform their organization from one that relied solely on traditional education and advocacy efforts into creative partners that use humor, art, and storytelling to build various movements. Why? Because we know media and art shift hearts and minds in ways that stats and facts alone could never.

Before We Started

They were stuck in a common trap: despite high-profile origins and a powerful mission to end abortion stigma, they had little to no digital advertising experience. They relied heavily on old-school fundraising tools and methods during the increasingly competitive year-end giving season. They also operated with untested assumptions about who their supporters were. Like believing their audience was primarily young women. They had few benchmarks for digital campaign performance and no internal capacity to run sophisticated online campaigns.

What Changed

From Digital Invisibility to 100k+ People Reached

Through strategically targeted campaigns, we transformed their digital presence to reach an additional 100,000 potential supporters. The organization previously had no way to acquire new donors online, and had begun generating dozens of donations within weeks.

From Expensive Donor Acquisition to 60% Savings

We cut their average cost per donation to $71.43. This was more than 60% below the then-average $185 for the nonprofit sector. For their best performing ad, the cost was only $37.50. We delivered concrete proof that they generated $2.40 for every dollar invested.

“The practical thing was like, ‘What if we invest […] and it falls flat, right?’ […] There were these brand new people, some big donors. Like, okay?! So, that’s fine!” — K.S., Development Director

Our client was worried that their investment would not come back. But we made sure their investment produced a greater return.

From Guessing to Knowing Their Audience

By varying text, graphics, videos, and other creative elements, we shattered their assumptions about who was willing to donate to reproductive justice causes. Men accounted for nearly one-third of donations—a demographic they’d been completely overlooking. Men 45 and older, who represented a significant portion of their existing Facebook fans, became a validated donor demographic they could confidently pursue.

From Conventional Messaging to Culture-Shifting Creativity 

We moved them from standard, boring nonprofit appeals to campaigns to embedding reproductive justice messages into beloved pop culture references such as holiday movies, comedy, and celebrity partnerships. This approach helped raise money and demonstrated that humor and joy could be powerful tools for breaking stigma around abortion care and reproductive health.

From External Dependency to Internal Capability

Most importantly, we built their capacity so thoroughly that they never needed to hire us again if they preferred to go at it on their own. We established their benchmarks, transferred knowledge about audience segmentation and creative testing, taught them how to analyze performance data, and gave them frameworks they continue to use.

From Internal Debate to Strategic Clarity

The qualitative feedback we captured from ad engagement gave their leadership concrete evidence to support a planned rebrand.

The Lasting Impact

The organization raised money, but they also fundamentally shifted how they understood their work and their audience. They went from operating on assumptions to making even more data-driven decisions. They expanded from a narrow view of who supports reproductive justice to understanding its broader appeal across gender and age. And they moved from dependency on consultants to self-sufficiency, ensuring their impact could continue and scale without us.

Together, we converted “attention” and “laughs” into funding, action, and long-term supporter growth. Ready to do the same? Bring us on as your creative partner.

The post Case Study: From Digital Novice to Self-Sufficient Fundraiser first appeared on .

At FUNKY BROWN CHICK, Inc., we will be closed on Tuesday, February 17, 2026. 

Our owner works in both the United States and Portugal. As part of our global perspective, we observe all US and Portuguese holidays, recognizing the histories and values that shape both countries. On February 17, we’ll join millions across Portugal in celebrating Carnival—an explosion of creativity, community, and social commentary. This holiday transforms streets into galleries of artistic expression, cultural pride, and contemporary critique.

Moments of collective celebration and creative resistance deserve space in our lives and work. By honoring this tradition, we reaffirm that liberation work requires not just strategic analysis and technological tools, but also joy, community connection, and artistic imagination—elements that fuel sustainable movements for justice.

Art as Resistance

Beyond the sequins and music is Carnival’s tradition of political commentary. The festivities provide a platform for craftspeople transform papier-mâché and fabric into pointed critique that might otherwise face censorship in more formal contexts.

This phenomenon extends far beyond Portugal. From protest art during social movements to satirical performances in theatrical productions, creative expression is a powerful vehicle for challenging established power structures. It transcends language barriers. It even, very often, escapes censorship through metaphor and symbolism. Artistic expression often reaches audiences who might otherwise tune out traditional political messaging (take a look at both Kendrick Lamar and Bad Bunny’s iconic Super Bowl performances, for example).

And, importantly, celebrations like Carnival transform passive observers into active participants in cultural conversation. They create communal experiences that build solidarity while questioning authority—all while appearing to simply celebrate.

Reimagine Your Impact Through Creative Expression

At FUNKY BROWN CHICK, our narrative change and storytelling services help partners cut through digital noise with compelling content that resonates. We’ve witnessed how creative approaches ignite engagement when traditional messaging falls flat. Whether you’re looking to diversify your fundraising strategy, strengthen voter engagement, or simply communicate your mission more effectively, our team stands ready to collaborate on innovative solutions that amplify your impact.We’ll resume our regular operations on Wednesday, February 18th, energized by Carnival’s creative spirit and ready to apply those insights to your unique challenges. Until then, we invite you to explore how a touch of artistic rebellion might just revolutionize your approach to creating the more just world we all envision.

The post Why We’re Closed on Carnival 2026 first appeared on .

No kings. As we stand in 2026, a president with historically low approval ratings (37%) has expanded executive power beyond the founders’ fears and beyond what appears Americans actually want.

It’s true. As part of our nation’s founding 250 years ago, George Washington refused to be king. When his supporters pushed for grand titles like “His Elective Majesty,” he said no. When custom at the time dictated he could rule indefinitely, he walked away after two terms.

That’s exactly why FUNKY BROWN CHICK, Inc. will close our doors on February 16th for Presidents’ Day. Not just because it’s a federal holiday, but because resistance demands we pause and reflect.

As Washington and the other founding fathers crafted revolutionary documents about liberty, many simultaneously enslaved other human beings. That contradiction is in itself the whole story of liberty in the United States. The American democracy project extends beyond holding the founders in reverence; it requires we complete their unfinished project. The Constitution includes amendment processes because their work was imperfect.

US presidents were always meant to serve the people, not rule them. This day is a reminder that we must all insist that the United States finally live up to its founding principles.

A President, Not a King

Washington didn’t just “decline” to be king. He built an entire system to stop presidents from becoming one, with regular reports to Congress, shared decision-making, and an expectation of transparency.

As executive orders rain down faster than ever, bypassing the very systems Washington created to keep presidents in check, we’re reminded: it’s often that case that, when communities in the US push for justice (voting rights, reproductive freedom, immigrant rights), we slam into this wall of unchecked presidential power. 

Our democracy gives up tools for this exact moment. The question isn’t whether we’ll use them, but rather how hard we’ll continue to fight to make them work.

Why Your Rights Depend on Democracy

The fall of democracy doesn’t just live in history books. We’re all living it. Right now, communities fighting for reproductive healthcare are fighting base as rights come under attack via a presidential pen stroke. Trans youth seeking gender-affirming care are facing state-by-state bans emboldened by executive power. Immigrant families are abducted from their communities where presidential authority has progressed unchecked.

When presidents act like kings, human rights crumble first. Ask any community organizing for justice today. Whether they’re fighting for voting access, racial equity, or workers’ rights, they’ll tell you how quickly executive orders can erase decades of progress, how swiftly presidential proclamations can turn neighbors into “others.”

Follow the Money, Find the Power

When governments deny people food, security, and healthcare for far too long, authoritarian leaders often prey on their justified anger by scapegoating and offering empty promises.

When the economy denies workers living wages, authoritarians position democracy itself as the enemy rather than the wealth extraction as the root of the problem.

Suddenly, democracy feels like a luxury many can’t afford.

You’ve seen it: food prices soar while wages stagnate, healthcare remains out of reach for millions, employment discrimination pushes entire communities to the economic margins. These aren’t just policy issues, they’re democracy issues. Every time economic inequality grows, presidential power expands to fill the gap, promising quick fixes through executive action rather than democratic solutions.

Democracy stands strongest in communities with economic security, worker protections, and equal access to opportunity. Authoritarianism first takes root in the waste of economic devastation.

Our communities deserve both bread and ballots. That’s what we are so inspired by those already organizing like they know it.

Your Power This Presidents’ Day

Every revolution starts with a single action. This Presidents’ Day, we welcome more people into action. Remember: it’s never to soon or too late to turn your concern into concrete change.

Power Moves for Individuals 

1. Pick Up Your Phone

Call your representatives. Tell them you expect Congress to check presidential power, not rubber stamp it. Numbers matter–your voice joins thousands pushing back against executive overreach. You can find your representative’s information here!

2. Stay Informed 

Follow local journalists who accurately cover the news in your state. Subscribe to their newsletters. These reporters track how presidential powers affect your neighborhood before national media catches on. Or stay informed through credible media outlets like Reuters, BBC, and The Guardian.

3. Create Civic Action Hubs

Host civic action parties. Screen documentaries about successful grassroots movements. Create spaces where neighbors connect their daily struggles to larger democratic principles. Spaces where you can support one another safely.

4. Leverage Social Media

Join the thousands of others amplifying community voices and standing strong for democracy by sharing videos of yourself or others. Use it to encourage action and change. Use it to battle misinformation.

5. Form Unlikely Alliances

Join groups that serve and connect you to diverse populations you may not otherwise be regularly connected to. LGBTQ+ organizations or faith groups. Groups that volunteer for social causes. Be the bridge that connects racial and economic divides. When diverse communities unite around shared democratic values, presidential overreach meets its match.

Washington didn’t preserve democracy on his own. Networks of committed citizens, each playing their part, did that job. Your actions today, multiplied across communities nationwide, carry that revolution forward.

Power Moves for Organizations

Your nonprofit already fights for justice. Now amplify that impact:

1. Map Your Presidential Impact Chain 

Create a rapid-response team to track how executive orders affect your community. Document every impact. Share these stories through your networks. Real examples of how presidential overreach hurts real people? That’s power.

2. Build Your Democracy Defense Squad 

Cross-train your staff on civic engagement strategies. Make it part of every program you run. Turn your office into a civic engagement hub. Partner with election protection groups to safeguard voting rights.

3. Level Up Your Digital Game 

Transform your social platforms into democracy defenders. Share infographics breaking down executive orders in plain language. Create TikToks explaining checks and balances. Stream Instagram Lives connecting presidential powers to your community’s daily struggles.

4. Flex Your Coalition Muscle 

Join forces with organizations outside your usual circle. Food banks? They know how economic justice and democracy connect. Healthcare clinics? They see how executive orders impact patient care. Environmental groups? They track how presidential power affects community health. Build these connections even more to strengthen our movements.

Washington chose a cabinet over a crown. Today’s organizations choose collective action over going it alone. Your organization’s power grows because you connect, collaborate, and create change together with others.

The Revolution Continues

When Washington walked away from a crown, he made a choice. Every community fighting for justice, every organization pushing for change, every individual demanding better. We’ve echo Washington’s proclamation: We, too, say “no kings” as we continue to fight for democracy.

The tools exist. The networks thrive. The power grows. And, none of us can do this alone. At FUNKY BROWN CHICK, we’re helping organizations harness their power to defend democracy. Whether you need support reaching wider audiences, engaging voters, or building stronger coalitions, we’re here to amplify your impact.

During federal holidays, as our team steps back to recharge, we invite you to join us in reclaiming the revolutionary spirit of this holiday. Because Presidents’ Day has always demanded more than store sales and a day off. It demands we fight to preserve the democracy over a crown. Ready to amplify your impact this Presidents’ Day and every day after?

Drop us a line at smile@funkybrownchick.com or contact us here.

The post Why We’re Closed on Presidents’ Day 2026 first appeared on .

Black History Month 2026 celebrates a century of recorded Black history, and the unstoppable momentum of Black futures. We know this much is true: in what feels like a very fractured world, we must proactively choose to cultivate joy in our lives and in community with others.

Stay ready. Stay inspired. Stay comforted by the knowledge that the only certainty in life is change. If you’re feeling a bit uncertain about your life or the state of the world right now, here are Days to Remember that remind us why we fight. And how we win.

February 1 – 28

Black History Month / Black Futures Month

What started as Negro History Week in 1926 is now a month-long celebration of brilliance and joy. Here is the back story. Historian Carter G. Woodson chose the second week in February as a nod to both Abraham Lincoln’s birthday and Frederick Douglass’ birth & death dates. The original goal was to promote and educate public school students on the history of Black Americans. Later, in 1969, Black students and professors at Kent State University proposed expanding the week to a month. While there are many, many, many places to visit and learn more about Black history, The National Museum of African American History and Culture remains one of our favorites. Celebrate the accomplishments, pride, and futures of Black Americans throughout February—and the rest of the year too!

Sunday, February 1

Tileston v. Ullman; Poe v. Ullman: Supreme Court refuses to hear case on contraceptives.

On this day in 1943, the Supreme Court slammed the door on Dr. Wilder Tileston. Unanimously, they dismissed Tileston v. Ullman. Dr. Wilder Tileston had watched patients risk their lives through pregnancy, and knew he could help them, but the court said no. He argued the law violated both his patients’ right to life and his ability to provide essential care. The Court’s response? He still had no standing to fight for his patients’ rights. When Poe v. Ullman challenged the same law 18 years later, the Court again refused to act.

As often happens in life, those “losses” became fuel. In 1965, Griswold v. Connecticut broke through. The landmark victory in 1965 established the right to contraception.

Today? Healthcare providers are still on the frontlines, stlil refusing to let politicians override medical expertise. Patients are still demanding sovereignty over their bodies.

Want to learn more about how we got to where we are today? Want to support healthcare providers? Download our “Three Acts of Justice” report for concrete actions you can take.

Wednesday, February 4

Rosa Parks’ Birthday (1913)

Born this day in 1913, Rosa Parks served as NAACP chapter president, helped orchestrate the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and later worked with Congress. Her carefully planned act of civil disobedience reminds us that effective movements require both bold action and strategic organizing. Today, as we face new battles for racial justice and human dignity, Parks’ example shows us how individual courage combined with collective action creates lasting change.

World Cancer Day

February 4th marks World Cancer Day, a day created by the Union for International Cancer Control to raise awareness of cancer prevention, the need for early detection, and the promise of developing a cure.

Protecting your health starts with knowledge. Understanding your family health history, addressing known risk factors, and staying informed through trusted readings and community events (like Black Women for Wellness’s monthly Keep in Touch meetings focused on breast health) can make a meaningful difference.

Thursday, February 5

Trayvon Martin’s Birthday (1995)

Had he not been murdered, Trayvon Martin would now be 31 years old. The world knows a racist vigilante murderer killed Trayvon Martin. Those who knew him know he was shy, generous, athletic, and interested in sports video games and aviation. His death, as well as the acquittal of his murderer, is a stark reminder of the never-ending struggle against racist violence, and that Black Lives Matter. To learn more about Trayvon Martin’s family and life, watch or read Rest in Power: The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin. Learn more about the advocacy of Sybrina Fulton, Martin’s mother, here or here.

Wednesday, February 11

International Day of Women and Girls in Science

2026 marks the 11th anniversary of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. Women and girls bring essential perspectives to science, from climate justice to healthcare, yet they remain underrepresented across STEM. Too often, girls are discouraged from entering these fields, and women who do face persistent bias and high rates of sexual harassment in education and the workplace.

This International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we must commit to building STEM spaces that support, protect, and advance women and girls—because equity in science is essential to our future.

Friday, February 13

International Condom Day

Condoms are an essential, safe, affordable option that simultaneously prevents HIV, STIs, and unplanned pregnancies.

But access and education are key. 

Ready to support comprehensive sex education and reproductive health access? Contact FUNKY BROWN CHICK’s Founding CEO & Chief Relationships Officer, Twanna A. Hines, for stigma-free information about sexual health and how you can make an impact!

Saturday, February 14

Valentine’s Day

Whether February 14 brings joy, heartbreak, or indifference, there’s no “right” way to experience it. This holiday has constantly evolved—from ancient Roman festivals to medieval poetry to today’s modern celebrations. Once rooted in religious tradition, it became associated with romantic love by the 1700s.

Today, Valentine’s Day can be whatever you need it to be: a moment for self-care, a celebration of community or chosen family, or simply another Saturday. However you choose to mark it (or not) we honor your choice. 

Public Announcement of the American Sexual Health Association (ASHA)

Originally created to curb sex work and what was then known as “venereal diseases,” a group of about two dozen physicians, social workers (including Jane Addams), and educators banded together in 1914 to create the “American Social Hygiene Association.” Although many of the organization’s early initiatives were sex negative, the organization was one of the first in the US to tackle comprehensive sex education. These days, the modern American Sexual Health Association works to provide information on and advocate for better policies around sexually transmitted infections.

V-Day

V-day is an organization and a movement with a simple mission: to end violence against women and girls. By using creativity as a catalyst for change, the organization believes that “art has the power to transform thinking and inspire people to act.” The movement began as an outgrowth of Eve Ensler’s groundbreaking play The Vagina Monologues. This play, as well as A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant and A Prayer, is now performed across the world on Valentine’s Day, to educate others on violence against women, and to benefit local anti-violence activities. Learn more about this day and discover how you can celebrate here.

Tuesday, February 17

Lunar New Year

The Lunar New Year, also known as the Chinese New Year or Spring Festival, is a time to celebrate family, new beginnings, and good fortune. This year, on February 17, we celebrate the Year of the Fire Horse. People decorate their homes with red, enjoy festive meals, give red envelopes for luck, and take part in parades and dragon dances. It’s a time to come together, honor tradition, and look forward to what the year ahead will bring.

Wednesday, February 18

Audre Lorde’s Birthday (1934)

Born in New York City, Audre Lorde was a revolutionary poet, teacher, and activist. Even as a young person, poetry informed her life—she would memorize poems, and use those poems to verbally communicate how she was feeling. She began writing poetry as she entered adolescence and had her first poem published in Seventeen magazine at age 15. 

A lifelong advocate of social justice, the self-described “black, lesbian, feminist, mother, warrior, poet” stressed the importance of acknowledging intersecting identities, often pointing out when activists failed to do so. In 1980 she co-founded Kitchen Table: Women of Color Press as a means to promote works by Women of Color. Lorde was appointed State Poet of New York in 1991, and sadly died of liver cancer the next year. 

In the years since her death, her words continue to be prescient: “… the master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house… And this fact is only threatening to those women who still define the master’s house as their only source of support.”

Toni Morrison’s Birthday (1931)

Born in Lorain, Ohio on this day in 1931, Toni Morrison transformed American literature by centering Black women’s stories and unflinchingly confronting racial injustice. The Nobel laureate’s works, from The Bluest Eye to Beloved, showed how art could both witness trauma and imagine freedom. Though we lost Morrison in 2019, her words continue to light the way: “The function of freedom is to free someone else.” 

Want to explore how storytelling drives social change? Visit our Art for Social Change impact area.

Thursday, February 19

Executive Order 9066

On February 19, 1942, Executive Order 9066 forced Japanese Americans (regardless of citizenship) into mass incarceration. While the US government claimed to do so in the name of “national security,” it was an act of racially motivated fear. Entire communities were stripped of their rights based on their perceived immigration status.

That same fear is alive today. ICE raids, detention centers, and constant surveillance treat immigrant families as if they’re threats by default. History has already shown us how dangerous this is.

Remembering Executive Order 9066 isn’t just about looking back—it’s a warning. Targeting people because of race, nationality, or immigration status isn’t safety. It’s a moral failure. We can do better. We need policies rooted in care, dignity, and community, not fear. We need to stand with immigrants and make sure history doesn’t repeat itself.

Looking for ways to contribute to immigrant safety? Check out these resources:

• American Civil Liberties Union
• Immigrant Legal Resource Center
• Detention Watch Network
• Freedom for Immigrants
• National Immigrant Justice Center

Amy Tan’s Birthday (1952)

Born in Oakland, California on this day in 1952, Amy Tan revolutionized American literature by centering immigrant stories and mother-daughter relationships typically pushed to the margins. From The Joy Luck Club to her most recent book, The Backyard Bird Chronicles, Tan’s work shows how personal narratives can challenge cultural stereotypes and build bridges across generations. Through novels, memoirs, children’s books, and even opera, she proves that art can transform how we see ourselves and each other.

The Feminine Mystique Published (1963)

The subject of some controversy since its first printing, this influential book written by feminist Betty Friedan disavowed the media-promoted view that truly “feminine” women could (and should) only find satisfaction within the domestic sphere (housekeeping, child rearing, etc.). Women felt dissatisfied, trapped, and unable to live up to these expectations, Friedan asserted. The book’s influence on society was so great that The Feminine Mystique became the best-selling book of 1964. However, because the book took a second-wave feminist approach that largely focused on the concerns of middle-class white women, it did not adequately address many struggles that women with less money and women of color were already experiencing.

Friday, February 20

Death of Frederick Douglass (1895)

When Frederick Douglass died on this day in 1895, he left a blueprint for fighting injustice that resonates powerfully today. Born enslaved in 1818, he taught himself to read—an act of resistance that would shape his life as an abolitionist, writer, and orator. His work linked struggles against slavery with women’s suffrage, showing how movements for justice strengthen each other.

In our continued fight for equity and justice, Douglass’s words ring with renewed urgency: “Power concedes nothing without a demand.” 

Want to honor his legacy? Support organizations fighting voter suppression, donate to freedom libraries, or join local groups protecting the right to learn our full history. His Washington, D.C. home, now a national historic site, offers another way to connect with his enduring impact.

World Day of Social Justice

Momentum is building.

Over 300 organizations worldwide have joined the new Global Coalition for Social Justice, pushing for concrete policy changes instead of empty promises.

But institutional reform is just the start. Real justice grows from the ground up. Support your local worker centers defending labor rights, join climate justice groups fighting environmental racism, or connect with reproductive justice organizations protecting bodily autonomy.

Because social justice isn’t just about changing systems—it’s about changing who has the power to shape them.

Saturday, February 21

Presidents’ Day

What began as a celebration of George Washington’s birthday has become a complicated reflection point in US democracy. Amid ongoing threats to voting rights and democratic institutions, this holiday demands more than simple celebration. It requires us to confront hard questions about presidential power, accountability, and who our systems actually serve.

Originally established in 1879, this day has evolved from honoring Washington to acknowledging all presidents—both their achievements and their failures. Today, it reminds us that democracy isn’t guaranteed. It must be actively defended through civic engagement, protected voting rights, and continued demands for justice. The presidency shapes history, but the people’s collective action shapes the presidency.

Saturday, February 28

NAACP Image Awards

The 57th NAACP Image Awards showcase more than entertainment—they highlight how art and activism intertwine. From Kendrick Lamar’s unflinching social commentary to Doechii’s push for mental healthcare, this year’s nominees demonstrate Black artists’ power to shape cultural narratives and drive social change. As debates about representation and equity continue, these awards remind us: celebrating Black excellence isn’t just about recognition—it’s about creating space for voices that transform society. 

February’s Message…

These February milestones, from Rosa Parks’ strategic resistance to the birth of many social justice icons, remind us that progress isn’t linear, but it is possible. 

The path ahead won’t be easy. But whether we’re honoring Black excellence at the NAACP Image Awards or fighting for social justice in our communities, February shows us that change happens when we stay engaged, speak truth, and work together. 

Need help reaching your own mission’s goals? Give us a shout! We’re here to help you make an even bigger impact in your community!

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