“For more than 30 years, the LIUUF has demonstrated bold leadership, championing projects that build power among marginalized groups and advocating for policies and practices that level the playing field,” said David Okorn, The Trust’s vice president for Long Island.
Lauren Stewart, Turn Two
lauren@turn-two.co | (804) 690-9966
Marie Smith, Director of Communications, Long Island
msmith@thenytrust.org | (631) 991-8800 x223
(Commack, January 21, 2025) – The advisory committee of the Long Island Unitarian Universalist Fund (LIUUF) at The New York Community Trust has granted a total of $378,000 to 15 nonprofits in 2024. These grants support timely efforts to advance progressive social change by supporting civic participation among immigrants, increasing LGBT representation on boards, promoting inclusive school environments, and much more.
“For more than 30 years, the LIUUF has demonstrated bold leadership, championing projects that build power among marginalized groups and advocating for policies and practices that level the playing field,” said David Okorn, The Trust’s vice president for Long Island. “Guided by Unitarian Universalist values, the LIUFF continues to make Long Island a more equitable and peaceful place for all of its residents.” The LIUUF is a field-of-interest fund at The Trust’s Long Island office with three grant cycles per year. The fund was established by the Unitarian Universalist Veatch Program at Shelter Rock, and its advisory committee represents Unitarian Universalist congregations throughout Long Island. Its grantmaking goals include social justice, advocacy, and education, drawing on the core Unitarian Universalist belief in people’s worth and dignity, democratic principles, justice, a search for truth, and our interconnectedness.
“In true Unitarian Universalist spirit, our 2024 grantees are focused on supporting people disproportionately affected by systemic racism, our justice system, and environmental harms, to make their voices heard and advance social justice for future generations of Long Islanders,” said Deborah Little, chair of the LIUUF advisory committee.
“LIUUF’s commitment to empowering marginalized communities, often overlooked due to systemic biases, positions them as a true champion of social justice,” said Margarita Espada, the executive and artistic director of Teatro Yerbabruja, a grantee of the fund. “Through this grant, Yerbabruja offers a safe haven for young, predominantly undocumented immigrants, empowering them to discover their voice, language, and cultural identity.”
The following is a list of grants LIUUF awarded in 2024. Longer descriptions of the programs supported are available upon request.
ADVOCACY INSTITUTE, INC. – $25,000 for legislative capacity building on Long Island.
CENTRAL AMERICAN REFUGEE CENTER (CARECEN NY) – $30,000 to empower immigrants through education and encourage civic participation and engagement in the democratic process.
ERASE RACISM -$35,000: Advance racial equity through youth empowerment programs.
HERSTORY WRITERS NETWORK -$25,000: Empowerment and leadership development for court-involved young people.
LGBT NETWORK -$25,000: Effort to increase LGBT representation on local boards as well as at board meetings to advocate and protect LGBT rights.
LONG ISLAND IMMIGRATION – $25,000 to support a pro se clinic that assists asylum seekers representing themselves in immigration court.
LONG ISLAND PINE BARRENS SOCIETY – $5,000 to equip sixth graders with civic engagement skills by involving them in addressing a local environmental issue.
NEW HOUR FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN – $20,000 to increase the leadership and advocacy skills of women directly impacted by the criminal justice system.
NEW YORK CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION FOUNDATION (NYCLU) – $30,000 for leadership development for Latino immigrant parents to promote more inclusive and responsive schools for Latino students and families.
OLA OF EASTERN LONG ISLAND -$30,000: Advocate for state and local policies that protect the rights of Latino immigrants on Long Island’s East End.
RELEASE AGING PEOPLE IN PRISON – $30,000 to advocate for criminal justice reform.
SOUND JUSTICE INITIATIVE -$20,000: Creating an infrastructure for justice-involved individuals to gain access to information and services to help them navigate reentry.
TEATRO EXPERIMENTAL YERBABRUJA – $25,000 for a social justice arts program to empower Latino immigrant young people and promote inclusive school environments.
THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT PROJECT -$23,000: Leadership initiative creating opportunities for young people of color to advocate for change in their communities.
TU PRENSA LOCAL, INC. – $30,000 to make local news more accessible to Latino residents on the East End to increase their awareness, community connections, and civic participation.
