The Marlene Fund: Supporting Activism, Building Movements

Fund Goal

Launch a significant expansion of Collective Power’s national work: Increasing access to our programs and work in geographic areas most in need of reproductive justice activists and leaders.

Financial Goal

One million dollars to be spent down over 6 to 8 years.

The Need

In recent years, we have seen increased interest in our programs across the United States. Young people living in hostile, rural, and conservative areas are especially in need of programs that educate, train, and support them as activists and leaders. Building the reproductive justice movement means we must lift up the work and leadership of people deeply impacted by reproductive injustice and support them in sustaining that work in their own communities.  Working in partnership with allies from many different movements, we must build the access, capacity, and momentum for reproductive justice and find ways to open this work to people who think differently—especially during these very polarized times.

Investing in building activism and leadership in those areas requires Collective Power to BE in those areas–to foster connections and relationships, and to explore and understand what those communities need.  A regional presence allows us to be part of and support the community, creating deeper roots, lifting up voices of local leaders, and being responsive to local needs. 

With the help of generous supporters like you, The Marlene Fund will support the launch of a new Collective Power program, the Collective Rising Fellowship. And will support the expansion of our Collective Rising internship. We’ll be able to provide reproductive justice summer internships to 50 undergraduate students by 2024. 

The Cost

These program expansions will add a significant expense to Collective Power’s budget. The Marlene Fund will provide start-up funding to launch this national expansion. We will draw from the fund over the next 6-8 years as we expand, with the expectation that as we build our regional presence we will be able to attract regional fundraising in order to keep pace with an expanded budget.

For more information, please reach out to:
Susan Countryman, Director of Generosity
susan@collectivepowerrj.org