The Marlene Fund: Supporting Activism, Building Movements

A fund to support Collective Power’s national expansion in honor of Marlene Gerber Fried.
This is my fifth decade of activism, and I’m still going strong — I’m still pissed off, and I’m still committed, because the only antidote I know to rage and despair is our collective passion and determination. Together we are weaving a new tapestry of justice and freedom for all people.
Marlene Gerber Fried

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.

She’s always offered a critique of liberal feminism, and wanted to make it far more radical. That’s been the brave stance that she takes over and over again.
Loretta Ross

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. 

Marlene is a really brilliant teacher. She taught very political material in a way that was intellectually rigorous.
Betsy Hartmann, professor emerita of development studies, Hampshire College and former PopDev director

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.

A group of people smiling with their arms wrapped around one another. They are all wearing glasses!
People protesting the right to abortion access and being prochoice! They are holding signs that read "Honk For Choice" and "ABORTION ACCESS without it you've got no CHOICE." The colors on these signs are pink, red, and blue.

Join us in honoring Marlene by expanding training and education opportunities for young activists and leaders throughout the country.

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

Marlene is fearless, absolutely fearless.
Mia Kim Sullivan, Executive Director, Collective Power for Reproductive Justice