It’s been a while since we checked in. How are you doing? How are you feeling?
These past few months have brought us trials we couldn’t have imagined, but they’ve also brought, at least for us at MINNA, a bit of hope. Our business has morphed, our values have come to the forefront, reminding us that that's where they always should be, and we have taken real solace in witnessing the true desire across communities to seek and create change.
This work of being anti-racist is an ongoing project and one that requires attention daily. We made a promise to you, our customers and followers, to keep you updated on our journey and the action steps we’re taking as a business to combat racism. We wanted to share an update with you here:
We’ve always believed in redistributing resources, in all forms, and we've always thought that as a business, transparency is our strongest tool for accountability. That's why we have made sure to track and document our one time donations, fundraising efforts, and ongoing projects here on our journal. We don't do this to give ourselves a pat on the back, but as a pledge to transparency and frankly, we'd rather overshare.
We wanted to step back and take some time to consider how we could formalize some of these donations to maximize their impact and act proactively instead of reactively in support of anti-racist groups and organizations. We received feedback from organizers and non-profit leaders that, while one-off donations in emergencies and heightened times of need are certainly important, what makes a bigger impact is sustained, recurring donations that these organizations can count on. If they know they have money coming in every month, they can draw up budgets, make bigger plans, and create structures to support the systematic change that we all know is needed.
That’s why we wanted to share our new system for redistributing some of the funds that come through MINNA. On top of maintaining the usual way we raise money (raffles, one-off timely donations, giving product to organizers), we are committing to donate 3% of our yearly profit in the form of sustained, monthly recurring donations to three different organizations. We decided it was important to channel our efforts in three distinct directions - on a national level, on a local level, and on a timely, need-based level.
To start off this year, we are grateful and excited to support:
A Hudson-based “center for liberatory education” for young people in Hudson and the surrounding areas. They provide daytime and after school classes, camps, and leadership programs focusing on social justice and environmental leadership as well as organizing and employment skills. They also focus on accessibility to these amazing programs for all families, regardless of income. We at MINNA have seen first hand the role Kite’s Nest plays in nurturing the and empowering the young people in our community.
Provides support to over 60 community-led bail and bond funds working to end pretrial and immigration detentions and combat the money bail system. We love this organization because of its flexibility and ability to funnel resources directly to the communities and people in need.
An organization focused on the health and human rights of transgender sex workers. They provide countless services including around the clock crisis support, health care and resilience education and referrals, and housing, including plans to create their own housing facility to provide long-term safety and shelter. They fight to end the stigmatization, criminalization, and cycle of disenfranchisement faced by the trans and trans sex worker community.
We are also kicking off this commitment by raffling off one of our most popular (and frequently sold out!) items, the Abstract Throw in Indigo, with all proceeds going directly to Soul Fire Farm. SFF is a BIPOC-centered community farm committed to ending racism and injustice in the food system working with the belief that the pursuit of justice is necessarily a collective movement. We couldn’t agree more, and we’re so excited to gather donations in support of their ongoing work. Tickets are $25 with a prize value of $365, unlimited entries. To buy raffle tickets head to our raffle listing here. The winner will be announced along with the total amount raised on Sunday, July 26th, and we will be posting updates on funds raised throughout the week.
We can’t thank you, our community, enough for all of your strength, feedback, and energy behind this movement, and we look forward to continuing to share our thinking, our actions, and our commitments with you.
