Texas Organizing Project Education Fund

Civic Engagement expenses: TOP Ed Fund increases civic engagement in low and moderate income neighborhoods in Harris, Dallas, and Bexar counties. TOP Ed Fund encourages families to become informed and active participants in their communities and at all levels of government by informing them of the organizational structure of the local governments (city and county), their respective areas of authority; how decisions are made and how and when public meetings and hearings are conducted where they can participate and express their concerns.

Leadership Development expenses: TOP Ed Fund Community Organizers identify community residents with leadership potential in our targeted low-to-moderate income neighborhoods. Organizers work both one-on-one and in group settings with residents to increase their community outreach skills and how to effectively engage their neighbors in joining their efforts to improve their neighborhoods. Residents also learn effective tools and strategies for planning and leading meetings, issue-campaign planning, engaging the media, and increasing civic participation in their neighborhoods.

Public Education and Outreach expenses: The TOP Ed fund identifies issues of concern in low-to-moderate income neighborhoods and partners with experts to provide training, host town hall meetings, and host public forums to promote education and understanding of the community-identified issues and solutions, so that residents have the tools they need to effectively address issues in their community. We conduct outreach and public education on issues such as affordable housing, improving neighborhood infrastructure, improving public schools, jobs and job training, affordable health care, criminal justice reform, and immigrants' rights.