Just Strategy

NATIONAL CAMPAIGN FOR TRANSIT JUSTICE did outreach & education on the need for investment in transit infrastructure. This included weekly briefings of 60 community based organizations. The campaign expanded the number of states it works in from 19 to 24. The campaign convened weekly educational calls with advocates that covered the federal transit policy, the state of play on transit issues & the implementation of the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act & the Inflation Reduction Act. The campaign also generated national sign on letters, generated thousands of Green House Gas comments during rule making, organized grassroots activists to brief the Tri-caucus on the importance of funding transit, organized meetings of local groups with their Congressional delegation to drive support for legislation. The campaign set a clear goal to increase federal funding for public transit & to reverse Congress's resistance to funding operations to expand public transit service & ensure more racially equitable, economically robust, & environmentally friendly communities. Over the last 18-month long campaign, we achieved many of our goals: 1) President Biden's 'Build Back Better Act' included $10 million in new funding for transit operations. And the Appropriations bill included $13 billion for public transit. (Dec 2021), 2) American Rescue Plan included $30.5 billion to save public transit facing an unprecedented crisis from COVID-19. (March 2022), 3) Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act, which included $39.2 billion for public transit, represented the largest-ever federal investment in public transit. (Nov 2022), and 4) Inflation Reduction Act, which funded electrification & a new Neighborhood Access & Equity Grant Program ($3.2 billion) supported neighborhood equity, safety & affordable transportation access.

COMMUNITIES FOR OUR COLLEGES. The campaign organized community college students, faculty, staff and labor allies to increase access to college and increase completion rates. We fight for free college, public benefits and career and mental health counseling. In 2023, C4C spearheaded a campaign and passed HB 1889, legislation that allows persons to apply for professional licenses and certifications regardless of immigration or citizenship status. The legislation permits an applicant to provide an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number in lieu of a social security number on an application. C4C packed hearing rooms, coordinated student testimony, and educated legislators, sending student stories daily for 60 days.

NATIVE ORGANIZERS ALLIANCE ACTION FUND advocates & supports grassroots-driven social change rooted in Native traditional practices & values to advance sovereignty & the health & well-being of rural & urban Native communities & reservations across Indian Country. NOA-AF is building advocacy & campaign infrastructure, data collection, & building power in frontline Native communities to connect local Native communities & tribal issues with state & national advocacy campaigns, & with non-Native allies.In 2023, NOA was actively engaged in a number of campaigns to protect sacred places including Oak Flat, Grand Canyon, Bears Ears, Lower Snake, Thacker Pass, Missouri River, Yukno-Kuskokwim Delta.. We supported efforts by tracking and analyzing legislation, providing comments to agencies, and amplifying the collective voices of affected communities through letter campaigns, petition drives, and educational initiatives on policy issues that affect Indian Country In 2023, NOA had the honor to work directly with a number of Tribes across the country, including the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in their ongoing battle against the Dakota Access Pipeline