Our Projects
First Round of Grants
Matching Justice’s Board of Directors is enthusiastic to announce the awarding of its first round of grants to two phenomenal groups, the Tacoma-based Institute for Black Justice and the Pre-Employment Preparation Program (PEPP) out of Spokane, WA.
Institute for Black Justice
Matching Justice wants to empower local communities through relationship building and truth-telling. Our foundation wishes to participate in helping local and community groups working toward racial justice and IBJ is doing just that. Through their CHIMES program, IBJ advocates for families in the child welfare system whose ability to reunify is impacted by race, culture and class. IBJ is also making a difference in their greater Pierce County community by engaging the community through their forums and events about social and racial issues. Their enthusiasm and energy is contagious and Matching Justice is pleased to provide a racial justice grant to continue their efforts.
Pre-Employment Preparation Program (PEPP)
The PEPP prepares low income, minority, disenfranchised and formerly incarcerated individuals to be successful in applying for Apprenticeships in the Building Trades. Matching Justice’s grant will provide for 10 students to take PEPP’s 20-day/8 hr per day course using the MC3 curriculum and providing each student with certifications in OSHA 10, Flagging, Forklift and Safety/First Aid,CPR with AED. PEPP provides each student: with a $100 voucher for work-boots and/or work clothing whichever is needed most by each student; a full set of American-made hand tools which are given to the student upon graduation from PEPP, and a $100 per week cash stipend for each student who is on time and in class every day.
PEPP’s efforts mirror Matching Justice’s desire to provide grants in the arena of labor justice by not only supporting worker’s rights and opportunity but PEPP’s program gives a chance to make a living wage for workers who may not be given the chance.
Matching Justice was formed by a small group of family and friends to help right some of the wrongs in the world, to replace greed with love, hate with hope, and injustice with justice. We are a 501(c)3 non-profit community foundation led by a Board of Directors. A generous donation for an operations endowment covers all of our overhead costs, allowing 100% of all donations to Matching Justice to be used for community grants. Matching Justice’s mission is to identify community groups and programs working toward labor, environmental, social and racial justice, and to financially support them through grants. By identifying the best justice-oriented projects in need of funding, we are able to pair benefactors with community groups in need of support.