Orange County Justice United

Transcription

1 Orange County Justice United 2016 Annual Report Orange County Justice United P.O. Box 9484 Chapel Hill, NC ocjusticeunited.org facebook.com/ocjuice

2 Page 2 Who is Justice United? Orange County Justice United (JU) is a broad-based community power organization dedicated to developing institutional leaders to organize their communities and take effective public action on the social justice issues that affect the lives of those who live, work, and worship in Orange County, NC. JU is comprised of twenty local member institutions: religious congregations, neighborhood associations, and non-profits with a grassroots base. JU is a vehicle for these institutions to build the collective power necessary to realize our shared vision for Orange County. Justice United s vision has been developed at the grassroots level, through hundreds of one-on-one and small group conversations that take place throughout our member institutions and the communities that surround them. Orange County Justice United develops institutional leaders who can organize power to win on the issues that matter to them the most - to move the world as it is closer to the world as it should be.

3 Page 3 Industrial Areas Foundation Justice United is affiliated with the Industrial Areas Foundation (industrialareasfoundation.org), the nation s first and largest network of multi-faith broad-based citizen organizations, which has seven decades of experience winning tough battles on housing, health care, education, living wages, immigration rights, and other issues across the nation. JU works closely with a coalition of IAF affiliates known as Metro IAF (metro-iaf.org), located in the Midwest and on the Eastern seaboard. Recent victories: Durham CAN in Durham, NC Won a Nationally Recognized Police Accountability Agreement Addressing Racially Biased Traffic Stops. As a result of organizing led by African American and Latino residents, police are now required to inform drivers in English & Spanish of their right to decline a vehicle search, and officers must receive written consent from drivers before searching their cars. BUILD in Baltimore, MD Secured Jobs Partnership with Johns Hopkins University to address the systemic issues underlying the unrest in Baltimore by launching the BUILD One Baltimore Campaign - Making Two Cities One. President Ron Daniels of Johns Hopkins University committed to developing a large-scale employment strategy with BUILD to hire returning citizens and residents living in distressed neighborhoods. Congress of Latino Organizations in NC Drives Massive GOTV Effort; secures support from Gubernatorial Candidate Roy Cooper for comprehensive immigration reform and the hiring of interpreters for clinics and schools in the one hundred counties of North Carolina.

4 Page 4 Holy Family Catholic Church 216 Governor Burke Rd. Hillsborough, NC Office: pastor@hfcch.org Website: hfcch.org

5 Page 5 THE CHAPEL OF THE CROSS SUPPORTS THE WORK OF JUSTICE UNITED AN EPISCOPAL CHURCH AT 304 E. FRANKLIN ST. CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA

6 Page 6 Leadership & Staff Justice United is governed by 1) a Strategy Team of clergy and lay leaders, which sets the strategic direction for the organization; and 2) the Countywide Leaders Caucus, comprised of leaders from each JU member institution, that discusses, ratifies, and implements all JU s major campaigns and actions Strategy Team Slate Adwoa Asare Habitat for Humanity of Orange Cty Delores Bailey* EmPOWERment Inc Rev. Mark Davidson Church of Reconciliation Dr. Molly DeMarco* Strategy Team Rev. Clarke French Episcopal Church of the Holy Family Burnice Hackney St. Paul AME Church Rev. Patty Hanneman UU Congregation of Hillsborough Kathy Kaufman Kehillah Synagogue Jon McDonald Strategy Team Joann Mitchell Habitat for Humanity of Orange Cty Rev. Thomas O. Nixon St. Paul AME Church Rev. Susannah Smith Chapel of the Cross Episcopal Miriam Thompson Chapel Hill Carrboro NAACP * Denotes Co-Chairs Justice United Staff Devin Ross Lead Organizer Budget: Through dues, private foundation support and individual donations, we maintain a strong financial footing Budget vs. Actual Projected Actual Income $113,795 $112,845 Expenses $113,795 $107,795 Bank Accounts Checkings Savings Beginning Balance Jan. 1, 2016 $64,550 $14,808 Ending Balance Dec. 31, 2016 $70,985 $14,823

7 Page 7 Issue Campaign Accomplishments Issue campaigns are the public expression of our work. Campaigns emerge from a process that begins with conversations with leaders in our institutions and communities. Energized by a desire to improve the community, leaders organize to research the causes and impact of the problem. In time, the cohesive and expanded group knows the background, defines the issue, and takes action was a signature year for Justice United. Leaders of dues paying member institutions delivered record levels of support behind our collective agenda, allowing JU to win major campaign victories. Affordable Housing On September 15, Justice United held the largest Assembly in its history - JU leaders turned out 493 members and pledged to deliver 2,640 YES votes for the affordable housing bond, a nonpartisan effort that played a key role in passing the referendum. The bond will deliver $5 million in funding, a crucial component of a plan to build or improve 1,000 units of affordable housing in Orange County over the next five years.

8 Page 8 Reducing Fees & Fines for Safe Drivers Justice United served as a vehicle through which Latino leaders and their allies could negotiate with District Attorney Jim Woodall to address top community concerns. In September Woodall publicly committed to work with JU to develop a solution to increase public safety and reduce fees and fines for unlicensed, yet otherwise safe drivers. By one rough estimation, unlicensed Latino drivers in Orange and Chatham have paid over $1.3 million in fees and fines since Training and Development Justice United's member institutions are committed to developing new leaders through cycles of training and action. Potential leaders are engaged with top-flight training from the Industrial Areas Foundation (through regional and national three, five, and ten day trainings), and a pedagogy of action and reflection that prepares them to identify issues of importance to their local communities and to take effective public action to resolve those issues.

9 Page 9 Over the course of 2016 Justice United leaders delivered 80 members to classroom training to learn universals of broad based organizing, developing a new cohort of leaders with the ability to act and win on our shared agenda. JU s premier 2 ½ day IAF leadership development training was held at the Avila Retreat Center in Durham, December 1-3. JU leaders joined colleagues from sister IAF affiliates Durham CAN and the NC Congress of Latino Organizations to learn how to use organizing tools to knit their communities together for collective action. Membership Justice United is an organization of organizations. Membership is open to congregations, temples, mosques, business groups, schools, health centers, and other institutions that support JU s mission to organize for the common good of those who live, work, and worship in Orange County. JU member institutions are the source of the leaders who create and shape our issue campaigns. Each member entity commits to identifying and developing leaders through training, action, and reflection.

10 Page 10 Benefits of Joining Justice United Vehicle through which you can relate to government and private power Access to collective power to make change on local and state issues Ability to reach beyond own experience, traditions, culture Training to develop leaders and your institution Responsibilities of Joining JU Build a team of lay leaders with clergy support Dues so we can be politically independent and support organizers to work with your leaders Send leaders to training Initiate local action and participate in county-wide or state wide action For more information, or to begin the membership process, contact: Devin Ross Justice United Lead Organizer ross.devin@gmail.com

11 Page 11 Justice United is a tax exempt non-profit under Section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Service Code and a registered charitable organization with the State of North Carolina. JU is funded by dues from member organizations, donations from individuals, religious institutions, businesses as well as foundations. The current 2017 budget pays for one professional organizer who guides and serves the member organizations on making change on community issues that members have identified. The budget also funds the training and development of over 100 volunteers / year and covers expenses associated with operating the issue campaigns. JU does not accept government funds so that it can remain autonomous, politically independent, and non-partisan. JU completes an audit and files IRS Form 990 annually, copies of which may be obtained upon request. A summary of JU's 2015 audit prepared by Neal, Bradsher & Taylor, P.A., is available below. JU Statement of Financial Position December 31, 2015 CURRENT ASSETS: ASSETS Cash & cash equivalents $ 79,351 Accounts receivable Dues 5,545 Unconditional promises to give $ 17,500 Total Current Assets $102,396 NET ASSETS Unrestricted $ 82,098 Temporarily restricted $ 17,500 Total Net Assets $ 99,598 JU Statement of Activities (Excerpt) December 31, 2015 PUBLIC SUPPORT & REVENUE Grants $ 67,500 Contributions & Interest $ 1,087 Membership dues $ 28,903 Total Public Support & Revenue $ 97,490 EXPENSES Program services $ 76,581 Management & general $ 5,206 Total Expenses $ 81,787 CHANGE IN NET ASSETS $ 15,703 NET ASSETS AT BEGINNING OF YEAR $ 83,895 NET ASSETS AT END OF YEAR $ 99,598

12 Justice United 2016 Annual Report 2016 DUES PAYING MEMBERSHIP Olin T. Binkley Baptist Church Chapel of the Cross Episcopal Church Community Church of Chapel Hill UU Chapel Hill/Carrboro NAACP Chapel Hill Friends Church of the Holy Family (Episcopal) Church of Reconciliation El Centro Hispano EmPOWERment, Inc. Episcopal Church of the Advocate Habitat for Humanity of Orange County Interfaith Council for Social Services Kehillah Synagogue Orange County Voice Rogers/Eubanks Neighborhood Association St. Matthew s Episcopal Church St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church The Catholic Community of St. Thomas More United Church of Chapel Hill Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Hillsborough Thank you for your support! We look forward to making Orange County a better place to live, work, and worship in 2017!