We are proud to announce that seven community organizations have been selected from a strong pool of applicants to participate in the 2012-2013 Small Grants and Technical Assistance Program. With the leadership and support of the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, CTAC has been building the capacity, sustainability and impact of member-led non-profit organizations that engage in crucial community organizing in low-income communities in the Northeast. CTAC works with grantee organizations for up to 5 years to address root causes of poverty and achieve systemic change.

This fall, we are excited to partner with the following organizations:

• Boston Workers Alliance (BWA), Dorchester, MA
  BWA is dedicated to reversing criminal record discrimination and the crisis of joblessness in Boston's low income communities of color. Among recent achievements, BWA was a key player in the passage of the Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) reform that took full effect in May 2012, making Massachusetts one of only two states to eliminate the CORI question from all initial job application forms.
• Brazilian Immigrant Center (BIC), Allston, MA
  Founded by Brazilian immigrants, BIC addresses the needs for organizing, advocacy and education for social justice in the Brazilian community. Ongoing campaigns include organizing and joining forces statewide in a legislative campaign to introduce a Massachusetts Domestic Workers Bill of Rights, which will bring domestic workers under the protection of state labor laws.
• Centro Comunitario de Trabajadores (CCT), New Bedford, MA
  CCT works primarily with the Central American immigrant community in the area of New Bedford to defend the rights of immigrant workers. CCT is one of the lead organizations in the statewide Reform Employment Agency Law campaign in Massachusetts. In January 2012, CCT signed a formal agreement with a local temporary employment agency addressing workers' rights violations and mandating the agency to adhere to labor laws.
• Direct Action for Rights and Equality (DARE), Providence, RI
  DARE is a membership-based community organization that organizes low-income families in communities of color for social, political, and economic justice. Recent DARE victories include the passage of the Healthy Pregnancies for Incarcerated Women Act and the Elimination of Mandatory Minimum Drug Sentencing in Rhode Island.
• Fuerza Laboral, Central Falls, RI
  Fuerza Laboral's mission is to end exploitation of workers in Rhode Island through community organizing of workers in some of the most vulnerable situations. Recent accomplishments include organizing and educating 280 laid off non-unionized workers using a popular education model. In late 2011, a litigation victory affirmed that the Colibri Jewelry factory violated the Federal WARN Act by closing down in 2008, without warning or paying wages, and was ordered to pay back salaries.
• Restaurant Opportunities Center (ROC-NYC), New York City, NY
  ROC-NY was initially founded to provide support to restaurant workers displaced after September 11, 2001, but has now expanded to organize restaurant workers throughout New York City to improve working conditions in the industry. Among its many victories, ROC-NYC has played an instrumental role twice in increasing the minimum wage for tipped workers in New York State, and is currently heavily involved in the Campaign for Paid Sick Days for restaurant workers.
• Philadelphia Student Union (PSU), Philadelphia, PA
  PSU is a youth-led organization that builds the power of young people to demand a high quality education in the Philadelphia public school system. PSU is a city-wide organization with chapters in eight Philadelphia schools. PSU provides leadership development programs to high school students and conducts public campaigns on issues of equal access to education. PSU was a major driving force in the School Funding Victory, granting Pennsylvania schools a historic increase in basic education funding of $275 million.

We assist groups as they build on these successful track records of organizing for social change, and we look forward to keeping you updated about this pivotal work. Please call us at (617) 423-1444 or visit our website for more information about our assistance in Community Development, and follow us on Facebook for updates from the field.