Grassroots Power Project
Grassroots Power Project believes structural transformation of our society is crucial. Stronger, more strategic community and labor organizing formations will help undo the damages of neoliberalism and racial capitalism.
- GPP works with organizations, alliances and labor to develop new organizing practices to achieve transformational social change. Through decades of partnership with grassroots groups, we have developed a series of strategic frameworks. These tools support organizations to be more effective and ambitious. They facilitate a shift away from short-term, incremental campaigns and towards building and wielding governing power to achieve economic, racial, gender and environmental justice.[1]
Staff, 2023
- Maria Poblet Executive Director
- Harmony Goldberg Director of Praxis
- Tammy Bang Luu Director of Programs
- Margarita Hernandez Labor Director
- Amy Vanderwarker Senior Strategist
- Sharon Cromwell Senior Strategist
- Dan McGrath Senior Strategist
- Priya Johnson Strategist
- Hashim Benford Strategist
- Lucia Oliva Hennelly Strategist
- Claire Tran Strategist
- Tyger Caygill-Walsh Operations and Finance Manager[2]
Board, 2023
- Kimberly Freeman Brown Board Chair
- Libero Della Piana Board Treasurer
- Richard Healey Board Member
- Isabel Vinent Grimany Board Member
- Milena Velis Board Member
- Denise Diaz Board Member[3]
Facilitators + Advisors
- Steve Hughes Strategist + Facilitator
- Valery Alzaga Strategist + Facilitator
- Raquel Lavina Strategist + Facilitator
- Karen Scharff Strategist + Facilitator
- Ted Fertik Strategist + Facilitator
- Sandra Hinson Advisor[4]
Grassroots Power Project history
Grassroots Power Project has supported state-level and national social justice infrastructure for more than 20 years. In 1993, Grassroots Policy Project started out as a small group of organizers with academic and policy experience who were determined to bridge the divide between progressive think tanks, and policy shops, on the one hand, and grassroots organizers and leaders, on the other.
As we formed relationships with staff and leaders in statewide, regional and national organizing groups, we evolved into an unusual intermediary. We walk side-by-side with organizers and leaders as they struggle to make shifts in their organizing models, developing deep relationships.
In 2019, after several decades under the leadership of Richard Healey and Sandra Hinson, Maria Poblet assumed the Executive Director role and GPP transferred our leadership, frameworks, resources and relationships to a new and growing team that is younger, more diverse and women-led. GPP’s new leadership is scaling up our efforts so we can be equal to the work ahead.[5]
Teachers
We want to name and pay tribute to those who have taught us, and whose ideas we work with and teach. We owe a debt of gratitude to our founders, Richard Healey and Sandra Hinson, and others who paved the way for us especially David Mann and Alexa Bradley. And to many movement intellectuals whose ideas we use in our work every day, including: Antonio Gramsci, Stuart Hall, W.E.B. DuBois, Marta Harnecker, Maria Mies, Robin D. G. Kelley, and Nancy Fraser.[6]
"The need to fight the Right"
Convergence Magazine. March 9, 2023.
How do our organizations navigate the dual tasks of building power to make long-term gains for our communities and working in a broad front to defeat MAGA in 2024 and beyond? Our panelists will dig into their deep and varied experience to suggest ways we can build real-world coordination among Left and progressive groups—and how we might work productively with more centrist forces who may only agree with us on one thing: the need to fight the Right.
Panelists:
- Sendolo Diaminah, Carolina Federation
- Alexa Horwart, ISAIAH MN
- Maurice Mitchell, Working Families Party
- Brendan Walsh, Worker Power AZ
Co-Hosts: