The wrongful death of George Floyd after a fatal encounter with Minneapolis police has sparked outrage in the form of nationwide protests and condemnations of police brutality on social media. But people are also being encouraged to go beyond sharing messages on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and actually donate to organizations working to end injustice.
One such effort is the Justice For George Floyd page on Change.org. Started by 15-year-old Kellen S. of Oregon, the petition became the website’s most-signed ever after surpassing 6 million signatures on May 30. Users are asked to donate in order to boost the petition’s visibility. As of June 2, it had racked up nearly 11.5 million signatures.
Another hugely successful initiative is the GoFundMe started by Floyd’s family, with a target of $1.5 million. The money was intended to cover funeral and burial costs (though a rep for Floyd Mayweather says the retired boxer wants to pay for the funeral), counseling services, legal fees, and continued care for Floyd’s children. More than 350,000 people have already donated $9.2 million as of June 2.
If you’re looking to make a donation to a worthy cause, here’s a list of more organizations working to reform police practices and support racial justice to consider:
- Campaign Zero: An organization that analyzes policing practices across the country, researches to identify effective solutions to end police violence, and lends technical assistance to organizers leading police accountability campaigns.
- The Bail Project: A nonprofit that aims to decrease incarceration rates via bail reform.
- National Bail Fund Network: A directory of community bail and COVID-19 rapid-response funds.
- Black Lives Matter: A global organization dedicated to combating and countering acts of violence against African Americans.
- NAACP Legal Defense Fund: A fund that supports racial justice through advocacy, litigation, and education.
- Communities United Against Police Brutality: A crisis hotline where people can report abuse. The organization also offers legal, medical, and psychological resource referrals.
- Northstar Health Collective: A St. Paul–based organization that provides health services and support at protests.|
- Free Them All for Public Health: An organization that aims to reduces incarceration rates by dialing back police presences, among other initiatives.
- Know Your Rights Camp: An organization founded by Colin Kaepernick that encourages and trains members of black and brown communities to self-mobilize and advocate for themselves peacefully.
- Fair Fight: An organization founded by Stacey Abrams that seeks make elections fairer by equalizing voting rights and access.
- The Equal Justice Initiative: An organization committed to ending mass incarceration, excessive punishment and economic injustice in the United States.
- The Southern Poverty Law Center: An organization that monitors hate groups and other extremists throughout the United States and teaches tolerance to children through the education system.
- Black Visions Collective: A black, trans, and queer-led social justice organization and legal fund based in Minneapolis-St. Paul.
- Gas Mask Fund: A fund dedicated to providing Minneapolis demonstrators with masks that protect against the effects of tear gas.