Community Change Action (formerly the Campaign for Community Change), the advocacy and political counterpart to the Center for Community Change, is an advocacy and grantmaking organization that supports liberal expansionist immigration policies and increase child-care and housing subsidies.
Background
In 1968, Community Change Action’s charitable counterpart, Community Change (also known as the Center for Community Change) was founded in Washington, D.C. Later in 2003, the organization launched a predecessor organization to Community Change Action, the Campaign for Community Change, as its 501(c)(4) counterpart. On April 21, 2014, in anticipation of the 2016 presidential election, the organization announced that it would launch Community Change Action to replace the Campaign for Community Change as well as its aligned affiliate, Change Nation. 1 2
Policy
Community Change Action supports policies that would mandate higher wages for care workers; end certain detention practices involving illegal immigrants arriving at the southern border; more strictly regulate employers of immigrant laborers; limit the presence of the United States military within the country; expand the definition of the family with regard to immigration applications to whomever a given candidate chooses to designate; eliminate immigration per-country caps and quotas; expand U.S. asylum eligibility; reverse provisions of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act; restrict the ability of immigration enforcement agents to operate in places of worship, courtrooms, and schools; repurpose Department of Homeland Security funding to modernize ports of entry; increase and expand access to the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit; fully fund the Housing Choice Voucher Program; and increase the maximum SNAP benefit by 15 percent. 3 4 5 6
Grants
Organizations that have received grants of $40,000 or more from Community Change Action include Casa in Action, Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition, Faith in Minnesota, Family Forward Action Fund, Florida Rising, Gamaliel Faith and Democracy Campaign, Living United for Change in Arizona, Maine People’s Alliance, Make the Road Action, Michigan People’s Campaign, Moses Action, Mothering Justice Action Fund, New Georgia Project Action Fund, Organizers in the Land of Enchantment, Tides Advocacy, and Working Families Organization. 7
Partners
Partner organizations of Community Change Action include The Fair Immigration Reform Movement Action (FIRM Action), a network of 20 left-of-center pro-immigration organizations, as well as the Black Freedom Collective, a network of critical race theory-aligned organizations. 8
Leadership
Dorian Warren is co-president of Community Change Action, co-president of Community Change, and co-chair of the Economic Security Project, a left-of-center initiative that advocates for the federal government to distribute unconditional payments through a universal basic income program. Previously, Warren taught at the University of Chicago, was the co-director of the Columbia University Program on Labor Law and Policy, and worked at MSNBC as a contributor, host, and executive producer of “Nerding Out.” Additionally, Warren sits on the boards of organizations including Working Partnerships USA, the Leadership Conference Education Fund, the National Employment Law Project, and The Nation. 9
Lorella Praeli is the co-president of Community Change Action and co-president of Community Change. Previously, she was the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)’s deputy national political director, national Latino vote director for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign, and director of advocacy and policy for United We Dream. Additionally, Praeli serves on the boards of the Edward W. Hazen Foundation, FWD.us, and the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy. 10
Lisa García Bedolla is the chair of Community Change Action’s board of directors as well as the vice provost of Graduate Studies, dean of the Graduate Division, and professor at the University of California, Berkley. 11
References
- “Center for Community Change Action Launches with Mission to Build Power in Low-Income Communities.” Community Change. April 21, 2014. Accessed February 5, 2024. https://communitychange.org/page/center-community-change-action-launches-mission-build-power-low-income-communities/
- “Who We Are.” Community Change Action. Accessed February 5, 2024. https://communitychangeaction.org/about/#history
- [1] “Child Care Political Memorandum.” Community Change Action. January 28, 2020. Accessed February 5, 2024. https://communitychangeaction.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Child-Care-Political-Memo-January-2020.pdf
- “The FIRM and FIRM Action Vision.” FIRM. Accessed February 5, 2024. https://vision.firmaction.org/
- “Priority Demands for COVID-19 Relief.” Community Change Action. February 2021. Accessed February 5, 2024. https://communitychangeaction.org/a-bold-inclusive-and-caring-agenda/
- “Winning Policy Change.” Community Change Action. Accessed February 5, 2024. https://communitychangeaction.org/winning-policy/.
- Center for Community Change Action. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax. (Form 990), 2022. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/520888113/202322269349301257/full
- “Who We Are.” Community Change Action. Accessed February 5, 2024. https://communitychangeaction.org/about/
- [1] “People.” Community Change. Accessed February 26, 2024. https://communitychange.org/people/
- “People.” Community Change. Accessed February 26, 2024. https://communitychange.org/people/
- Board of Directors.” Community Change Action. Accessed February 5, 2024. https://communitychangeaction.org/board-of-directors/