The Foundation for Economic and Social Justice (FESJ) is an advocacy group for left-of-center approaches to issues like poverty and educational gaps. Founded in 2013, it has no full-time staff and relies heavily on alliances and educational scholarships to push its agenda. ¹

FESJ promotes the idea of wealth redistribution, education and work being human rights, and environmentalism as part of its overall approach to reshape how the American economic and social systems function. ²

Initiatives

The Foundation for Economic and Social Justice regularly allies with outside groups to raise awareness about domestic and international issues that align with its three major initiatives – educational scholarships, legal support, and worker cooperatives. ³

Its legal initiative is designed to push lawsuits and to have junior lawyers on the team during those lawsuits to help them get more experience.  ⁴ FESJ has provided 11 scholarships of $7,000 each to awardees who align with its worldview. It views scholarships as a force multiplier for its agenda because lawyers can have a disproportionate impact on culture and law. ⁵

Most of FESJ’s allies are small, such as Colpaz-Mexico, a café, and an initiative by the café. ^{6 7} One partner is the National Lawyers Guild’s International Committee; FESJ founder Gilbert Saucedo was previously president of the NLG’s Los Angeles chapter. ^{8 9}

FESJ also signs letters and participates in events. It endorsed the pro-Palestinian March on Washington For Gaza after the Israel-Hamas war began in October 2023. ¹⁰ Event organizers claimed that Israel committed genocide against Palestinians in its response to the Hamas slaughter of 1,200 civilians, and urged the U.S. to stop funding Israel. ¹¹

It signed a letter from the National Lawyers Guild’s International Committee, co-signed by groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, encouraging the new Prime Minister of Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) to tighten its definition of terrorist acts to avoid violating human rights. ¹²

Another letter, led by the Guild and signed by groups such as CODEPINK, urged the U.S. government and the Organization of American States to investigate alleged human rights violations by the prior Bolivian government under former President Jeanine Anez, especially two “massacres” which the signers allege took place during a coup that were not properly investigated. ¹³

Domestically, FESJ signed a letter in 2022 urging support for a California bill to create a state office that would help founder-owned businesses transfer ownership to employees when the founder retires. The letter argued this office was necessary to reduce job loss when businesses sell. ¹⁴

Leadership

Gilbert Saucedo is co-founder and president of the Foundation for Economic and Social Justice. He was previously co-president of the National Lawyers Guild of Los Angeles and is involved in other organizations which engage in left-of-center social activism, especially related to economic issues. ¹⁵

Maria Elena Yepes is a board member and vice president for FESJ. A professor emeritus at East Los Angeles College, she has been involved in educational, film, and Democratic political advocacy for decades. She is also an author on Hispanic culture. ¹⁶

Financials

In 2022, FESJ took in $106,271 in revenue. FESJ reported $74,377 in expenses and $254,854 in net assets in 2022. ¹⁷ The previous year, FESJ earned $73,616 in revenue and incurred $63,603 in expenses, ending the year with $222,960 in net assets.  ¹⁸

1.  “About Us.” Foundation for Economic and Social Justice. Accessed March 6, 2024. About Us – FOUNDATION FOR ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL JUSTICE (foundationjustice.org)
2. “About Us.” Foundation for Economic and Social Justice. Accessed March 6, 2024. About Us – FOUNDATION FOR ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL JUSTICE (foundationjustice.org)
3. “Home”. Foundation for Economic and Social Justice. Accessed March 6, 2024. FOUNDATION FOR ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL JUSTICE – Home (foundationjustice.org)
4. “Legal Support”. Foundation for Economic and Social Justice. Accessed March 6, 2024. Legal Support – FOUNDATION FOR ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL JUSTICE (foundationjustice.org)
5. “Scholarship”. Foundation for Economic and Social Justice. Accessed March 6, 2024. Scholarship – FOUNDATION FOR ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL JUSTICE (foundationjustice.org)
6. “Cooperative.” Foundation for Economic and Social Justice. Accessed March 6, 2024. Cooperative – FOUNDATION FOR ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL JUSTICE (foundationjustice.org)
7. “Take Action.” Foundation for Economic and Social Justice. Accessed March 6, 2024. Take Action – FOUNDATION FOR ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL JUSTICE (foundationjustice.org)
8. “Home”. Foundation for Economic and Social Justice. Accessed March 6, 2024. FOUNDATION FOR ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL JUSTICE – Home (foundationjustice.org)
9. “Take Action.” Foundation for Economic and Social Justice. Accessed March 6, 2024. Take Action – FOUNDATION FOR ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL JUSTICE (foundationjustice.org)
10. “Endorsers”. March on Washington for Gaza. Accessed March 6, 2024. Endorsers – March on Washington for Gaza (march4gaza.org)
11. “What We Want,” March on Washington for Gaza. Accessed March 7, 2024. What We Want – March on Washington for Gaza (march4gaza.org)
12. “Swaziland:: Letter to the Swazi Government relating to amendments to the Suppression of Terrorism Act.” Human Rights Watch. Accessed March 6, 2024. Swaziland: Letter to the Swazi Government relating to amendments to the Suppression of Terrorism Act | Human Rights Watch (hrw.org)
13.  “Open Letter in Support of Justice and Accountability for the November 2019 Coup d’etat in Bolivia and Crimes Committed by the De Facto Government of Jeanine Anez.” National Lawyers Guild International Committee. Accessed March 6, 2024. Open Letter in Support of Justice and Accountability for the November 2019 Coup d’etat in Bolivia and Crimes Committed by the De Facto Government of Jeanine Áñez | National Lawyers Guild International Committee (nlginternational.org)
14. “California Employee Ownership Act.” California Assembly Committee on Jobs, Economic Development, and the Economy. June 21, 2022. Accessed March 6, 2024. assembly-jobs-economic-development-and-the-economy.pdf (trackbill.com)
15.  “Board Members.” Foundation for Economic and Social Justice. Accessed March 6, 2024. Board Members – FOUNDATION FOR ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL JUSTICE (foundationjustice.org)
16. “Board Members.” Foundation for Economic and Social Justice. Accessed March 6, 2024. Board Members – FOUNDATION FOR ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL JUSTICE (foundationjustice.org)
17. “Return of Exempt from Income Tax, Form 990.” Foundation for Economic and Social Justice. 2022. Accessed March 6, 2024. Foundation For Economic And Social Justice – Full Filing- Nonprofit Explorer – ProPublica
18. “Return of Exempt from Income Tax, Form 990.” Foundation for Economic and Social Justice. 2021. Accessed March 6, 2024. https://apps.irs.gov/pub/epostcard/cor/463444802_202112_990EZ_2023051621246268.pdf