The RISE Together Fund (Rights, Inclusion, Solidarity, Equity) is a center-left donor collaborative founded in 2009 by ReThink Media and the Proteus Fund, the group’s fiscal sponsor. From 2009 to January 2019, the Fund was known as the Security & Rights Collaborative.
The RISE Together Fund opposes national security policies pursued by both Republican and Democratic administrations and the activities of U.S. foreign intelligence services. It also seeks to close the terrorist detention facility at the Guantanamo Bay military base, regulate drone warfare, restrain foreign intelligence collection, and stop profiling of certain ethnic groups in America. 1
RISE Together Action Fund is the lobbying arm of RISE Together Fund and a project of the 501(c)(4) Proteus Action League.
Funding
The overwhelming majority of the RISE Together Fund’s grants go to organizations representing Muslim, Arab, and South Asian communities seen as likely to be targeted by national security activities. RISE funds organizations involved in political organizing and activism, combating public perception of these communities as sources of terrorism, and limiting scrutiny from law enforcement and national security entities. Grantees include the Georgia Muslim Voter Project, Tennessee Immigration and Refugee Rights Coalition, Muslim Anti-Racism Collaborative, Muslim Students Association-West, Sikh Coalition, Council on American-Islamic Relations-Los Angeles, and Council of American-Islamic Relations-San Francisco Bay Area. 2
According to a 2019 request for funding proposals, RISE Together typically issues grants of $1,000 to $6,000 to tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofits; donations to 501(c)(4) advocacy nonprofits are issued through the RISE Together Action Fund, administered by Proteus Action League. 3
According to the Proteus Fund’s 2017 IRS filing, it expended $2,649,649 on the RISE program. 4
RISE Together Fund Grant Recipients
According to the Proteus Fund’s online grant database, the Proteus Fund has distributed grants through the RISE Together Fund to the following nonprofits: 5
| RISE Together: Grant Recipients | Amount | Year |
|---|---|---|
| ACCESS | $60,000 | 2015 |
| Arab American Association of New York | $30,000 | 2015 |
| Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Asian Law Caucus | $82,600 | 2015 |
| Bill of Rights Defense Committee | $20,000 | 2015 |
| Center for Intercultural Organizing | $20,000 | 2015 |
| Center for New Community | $15,000 | 2015 |
| DRUM - Desis Rising Up and Moving | $60,000 | 2015 |
| Institute for Social Policy and Understanding | $50,000 | 2015 |
| MAS Boston Society | $15,000 | 2015 |
| ReThink Media | $405,160 | 2015 |
| Sikh Coalition | $60,000 | 2015 |
| South Asian Americans Leading Together | $60,000 | 2015 |
| Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition | $25,000 | 2015 |
| The Arab American Institute Foundation | $40,000 | 2015 |
| William J. Brennan Jr. Center for Justice | $32,000 | 2015 |
| ACCESS | $60,000 | 2016 |
| Arab American Association of New York | $48,700 | 2016 |
| Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Asian Law Caucus | $60,000 | 2016 |
| Center for Intercultural Organizing | $20,000 | 2016 |
| Center for Social Inclusion | $37,500 | 2016 |
| DRUM - Desis Rising Up and Moving | $60,000 | 2016 |
| Institute for Social Policy and Understanding | $50,000 | 2016 |
| Islamic Society of North America | $6,000 | 2016 |
| National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance | $5,000 | 2016 |
| ReThink Media | $474,000 | 2016 |
| Sikh Coalition | $66,800 | 2016 |
| South Asian Americans Leading Together | $60,000 | 2016 |
| Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition | $2,5000 | 2016 |
| The Arab American Institute Foundation | $40,000 | 2016 |
| Veterans for Peace | $5,000 | 2016 |
| Washington State University Foundation | $5,000 | 2016 |
| William J. Brennan Jr. Center for Justice | $20,000 | 2016 |
| ACCESS | $17,000 | 2017 |
| ACCESS | $6,000 | 2017 |
| Allied Media Projects | $32,500 | 2017 |
| American Muslim Advisory Council | $7,000 | 2017 |
| Arab American Association of New York | $30,000 | 2017 |
| Arab American Civic Council | $6,000 | 2017 |
| Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Asian Law Caucus | $65,000 | 2017 |
| Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Los Angeles | $6,000 | 2017 |
| Bus Federation Civic Fund | $10,000 | 2017 |
| CAIR - Chicago | $7,000 | 2017 |
| Centro De Salud La Comunidad De San Ysidro | $5,000 | 2017 |
| Chhaya Community Development Corporation | $7,000 | 2017 |
| Council on American-Islamic Relations California | $24,750 | 2017 |
| DRUM - Desis Rising Up and Moving | $60,000 | 2017 |
| Georgia Muslim Voter Project | $23,333 | 2017 |
| Greater Birmingham Ministries | $30,000 | 2017 |
| Institute for Social Policy and Understanding | $50,000 | 2017 |
| Islamic Society of North America | $7,000 | 2017 |
| LA Voice | $7,000 | 2017 |
| MAS Boston Society | $30,000 | 2017 |
| Muslim Advocates | $7,000 | 2017 |
| Muslim Community Network | $7,100 | 2017 |
| Muslim Students Association - West | $30,000 | 2017 |
| Muslim Wellness Foundation | $6,000 | 2017 |
| National Immigration Law Center | $10,000 | 2017 |
| National Iranian American Council | $10,000 | 2017 |
| National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance | $7,700 | 2017 |
| NEO Philanthropy | $25,000 | 2017 |
| OneAmerica | $6,000 | 2017 |
| Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans | $37,900 | 2017 |
| Project South: The Institution for the Elimination of Poverty and Genocide | $40,000 | 2017 |
| ReThink Media | $547,000 | 2017 |
| Sikh Coalition | $60,000 | 2017 |
| South Asian Americans Leading Together | $60,000 | 2017 |
| Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition | $40,000 | 2017 |
| The Arab American Institute Foundation | $50,000 | 2017 |
| The City University of New York School of Law Foundation | $7,000 | 2017 |
| Unite Oregon | $20,000 | 2017 |
| University of Southern California | $40,000 | 2017 |
| William J. Brennan Jr. Center for Justice | $7,632 | 2017 |
| Action Center on Race and the Economy Institute | $10,000 | 2018 |
| ADC Research Institute | $6,000 | 2018 |
| Adhikaar for Human Rights and Social Justice | $10,000 | 2018 |
| Allied Media Projects | $45,948 | 2018 |
| Arab American Association of New York | $40,000 | 2018 |
| Arab American Civic Council | $3,000 | 2018 |
| Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Asian Law Caucus | $65,000 | 2018 |
| Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon | $8,000 | 2018 |
| CAIR Foundation | $7,000 | 2018 |
| Council on American-Islamic Relations Minnesota | $9,000 | 2018 |
| Defending Rights and Dissent | $30,000 | 2018 |
| DRUM - Desis Rising Up and Moving | $60,000 | 2018 |
| Emgage Foundation | $30,000 | 2018 |
| Greater Birmingham Ministries | $30,000 | 2018 |
| Indiana University Foundation | $10,000 | 2018 |
| Institute for Social Policy and Understanding | $50,000 | 2018 |
| Islamic Society of North America | $4,400 | 2018 |
| Jetpac Resource Center | $8,000 | 2018 |
| MAS Boston Society | $30,000 | 2018 |
| Muslim Students Association - West | $30,000 | 2018 |
| Muslim Students Association - West | $1,350 | 2018 |
| Muslim Wellness Foundation | $8,000 | 2018 |
| National Iranian American Council | $7,000 | 2018 |
| National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance | $10,000 | 2018 |
| New York Immigration Coalition | $,5000 | 2018 |
| OneAmerica | $4,000 | 2018 |
| Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans | $30,000 | 2018 |
| PICO National Network | $30,000 | 2018 |
| Project South: The Institution for the Elimination of Poverty and Genocide | $30,000 | 2018 |
| ReThink Media | $425,000 | 2018 |
| Sikh Coalition | $47,295 | 2018 |
| South Asian Americans Leading Together | $70,000 | 2018 |
| Spirit of Peace United Church of Christ | $30,000 | 2018 |
| The Arab American Institute Foundation | $55,000 | 2018 |
| The Praxis Project | $6,000 | 2018 |
| Unite Oregon | $40,000 | 2018 |
| University of Southern California | $40,000 | 2018 |
| Yemeni American Merchants Association | $5,000 | 2018 |
| ACCESS | $15,000 | 2019 |
| Allied Media Projects | $48,300 | 2019 |
| Arab American Association of New York | $40,000 | 2019 |
| Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Asian Law Caucus | $65,000 | 2019 |
| Center for Intercultural Organizing dba Unite Oregon | $40,000 | 2019 |
| Council on American Islamic Relations of Arizona | $5,000 | 2019 |
| DRUM - Desis Rising Up and Moving | $60,000 | 2019 |
| Iraqi Community Center of Washington | $3,000 | 2019 |
| Muslim Justice League | $15,000 | 2019 |
| Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans | $30,000 | 2019 |
| PICO National Network | $30,000 | 2019 |
| ReThink Media | $325,000 | 2019 |
| Sikh Coalition | $66,000 | 2019 |
| South Asian Americans Leading Together | $70,000 | 2019 |
| Spirit of Peace United Church of Christ | $30,000 | 2019 |
| University of Southern California | $40,000 | 2019 |
| Grand Total: | $5,678,968 |
References
- “Security and Rights.” Security and Rights | ReThink Media. 2018. Accessed January 24, 2018. https://rethinkmedia.org/security-and-rights.
- The Proteus Fund. Security and Rights Collaborative 2017 Grants. December 4, 2017. A list and descriptions of grants made to MASA groups in 2017.
- “RISE Together Fund: Request for Proposals.” Proteus Fund. 2019. Accessed July 18, 2019. Original URL: https://www.proteusfund.org/wp-content/uploads/RTF-2019-RR-Opportunity-Fund-Proposal-Guidelines.pdf. Archived here: https://www.influencewatch.org/app/uploads/2019/07/RISE-Together-Fund-2019-Proposal-Request.pdf
- Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Proteus Fund. 2017. Part III (Statement of Program Service Accomplishments), Line 4c. Archived here: https://www.influencewatch.org/app/uploads/2019/07/Proteus-Fund-2017-Form-990.pdf
- “Our Grants.” Proteus Fund (Grants Database). Accessed July 3, 2019. Original URL: https://www.proteusfund.org/grants-index/. Archived here:
2019: https://www.influencewatch.org/app/uploads/2019/07/RISE-Together-2019-Grants.pdf
2018: https://www.influencewatch.org/app/uploads/2019/07/RISE-Together-2018-Grants.pdf
2017: https://www.influencewatch.org/app/uploads/2019/07/RISE-Together-2017-Grants.pdf
2016: https://www.influencewatch.org/app/uploads/2019/07/RISE-Together-2016-Grants.pdf
2015: https://www.influencewatch.org/app/uploads/2019/07/RISE-Together-2015-Grants.pdf