Don’t Know Where to Donate? Here Are 14 Ways to Support Protestors in Minneapolis and Beyond

In the wake of George Floyd’s death, protests have sprung up across the United States. Even if you aren’t taking to the street, there are still ways you can open your wallet and contribute to organizations fighting systemic racism, police brutality and mass incarceration.

Here are some organizations, in Minneapolis and beyond, that could use your support.

American Civil Liberties Union

“The American Civil Liberties Union was founded in 1920 and is our nation’s guardian of liberty. The ACLU works in the courts, legislatures and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to all people in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States.”

The Bail Project

“The Bail Project, Inc. is an unprecedented effort to combat mass incarceration at the front end of the system. We pay bail for people in need, reuniting families and restoring the presumption of innocence. Because bail is returned at the end of a case, donations to The Bail Project™ National Revolving Bail Fund can be recycled and reused to pay bail two to three times per year, maximizing the impact of every dollar. 100% of online donations are used to bring people home.”

Black Lives Matter

“#BlackLivesMatter was founded in 2013 in response to the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s murderer. Black Lives Matter Foundation, Inc is a global organization in the US, UK, and Canada, whose mission is to eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes. By combating and countering acts of violence, creating space for Black imagination and innovation, and centering Black joy, we are winning immediate improvements in our lives.”

Black Visions Collective

“Since 2017, Black Visions Collective, has been putting into practice the lessons learned from organizations before us in order to shape a political home for Black people across Minnesota. We aim to center our work in healing and transformative justice principles, intentionally develop our organizations core “DNA” to ensure sustainability, and develop Minnesota’s emerging Black leadership to lead powerful campaigns. By building movements from the ground up with an integrated model, we are creating the conditions for long term success and transformation.”

COVID Bail Out NYC

“COVID Bail Out NYC is an all volunteer, emergency grassroots initiative that has teamed up with Black Alliance for Just Immigration to get people safe and free. Please give generously. Your donations will help us post bail for medically vulnerable people held in New York City jails and provide comprehensive post-release support, such as shelter and food, for these individuals.”

Color of Change

“Color Of Change is the nation’s largest online racial justice organization. We help people respond effectively to injustice in the world around us. As a national online force driven by 1.7 million members, we move decision-makers in corporations and government to create a more human and less hostile world for Black people in America.”

George Floyd Memorial Fund

“My family and I watched in absolute horror as the now infamous and horrifying video began to spread quickly throughout social media. What we saw on that tape left us shell shocked; a white Minneapolis police officer kneeling directly on my brother’s neck, obstructing his ability to breathe. As some officers knelt on his neck, other officers participated and watched; no one took any action to save my brother’s life.  Those officers would continue to brutalize my brother until he died. The George Floyd Memorial Fund is established to cover funeral and burial expenses, mental and grief counseling, lodging and travel for all court proceedings, and to assist our family in the days to come as we continue to seek justice for George.  A portion of these funds will also go to the Estate of George Floyd for the benefit and care of his children and their educational fund.”

Know Your Rights Camp Legal Defense Initiative

“Started by Colin Kaepernick to aid the protesters arrested in Minneapolis, The Know Your Rights Camp Legal Defense Initiative has identified and teamed up with top defense lawyers in the Minneapolis, Minnesota area to provide legal resources for those in need. When there is an injustice within our community, it is our legal right to address it, by any means necessary. “

Minnesota Freedom Fund

“The Minnesota Freedom Fund is a small organization with a modest beginning, and an abundance of passion from the volunteers who help us do our work. We are working around the clock to ensure community members and advocates for justice are released from custody, and we will continue to work non-stop to ensure freedom for our communities from both pretrial and immigration detention.”

The Minnesota Freedom Fund has asked that donations be directed to one of several other charities, which you can learn more about at the link below.

NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund

“The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. is America’s premier legal organization fighting for racial justice. Through litigation, advocacy, and public education, LDF seeks structural changes to expand democracy, eliminate disparities, and achieve racial justice in a society that fulfills the promise of equality for all Americans. LDF also defends the gains and protections won over the past 75 years of civil rights struggle and works to improve the quality and diversity of judicial and executive appointments.”

National Bail Fund Network 

“The National Bail Fund Network is made up of over sixty community bail and bond funds across the country. We regularly update this listing of community bail funds that are freeing people by paying bail/bond and are also fighting to abolish the money bail system and pretrial detention.”

National Police Accountability Project

“NPAP works to educate and inform the public about issues relating to police misconduct, provide information resources for non-profit and community groups who work with victims of police abuse, support legislative reform efforts aimed at raising the level of police accountability and create a forum for legal professionals and community organizations to come together and creatively work to end police misconduct.”

North Star Health Collective

“The North Star Health Collective was created in response to the Republican National Convention (RNC) in St. Paul September 1-4, 2008. We coordinated and provided health care services, resources, and training to ensure the safety of our community over the weeks before, during, and after the RNC. Thousands of community members and families attended protests against the RNC. Our organizing collective core includes health providers— physicians, nurses, healers, herbalists, doulas. Many of us are also long term community organizers with diverse experience across a range of social sectors—affordable housing, environmental justice, women’s health, human rights.”

North Star Health Collective has asked that donations be directed to one of several other charities, which you can information about at the link below.

Reclaim the Block

“Reclaim the Block began in 2018 and organizes Minneapolis community and city council members to move money from the police department into other areas of the city’s budget that truly promote community health and safety. We believe health, safety and resiliency exist without police of any kind. We organize around policies that strengthen community-led safety initiatives and reduce reliance on police departments. We do not believe that increased regulation of or public engagement with the police will lead to safer communities, as community testimony and documented police conduct suggest otherwise.”

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