This morning, Open Society Foundations (OSF) announced the launch of the Communities Against Hate initiative, an effort to collect data on hate incidents around the country and provide services to impacted communities. USA Today reported on the launch this morning. OSI-Baltimore is the only US field office of Open Society Foundations.
Eleven national organizations representing threatened communities–including the Southern Poverty Law Center, Hollaback!, Muslim Advocates, and National Council of La Raza–will lead the initiative. You can see a list of the groups leading the effort and read their announcements here. As part of the initiative, these groups are launching a database to bring visibility to hate incidents and helping victims and organizations obtain access to legal resources and social services through a resource hotline: +1-844-9-NO-HATE or +1-844-966-4283.
Also, as part of this initiative, OSF will make a series of grants, ranging from $15,000 to $150,000, to local organizations with innovative ideas to confront hate in their communities. The initial batch of grants, going to groups in 23 states and Puerto Rico, are listed here.
Learn more by visiting communitiesagainsthate.org. Follow and participate in the initiative on social media using the official hashtag, #CommunitiesAgainstHate.