The Alabama Equal Voice Network (AEVN) is a collaborative of seven organizations serving low-income residents in the state of Alabama that are all grantees of the Marguerite Casey Foundation. The members of AEVN are the Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice (ACIJ), Alabama Arise, the Alabama Institute for Social Justice (AISJ), Greater Birmingham Ministries (GBM) the Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama (¡HICA!), VOICES for Alabama’s Children (VOICES) and The Women’s Fund of Greater Birmingham.
Our primary interest is in working with socioeconomically disadvantaged and historically underrepresented individuals and those who serve them. We work to recruit a mix of urban and rural populations with an emphasis on young people and emerging leaders. In the coming years, we hope to deepen our reach to train additional emerging leaders across the state of Alabama to keep issues important to their communities on the state’s policy radar.
The primary goal of the Alabama Equal Voice Network is to bring justice for families in the state by organizing to shift the balance of power towards the poor. Each of the member organizations seeks to deepen and broaden the impact of their own constituency while implementing a shared statewide agenda of democratic social change. The resources of AEVN are focused on three major goals:
Facilitating close professional collaboration between Alabama-based social justice organizations and advocates
Fostering close bonds within and among the communities served by these organizations and advocates
Developing emerging leaders capable of organizing and mobilizing communities to pursue a quality of life agenda favorable to the fullest health of their communities around issues including early care and education, economic empowerment, immigration, racial equity, civic and voter engagement, gender equity and state policies that impact the working class and poor.
AEVN Membership
ACIJ
The Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice is a grassroots, statewide network of individuals and organizations that works to advance and defend the rights of immigrants in Alabama. Our coalition consists of six non-profit organizations, and hundreds of individual members.
Our coalition is leading our state to a more equitable and just multi-ethnic, multi-lingual future – building a better Alabama for everyone, from the ground up.
AISJ
The Alabama Institute for Social Justice (AISJ), works strategically to remove barriers that particularly limit and/or undermine the economic well-being of women and people of color, through leadership development and training, advocacy and public policy, and racial healing and reconciliation. Formerly known as the Federation of Child Care Centers of Alabama, Inc. (FOCAL), AISJ has existed for over 40 years as a nonprofit organization whose purpose and work pioneered during the American Civil Rights Movement. While advocating for quality child care remains among the organization’s platform issues, AISJ’s overall work is that of leading and addressing systemic change necessary because of institutional and structural inequities.
ALABAMA ARISE
Alabama Arise is a statewide nonprofit, nonpartisan coalition of congregations, organizations and individuals united in their belief that people in poverty are suffering because of state policy decisions. Through Arise, groups and individuals join together to promote state policies to improve the lives of low-income Alabamians. Arise provides a structure in which Alabamians can engage in public debates to promote the common good.
GBM
Greater Birmingham Ministries strives to serve God’s purpose of justice and peace by healing the wounds of the community and struggling in community to realize more just systems and more faithful relationships. Greater Birmingham Ministries (GBM) was founded in 1969 in response to urgent human and justice needs in the greater Birmingham area. GBM is a multi-faith, multi-racial organization that provides emergency services for people in need and engages the poor and the non-poor in systemic change efforts to build a strong, supportive, engaged community and pursue a more just society for all people.
¡HICA!
¡HICA! is a community development and advocacy organization that champions economic equality, civic engagement, and social justice for Latino and immigrant families in Alabama. ¡HICA! envisions an Alabama in which everyone has full and equal participation in our state's civic, cultural, social, and economic life. Hispanic and immigrant families are empowered to integrate, engage, and lead their communities to reach their families' aspirations.
VOICES
VOICES for Alabama’s Children is a statewide nonprofit that works to ensure the well-being of Alabama’s children through research, public awareness and advocacy. Our vision is that all Alabama children are safe, healthy, educated and economically secure in order to reach their potential. We Commit as one person, one organization, one vote, and one voice to work for a healthy, safe, and secure childhood for every Alabama child.
THE WOMEN’S FUND OF GREATER BIRMINGHAM
The Women’s Fund of Greater Birmingham accelerates economic opportunity for women and their families through philanthropy, research, and advocacy. We envision a society where power and possibility are not limited by gender. Since our founding in 1996, The Women’s Fund of Greater Birmingham has invested over $5 million in initiatives, research, and policy to strengthen our community by removing barriers to women’s opportunity. Driven by research, we identify and fund innovative solutions to address critical needs and disrupt cycles of poverty. We utilize the power of transformational philanthropy to build a world where all women thrive. By accelerating opportunities for all women, we also strengthen entire families and communities today and for generations to come.
