Perrin Family Foundation

05/31/2023

An important update from PFF’s founding trustees. Check out the link in bio for the full letter from Sheila Perrin.

02/28/2023

As an institution committed to social and racial justice, we believe all communities should have access to an equitable and just educational system. We are concerned that a proposal is currently before the Connecticut State Department of Education that names the Connecticut Juvenile Training School (CJTS) as a prospective site for a “social justice focused” school in Middletown. We stand in solidarity with community leaders and organizers calling for the Connecticut Juvenile Training School to be permanently razed.

CJTS, the state’s former youth prison, has a long and troubled history of abuse and neglect, and has caused a great deal of trauma to young people which has impacted generations of families. There is a well-established body of research documenting the ways in which the prison-like physical infrastructure and culture of schools have harmed students and contributed to the school to prison pipeline.

Black and Brown children and youth deserve to be in schools that affirm and celebrate their identities, dignity, and inherent power. We stand with communities creating just community-led and community-driven institutions that meet the needs of their children and youth, and we support the collective action of youth and parents working to ensure our public school systems have the resources necessary to provide equitable opportunities to their students.

02/09/2023

Our president, Laura McCargar, reflects on the collective grief, heartbreak and restlessness left in the wake of the murder of Tyre Nichols. She also shares a youth organizing story with a twenty-year arch to serve as a reminder of "what’s possible when we commit to building youth and community power for the long-haul."

Laura McCargar, President

02/08/2023

We are sorry to announce that our Facebook Live event scheduled for Wednesday Feb 15th has been postponed. We will be sure to update you all with future opportunities to hear from our team here at Perrin Family Foundation.

02/01/2023

Join us on Wednesday Feb 15th for a conversation about the untold hurdles of supporting systems change. In the wake of releasing our new strategic framework centering Black and Brown youth, we invite you to learn more about what went into that process, and how we believe philanthropy can show up differently.

01/17/2023

This annual observance is hosted by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) and was created with and builds on the work and learnings of the Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation (TRHT) community partners. The day of recognition stands on the clear understanding that racial healing is at the core of racial equity.

In honor of this day of recognition, visit www.perrinfamilyfoundation.org to learn more about our new Strategic Framework and how it works to explicitly serve Black and Brown Youth.

01/11/2023

Following the release of our new strategic framework, Program Officer Amarilis Pullen reflects on why she continues to fight for Black and Brown youth, and how her experience as a child of immigrants informs that fight. Head to medium.com/ to learn more.

Find our new strategic framework via the link in our bio!

Read writing from Perrin Family Foundation on Medium. Every day, Perrin Family Foundation and thousands of other voices read, write, and share important stories on Medium.

01/04/2023

The third strategic goal of our new framework speaks to how we can best align our internal operations with our mission. Let's dive in to what that means!

⚫️ Bolster human resources capacity by restructuring and expanding our staff team.
⚫️ Launch our investment committee charged with creating investment policy, and guiding PFF’s investment strategy in alignment with commitment to racial justice.
⚫️ Revisit the and clarify the composition, structure, roles and shared learning agenda of the Board and the Strategy Council moving forward.
⚫️ Operationalize our values in concrete organizational practices and policies.

Learn more about our new strategic framework by visiting www.perrinfamilyfoundation.org/our-new-strategic-framework via the link in our bio. Happy New Year!

12/09/2022

This week we're focusing on strategic goal two of our new strategic framework.

Check it out:

⚫️ Continue to play a leadership role in advancing the work of the local and national funding collaboratives focused on organizing and movement building for racial and social justice.

⚫️ Build a collaborative table focused on youth funding in Connecticut.

⚫️ Identify aligned local and national funders and secure co-investments that strengthen the field.

⚫️ Develop and implement a robust communications strategy that catalyzes commitment to youth-led racial and social justice and advance accountability in the philanthropic sector.

⚫️ Engage our Board and Strategy Council members as ambassadors to shift funder and donor mindsets and build will for investing in youth-led social
and racial justice

Learn more about our new strategic framework by visiting www.perrinfamilyfoundation.org/our-new-strategic-framework

12/02/2022

Learn more about our new Strategic Framework by diving into strategic goal number one!

We've developed four simple charges inside this goal:

🟢 Develop new grant program areas aligned with our theory of change and
reflective of our racial justice commitment, including a new grant strategy prioritizing deep and long-term commitments to ecosystem anchors.

🟢 Develop innovative and responsive approaches to support the resource needs of grassroots youth organizing groups operating outside of formal organizations.

🟢 Work collaboratively with partners and stakeholders to develop, seed and
nurture field-centered infrastructure and capacity supports necessary for a
strong youth-led racial and social justice ecosystem.

🟢 Amplify the voices of youth leaders and organizers and support them in
documenting and sharing the history, lessons, and impacts of their work.

11/23/2022

In the wake of the release of our new Strategic Framework, our Strategy Council and Board member, Jahnice Cajigas writes on why the organizing work she does is vital.

"We need to stop saying that young people are the leaders of tomorrow because they are leading us today."

Jahnice Cajigas

11/17/2022

Over the past 18 months, our Board, Strategy Council and staff have collectively engaged in a journey to develop a new strategic framework.

Read more about how we got here from our Board Chair, Sheila Perrin.

https://www.perrinfamilyfoundation.org/our-new-strategic-framework/