Local organizations that are working toward racial equity might be eligible for up to $5,000 from the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office “Bend the Arc” 2022 grant program.
The DA’s office will give out a total of $50,000 worth of grants that will aim to bolster local groups’ efforts to address racial discrimination and disproportionality in Santa Clara County, says a press release from DA Jeff Rosen’s office.
Rosen turned “Bend the Arc” into an annual program after it was successful in 2021.
One of 13 grants given out last year went to a Gilroy culinary academy. The academy used the funding to help pay for culinary arts training, resume building, food handlers’ verification, drug and alcohol prevention and financial literacy instruction for local youth, says the press release.
“Last year, our office joined forces with groups in the community to improve racial equity together,” Rosen said. “By investing in the people who have been disproportionately victimized, we are making this county a place where everyone can thrive. I cannot wait to see what this year’s grant recipients will do.”
Another “Bend the Arc” grant last year went towards L.E.A.D. Filipino to host learning sessions in racial equity. Another went to a group to help fund 10 artists to paint murals for a walkable art corridor in East San Jose.
Grants were awarded to groups of all sizes, with some notable ones including the NAACP and neighborhood associations in Cassell and Welch Park in San Jose, says the press release.
The grants are funded by the DA’s Asset Forfeiture Fund, which consists of money seized from gangs, drug traffickers and criminal organizations in Santa Clara County, says the press release. “As a way to help repair the harm caused by those criminals, the DA’s Office invests the funds back into the community.”
The DA’s racial justice grant program is one of 26 social justice reforms announced by Rosen in 2020. The reforms are intended to address racial discrimination and promote equity within the criminal justice system, says the press release. The implementation of these reforms began shortly after the murder of George Floyd.
The application deadline for “Bend the Arc” grants is May 6. To apply for a grant or find more information, visit tinyurl.com/3r5k45s8.
