The Robusteciendo la Justicia Social (“RJS”) initiative supported an infrastructure that expanded and strengthened community-based organizations that mobilized systemic change and equity in Puerto Rico on issues related to housing, recovery, land use, environment, governance, transparency, and civic engagement.
The three-year initiative promoted the strengthening of social justice and just recovery infrastructure of organizations in Puerto Rico through a cohort focused on capacity building, peer to peer knowledge exchange, strategic connections and the strengthening of the operational and programmatic health of its participants. Through a community of practice, participants engaged in leveraging each other’s strengths to problematize issues that advance their individual and collective strategies.
As field builders, we seek to delve deeper into how this model expands, broadens, and strengthens the operation of these organizations, enabling them to continue driving systemic change initiatives that create a lasting impact across Puerto Rico.
Pillars of the Initiative
Organizational Mapping Tool (OMT)
Participants completed a self-assessment process (OMT), supported by trained facilitators, to identify areas of opportunity within their organizations and to strategize with a clearer vision for the subsequent three years of the initiative.
Three-Years Commitment
The results of the OMT and the quarterly cohort meetings strengthened the operational and programmatic structure of participants and the social justice collective in Puerto Rico.
Community of Practice
The community of practice enabled participants to view themselves as a collective capable of addressing common challenges across Puerto Rico. Quarterly cohort meetings were facilitated to engage in active listening, learn from each other, co-create tools, and hold strategic conversations.
Meet the participants in the community of practice
Sembrando Sentido
La Liga de Ciudades
CRH
FURIA
RLC
Ayuda Legal
Fideicomiso de la Tierra
El Enjambre Colectivo
Community of Practice Impact
Since 2021, eight participating organizations met quarterly to address the most important and pressing issues of just recovery in Puerto Rico. Additionally, the input received during the cohort meetings encouraged the organizations to share challenges they experienced as leaders in the social sector, build their organizational capacity, and strategize together to address common problem
Our Drive
Our goal is to expand and serve the Social Sector by driving efforts that impact systemic change and advance equity.
- Sustain an infrastructure that expands and strengthens participating organizations in the community of practice to mobilize systemic change and equity in Puerto Rico.
- Strengthen the collective of community-based organizations working on social justice and just recovery in Puerto Rico.
- Connect organizations with similar capacity working on related issues.
- Provide and co-create tools to support the growth and expansion of the participating organizations.
- Facilitate quarterly cohort meetings among participating organizations to problematize issues on our island that advance their individual and collective strategies.
- Promote dialogue between organizations to explore new possibilities, generate knowledge and create new opportunities for mutual benefit.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the duration of the Robusteciendo la Justicia Social initiative?
The Robusteciendo la Justicia Social initiative spanned three years, running from 2021 to 2024.
What was the funding commitment for this initiative?
Filantropía Puerto Rico provided a $3,000,000 three-year commitment to support this effort.
What was the goal of the initiative?
The initiative aimed to consolidate a collective of eight community-based organizations recognized as leaders in driving systemic change and advancing equity.
What key issues did the initiative address?
The organizations focused on critical impact areas: including housing, recovery, land use, environment, governance, transparency and civic participation.
What is a community of practice?
It consists of an organized group that meets periodically to learn and share common areas of knowledge and interests. Unlike a cohort or peer learning group, community of practice participants co-create their space, co-create their agenda, co-create what they want to discuss, and co-create tools that help them identify possible solutions.
What issues does the Robusteciendo la Justicia Social community of practice focus on?
Participating organizations are focused on issues related to: housing, recovery, land use, environment, governance, transparency and civic engagement.
How can I contribute to the Robusteciendo la Justicia Social community of practice?
Filantropía Puerto Rico would be happy to introduce you to the many ways in which you can contribute to advancing and mobilizing equity in Puerto Rico. Contact our Strategic Initiatives Officer: Karla Vargas at [email protected] or reach her directly at 787-536-3023.
How do you guarantee the impact of this initiative on the organizations?
- As we move forward as a community of practice, we have learned to listen and accept different levels of participation, input, feedback, discussions, and possible solutions. We are constantly reviewing three growth pillars as a community of practice: (a) collective growth and interconnectedness as a community of practice; (b) individual organization expansion and growth; and (c) growth as a social sector and united front. We are committed to evaluating our internal processes to ensure that the infrastructure we support is relevant to organizations and Puerto Rico.
- Prior to each of the cohort meetings, we co-create an agenda with the facilitators to align the voice of the organizations and the mission of the community of practice. After each cohort meeting, we gather feedback from each organization and make sure to ask about expectations for the next meeting. In addition to an annual report provided to us by the organizations, as a fundamental part of our grantmaking process, we conduct Charging Stations (Check In One o’ one) with each of the participating organizations in the cohort. This is an opportunity to connect more closely and listen deeply to understand their challenges, and find ways to support their efforts.
How can my organization become part of the Robusteciendo la Justicia Social community of practice?
Currently this initiative does not have open calls for new members.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Filantropía Puerto Rico is not a foundation, so we do not have open calls at this time. If you have an initiative, idea or are looking for support from the philanthropic ecosystem, you can fill out this form and we will share it with our network: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hv3t9RB3XyJ8DGd83lBiVd9W5YSImVKDon14uUGOzlE/edit. We cannot ensure that you will be contacted, but we can do our part and share your information.
What are the philanthropic practices used in this initiative?
Filantropía Puerto Rico is constantly improving in transformative philanthropic practices based on trust-based practices. Within our membership and with our grantees, we open spaces for debate and dialogue to engage in collective action to address the most important needs. With Robusteciendo la Justicia Social, we provide multi-annual support, self-diagnostic tools,
Do participating organizations are required to have 501(c)(3)?
No, we may grant funds to non-501(c)(3) community organizations through a fiscal sponsor. A fiscal sponsor provides fiscal and legal infrastructure and shared management systems to initiatives that advance its mission and vision for social change. You can learn more about fiscal sponsorship from one of our grantees: (link VIDEO HASER + WEB)
Who administers this initiative?
It is powered and administered by Filantropia Puerto Rico (FiPR) which is a 501(c)(3) organization.
Latest Articles
Our Team
Glenisse Pagán Executive Sponsor
Richard Córdova Project Coordinator
Karla Vargas Strategic Initiatives Officer
El Enjambre Cohort facilitators
Maia Sherwood OMT facilitators
Kenia Colón OMT facilitators
About Filantropía Puerto Rico
A philanthropy-serving organization (PSO) connecting diverse philanthropic entities and amplifying their voice and impact in areas of equity, collaboration, transparency and social justice. As a convener of funders with grantmaking interest in Puerto Rico, we lead efforts to improve the lives of the marginalized.
