Rise Up, Inc
Advise Civil Rights Accelerator Participants
Help everyday people pass their first law.
Posted August 4, 2021
Background & Context
Join us in making legislative history! Rise Justice Labs is a first of its kind civil rights accelerator. We dismantle systemic barriers in the legislative process by giving everyday people a blueprint to access democracy. Our mission is to help everyday people pass their first law. We deliver on this mission through an intensive 12-week training program (August 9, 2021 to November 1, 2021) that includes seed funding, skills workshops, 1:1 coaching, guest lectures, access to professional services, and a network of Congressional and State legislators.
Immediate Problem
We are currently looking for volunteer support on the following issue areas:
1. Access to broadband internet for farmer and rural communities (state level - New York)
2. Rights for students to basic needs benefits like SNAP (federal and state level)
3. Housing rights for people with disabilities (federal level)
Volunteers will be matched with one of the following teams: Agcess is focused on extending broadband internet to farmers and rural communities; The Student Basic Needs Coalition is focused on working to end student food insecurity; and The Kelsey is an organization seeking to expand affordable housing for people with disabilities.
******Please indicate which team(s) you would be interested in supporting. ****
After an initial placement call with the Accelerator Director, volunteers will be introduced to team members to learn more about their current stage of campaign development and their legal needs. From then, We the Action volunteers will coordinate directly with their designated team. While the accelerator program formally ends on November 1, volunteers may decide if they’d like to continue supporting a team going forward.
Work & Deliverables
We are seeking short-term pro bono legal support to effectively equip program participants. Primary activities would likely include:
* Supporting ongoing research to help participants determine which rights already exist and where there are opportunities to strengthen the law (potential bill sponsors want to know that proposed legislation is not duplicating or creating conflict among existing laws and definitions);
* Reviewing and editing draft legislation;
* Giving feedback on memos to legislative and governors' offices;
* Answering questions about filing for 501(c)(3)/501(c)(4) status, if relevant.
Rise Up, Inc
Rise, a national nonprofit, was founded by Amanda Nguyen, a sexual assault survivor, in November 2014 to pen her own civil rights into existence along with the 25 million rape survivors in the United States. Rise started by passing the federal Sexual Assault Survivors' Bill of Rights unanimously through Congress and later signed into law by President Obama. Rise’s immediate goal is to scale up a social movement to pass their Sexual Assault Survivors' Bill of Rights - in all 50 states. Rise trains volunteers to pen their own rights into existence, giving them the tools and resources necessary to engage with state legislators with the ultimate goal of passing a bill in their home state.
Rise Up, Inc
Rise, a national nonprofit, was founded by Amanda Nguyen, a sexual assault survivor, in November 2014 to pen her own civil rights into existence along with the 25 million rape survivors in the United States. Rise started by passing the federal Sexual Assault Survivors' Bill of Rights unanimously through Congress and later signed into law by President Obama. Rise’s immediate goal is to scale up a social movement to pass their Sexual Assault Survivors' Bill of Rights - in all 50 states. Rise trains volunteers to pen their own rights into existence, giving them the tools and resources necessary to engage with state legislators with the ultimate goal of passing a bill in their home state.