Restorative Economies Fund

As structural racism persists in widening the racial wealth gap and increases the divide between the haves and have-nots; and extreme weather intensifies and devastates frontline communities that are hit first and worst; and broken democratic systems seek to invisiblize those that strive to make their voices heard; it is clear that Black and Indigenous people and other communities of color require access to the resources and decision-making process that allow them to exercise agency over their well-being and livelihood.

The Restorative Economies Fund (REF) seeks to close the racial wealth gap and transform our financial system by strategically reinvesting resources into community-owned and governed projects that create shared prosperity, self-determination, and build collective political, economic and cultural power. REF is a mission-aligned, integrated capital fund, that combines grants with non-extractive investments (loans, loan guarantees, or lines of credit, etc.) and non-financial support (technical assistance, or strategic advice, etc.). REF provides catalytic capital to projects that allows them to fully execute their projects in integrity with their mission and vision.

The Restorative Economies Fund was created from the restorative economics framework developed by the Kataly Foundation’s CEO, Nwamaka Agbo.

Environmental Justice

Communities of color and under-resourced communities bear the greatest burden of poor health, environmental degradation and pollution, a history of disinvestment, and reliance on an extractive petrochemical economy. The Kataly Environmental Justice Program will support work that builds power in communities of color, champions underserved communities, grows progressive movements for racial, social, economic and environmental justice, and is led by and for the communities most impacted by environmental racism and unjust economic, social, and political systems. Kataly is engaging an initial core of environmental justice and social justice leaders to craft a movement-led and activist-led strategy for moving resources to accelerate this work.

Mindfulness and Healing Justice

The Kataly Mindfulness and Healing Justice program centers the power of internal and external awareness in the service of collective transformation, social justice and racial equity. The Mindfulness and Healing Justice program supports community-based mindfulness programs, teacher trainings, and restorative practice retreats led by and for BIPOC communities—all with a focus on expanding the opportunities for people most impacted by systemic oppression to access the power of mindfulness and to use it to broaden their leadership capacity and skills. The Mindfulness and Healing Justice program continues and builds upon the ongoing historical stream of social equity and consciousness development within the Mindfulness movements by BIPOC activists including the work of Larry Yang and his book, Awakening Together: the Spiritual Practice of Inclusivity and Community.