making money make change: it matters.

this is an email by kristen cox, a resource generation rockstar. i got permission from her to post the email here, as she does an incredible and compelling job articulating the importance of spaces like making money make change. please read!

9/8/09

Subject: i hope you will read this. it matters to me that you do.

friends, i'm writing to you because we all know and love folks involved in the struggle who come from privileged backgrounds. you may be one, or your close friend who may or may not be aware of, or want to talk about it or face it head on. i am one of those folks whose politics, scope and path CHANGED after attending this Making Make Money Change conference (MMMC) in 2005. After which I came back to Chicago, donated inherited stock, and invited peers to help create the Fire This Time Fund.

MMMC has been THE most important participatory and engaged, cross-class, multi-racial space that has helped unite my three identities: class priviledged, queer, and liberal with the motivation to continue to ask hard questions of myself, my family, the world, etc. I have met INCREDIBLE people. Coined by Billy 'Upski' Wimsatt as the cool rich kids movement and from where this fabulous blog: EnoughMake/Shift Magazine partly erupted from.

I urge you to forward on. Tell your Peers. This year the conference theme is on building community alternatives for economic transformation and the keynote speaker is Adrienne Maree Brown! and

Not to mention it is always held in a beautiful, off the grid(ish) location with uber fresh and healthy food. More detailed info is included below. Fliers are attached!

I am also happy to meet 1:1, talk about my experiences, give a bit of a supportive arm to anyone who seeks it. We can all help young people with wealth (or with future access to resources) move from isolation to community, inaction to action, and help increase their giving of money, time and energy towards social justice.

Thank you for reading and considering this plea.

In peace and struggle,
Kristen

MMMC 2009: Community Alternatives For Economic Transformation
November 12-15, 2009
Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center, Falls Village, CT

What is MMMC?
Making Money Make Change (MMMC) is a national, multiracial gathering for young people with wealth (ages 18-35) who believe in social change. MMMC is a confidential space to explore issues related to wealth, privilege, philanthropy, and participation in grassroots movements for justice and equality. Through workshops, discussions, and community-building activities participants support, challenge, and inspire each other to align their resources with their values and work for personal and societal transformation. While the majority of participants are young people with wealth, social movement leaders and nonprofit practitioners from other class backgrounds are invited to speak, facilitate sessions, and participate in the entire retreat. MMMC is co-sponsored by four national social change organizations: Tides Foundation, Funding Exchange, Third Wave Foundation, and Resource Generation.

Generally, MMMC participants feel like they have or will have access to more resources than they need. “Wealth” is self-defined by those who participate, and the amount of wealth people have access to varies greatly. Young people with wealth are racially diverse and their money comes from many sources including inheritances, earnings, lottery winnings and legal settlements. Some people who are involved have access to philanthropic resources (for example, as board members of family foundations), but may not have access to personal wealth.

Register Now! To register for this year's MMMC go to www.makingmoneymakechange.org

2009 Theme: Community Alternatives For Economic Transformation
Our 12th annual retreat brings us together at a moment framed by financial crisis. How are communities responding? How are people working together to create alternatives to unjust and unsustainable economic arrangements? What are the roles of cross-class movements in working towards social, racial, environmental and economic justice?

Keynote: Adrienne Maree Brown
Adrienne Maree Brown is the executive director of The Ruckus Society, which brings nonviolent direct action training and action support to communities impacted by economic, environmental and social oppression. She sits on the boards of Allied Media Projects and the Center for Media Justice (and just stepped down from the boards of Wiretap Magazine and the Brower Center), and is a participant in Somatics and Social Justice. Adrienne facilitates the development of organizations throughout the movement (most recently Young Women’s Empowerment Project, New Orleans Parents Organizing Network, ColorofChange.org and Detroit Summer). A co-founder of the League of Pissed Off/Young Voters and graduate of the Art of Leadership and Art of Change yearlong trainings, Adrienne is obsessed with learning and developing models for action, community strength, movement building and transformation.


Location:
The retreat will take place at the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center in Falls Village, Connecticut, accessible by a 25-minute shuttle ride from Metro North Railroad-Wassaic and a two and a half hour drive from New York City. The retreat center sits on 450 rural acres in northwestern CT, is environmentally friendly and serves food from local organic growers when possible including food grown on their organic farm. The retreat center is wheelchair accessible. For more about the Retreat Center, see their Web site at http://www.isabellafreedman.org/

If you have questions about MMMC, please e-mail Stephanie Yang, Retreat Director, at sydconsulting@gmail.com

Thank you,

The Making Money Make Change Planning Committee

Anthony Colón
Theo Yang Copley
Elokin
Eliot Estrin
Elspeth Gilmore
Nikki Morse
Matt Osborn
Naomi Sobel
Monica Simpson
stephanie yang


MMMC is sponsored by Resource Generation, Tides Foundation, the Funding Exchange and Third Wave Foundation, and organized by a cross-class team comprised of representatives of those organizations and past MMMC attendees.
http://resourcegeneration.org/
http://www.tidesfoundation.org/
http://www.fex.org/
http://www.thirdwavefoundation.org/