Social Justice Nonprofits
What is Social Justice?
According to the National Association of Social Workers, social justice "is the view that everyone deserves equal economic, political and social rights and opportunities." This idea is central to the concept of being a free country that accepts people of all races, ethnicities, religions, beliefs, and values. However, in practice, our society lacks social justice. For example, Shawn Ginwright found that "African American youth are six times more likely to be incarcerated and receive longer sentences than do their white counterparts" (Ginwright 82). Such a vast difference in sentencing rates shows a great injustice to a specific race, something that goes against what our law dictates. In order to ameliorate this problem, Ginwright suggests that "a social justice model for youth development provides youth workers, researchers, policymakers, and young people with a new lens for examining old problems" (93). In essence, social justice is a viewpoint that encourages equality for all, and justice for those experiencing unequal treatment.A Brief History of Social Justice
The concept of social justice emerged in late 18th century when society first started to have thoughts on the eradication of poverty and people began to discuss issues of inequality and resource allocation. Factions with varying views on the outcomes of this new movement formed, but it wasn't until the 20th century that political leaders started to acknowledge social justice issues. As a consequence of this increased awareness of the problems plaguing society, people started to form organizations, nonprofits, and many other form of advocacy groups to combat these issues.Why are Social Justice Nonprofits Important?
These types of nonprofits are important because their supporters protect and fight for the human rights of all citizens. Society may be more progressive in modern times, but various laws and systemic issues exist that hinder more progress from happening and promotion of inequality. These oppressing laws and systemic problems are often deeply ingrained in the institutions that are supposed to help us. When our government institutions fail to mitigate injustice, social justice nonprofits intervene.Linda Donaldson, an Associate Professor at Catholic University of America explains the importance of social justice nonprofits:
- "The current socio-political environment has sharpened the focus on the need for human service agencies to advocate for policies, programs, and resources that improve the lives of vulnerable populations" (Donaldson 140).
- "The nonprofit sector makes an enormous contribution to society providing needed services to disadvantaged populations by offering vehicles for charitable and volunteer impulses...and serving as a moral compass for responses to social problems" (Donaldson 141).
Criteria for Determining All-Star Social Justice Nonprofits
1. How fiscally responsible and effective each nonprofit is2. How successful the nonprofit is
3. How well the nonprofit meets social needs
4. How beneficiaries view the nonprofit
