This past spring, nearly 100 of you came together across three community town halls: one in central Arizona, one in southern Arizona, and a virtual session that brought in voices from all over the state. You dug into big questions with us. How do we define systems change and capacity building? What tools help organizations grow beyond unrestricted funding? What does real collaboration between organizations look like?
Three themes rose to the top:
- unrestricted funding
- capacity building
- healing justice
You also got specific. In Phoenix, dozens of young people from RE:Frame Youth Center brought a perspective we hadn’t heard before, calling for unrestricted grants structured around healing justice. Many of you told us you’d be open to smaller grant amounts when they’re tied to healing justice offerings that support staff wellness, especially those doing liberation work. And in every room, we heard a call to break down silos, share resources, and close information gaps as well as funding gaps, with more opportunities to learn from one another beyond the check.
Thank you to those who showed up and shared your lived experience with this work. What you told us is directly informing new grant offerings from WFSA in 2027. Stay tuned for what comes next.
