Announcing the Launch of the One Nation Bay Area Project: Building Inclusive and Pluralistic Communities

To strengthen relationships between Bay Area Muslim Americans and non-Muslim communities, The San Francisco Foundation joins Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPIP) and regional foundations to launch an exciting project: One Nation Bay Area.

The goals of the project are to deepen understanding of American Muslim communities, and to bridge social connections between Muslims and non-Muslims. One Nation Bay Area Project will build on the work started 10 years ago to provide resources to Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian (AMEMSA) communities facing prejudice and discrimination in the aftermath of 9/11.

The One Nation Bay Area Project provides the partner organizations, including the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, Marin Community Foundation, and AAPIP, with an opportunity to increase our knowledge of the American Muslim community, such as demographic trends, immigration patterns, and current levels of civic participation. It also presents the chance to support creative community projects that strengthen or create partnerships between American Muslim and non-Muslim communities. The information gleaned through this project will help shape future grantmaking priorities, foster better relationships with American Muslim communities, and inform programs and services available to Bay Area American Muslims.

The One Nation Bay Area Project is part of a national effort initiated by the One Nation Foundation that seeks to engage community foundations in key regions throughout the country in bridging the American Muslim community with other diverse residents. One Nation Foundation has committed a dollar-for-dollar match to its partner community foundations for grantmaking, convening, and other strategies that will increase the relationships and collaboration between these communities. As part of the Bay Area Project the participating foundations are dedicating and raising new resources for this exciting opportunity.

Its primary outcome will be support for current and new spaces that foster collaboration and engagement in ways that bring together Muslim and non-Muslim leaders, youth, residents, interfaith leaders, and organizations to develop community solutions and promote civic participation, relationship-building, new alliances and/or partnerships. A second outcome will be the creation of a Bay Area demographic profile that compiles and analyzes information about the American Muslim community, detailing its diversity and documenting the current civic engagement of the American Muslim community.

The One Nation Bay Area Project provides a unique opportunity for The San Francisco Foundation to enhance our current Immigrant Integration and FAITHS Program grantmaking and civic engagement activities while building new partnerships that involve Muslim-serving and Muslim-led organizations. To this end, The One Nation Bay Area Project will make small grants up to $10,000 to support civic engagement efforts that bring together American Muslim and non-Muslim leaders and residents to address community issues of common concern. The application process will coincide with TSFF's Immigrant Integration Fund grantmaking cycle; applications will be accepted between November 7 and December 9, 2011. For more information about eligibility, deadlines, the application process, an upcoming orientation workshop on Thursday, November 3, and a list of supporting staff, please visit the One Nation Bay Area Project page and review the detailed Request for Proposals.