Becca Harley's Giving Project Fundraiser

I joined the Giving Project because I wanted to grow my fundraising skills while learning how to move resources in a way that actively disrupts systems of oppression. Too often, funding decisions are made far from the communities most impacted by the issues. I believe deeply that the people closest to the challenges are also closest to the solutions, and deserve the power and resources to lead that work.

My professional and personal passion is rooted in food systems: ensuring that all people have access to affordable, nutritious, and culturally relevant food. I currently serve as the Director of Children’s Farms in Action in Montbello, a historically under-resourced neighborhood in Denver. In this role, I work alongside community members to grow food that is distributed for free, teach youth and adults about food systems, nutrition, and gardening, and create opportunities for hands-on learning. We also employ youth from the neighborhood and distribute hundreds of free seedlings and seeds each year to support backyard gardening and food sovereignty in Montbello.

Through this work, I’ve seen firsthand that real, lasting change happens when communities have ownership over the systems that shape their lives. Whether it’s food access, economic opportunity, or community health, the goal is the same: shifting power so that communities can define and build what works for them.

Through the Giving Project, I am part of a cohort that is collectively raising funds and making grant decisions using Chinook Fund’s criteria. Together, we are working to resource grassroots organizations that are often overlooked by traditional philanthropy; groups that are bold, community-led, and committed to long-term, systemic change.

Chinook Fund’s approach resonates deeply with me. Their commitment to liberation, community, integrity, and leadership shows up in how they trust and invest in grassroots organizations, especially those led by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. These are organizations challenging root causes, not just symptoms, and building a more just and equitable Colorado for future generations.

I’m especially inspired by organizations like Mo Betta Green, El Movimiento Sigue, and Lamar Unidos, each of which are past Chinook Fund grantees that received funding raised through the Giving Project. Mo Betta Green, a Black woman-owned, community-rooted organization in Northeast Denver, cultivates food sovereignty through urban farming, farmers markets, and youth leadership. El Movimiento Sigue, a Chicanx-led organization with decades of grassroots advocacy, uses community-based media to amplify marginalized voices and challenge systemic inequities. Lamar Unidos creates vital support systems for Latino immigrant families through education, economic justice, and civic engagement. These organizations are powerful examples of what it looks like to invest directly in community leadership and vision.

My fundraising goal is $4,000, and I am personally contributing $500 to the Giving Project. If you’re able, I invite you to join me in supporting this effort. Every contribution helps move resources into the hands of organizations that are building a more just and equitable future from the ground up.

Thank you for being part of this work.

In community,

Becca