Why We’re Investing in Frontline Power
In April 2017, just two blocks from Meyer’s office, I joined thousands of people gathered at Dawson Park for the Portland People’s Climate Movement. At the time, I was Executive Director of OPAL Environmental Justice Oregon and part of a handful of organizers supporting the launch of the Oregon Just Transition Alliance (OJTA)—a network of frontline communities coming together to organize across issues and build collective power.
We marched not just to demand climate action, but to tell a broader story: that climate change is one symptom of deeper crises — ecological, economic and the crisis of empire (a shorthand term for the numerous moral and spiritual crises born from an imperialist and extractive economic model). We marched to show how housing justice, transportation access, immigrant rights and workers' rights are fundamentally tied to climate justice. And we invited everyone to imagine something bolder: an economic system rooted in cooperation, community and regeneration.
That day was powerful. It was beautiful. And it was needed.
Nearly a decade later, the urgency is no less real. But today, amid political uncertainty, social fragmentation and escalating climate impacts, it can feel harder to hold onto that collective vision. That’s why at Meyer, through the Our Resilient Places portfolio, we’ve committed to supporting the kind of organizing and movement-building that keeps those deeper connections and long-term solutions at the center.
Why Organizing?
Organizing gets the goods. That’s not just a mantra. It’s something I’ve witnessed over decades of movement work. When frontline communities organize — regardless of the issue — they build power. And when they build power, they win.
That’s why one of the goals of Meyer's Our Resilient Places portfolio is building power with frontline communities. We have limited funds and know that dollars spent sharpening frontline groups’ advocacy and leadership skills and expanding their movement-building capacity are a wise investment.
Community organizing is about more than issue advocacy: It’s about long-term relationships, collective analysis, skills development and deep community accountability. It’s what helps us prepare for crises and it roots our vision for a more just world. When shifting political forces threaten hard-fought rights, these durable networks of trust and resistance become essential.
Organizing in Action
We’re already seeing this approach in motion across Oregon:
- Oregon Just Transition Alliance (OJTA) continues to unite frontline groups under a shared vision of a healthier and more just Oregon. Through collaborations, they are fighting for real, tangible benefits like reducing the cost to heat and cool our homes and advocating for millions in investments to strengthen community resiliency.
- Beyond Toxics has been holding local polluters accountable for over two decades in Eugene, through using community organizing to develop leaders and advocates.
- Rogue Climate is supporting young climate leaders through hands-on campaign development and execution. That is leading to real victories like passing the youth-led policy to incentivize all-electric new homes that will cut pollution and lower energy costs.
These organizations, which I'm proud that Meyer has continued to support, have been leading the way. But there are opportunities for more environmental justice and climate-focused groups to step into the organizing space.
Planting Seeds for the Future
We know that good organizing takes time, trust and training. We also know that many groups are doing all they can to sustain operations amid today’s challenges. That’s why we’re thinking long-term — about what Oregon’s organizing ecosystem could look like in ten years, and what we need to invest in now to get there.
Later this year, Our Resilient Places will have a funding opportunity specifically focused on power building with frontline communities. We’re looking to support organizing trainings, base-building models and other programs that build community power rooted in environmental and climate justice.
A Movement Moment
As I pass Dawson Park on my way to Meyer’s office, I don’t recall the speeches or all the chants that day, but I remember how the day made me feel. I felt hope, connection and possibilities. I still feel all of it as I work to bring resources to visionary efforts and sound strategy. The intersecting crises we face — ecological collapse, economic inequality and rising authoritarianism — require systemic solutions. Organizing is our best bet.
That means supporting the people and organizations building those solutions from the ground up. Climate and environmental justice cannot be separated from racial justice, economic justice or workers' rights. It is one of many intersecting movements. And the people most affected by environmental harm are also the ones with the clearest vision for how to repair and transform our systems.
Now is the time to follow their lead.
If you or your organization is building power in frontline communities, we want to hear from you. Let’s organize. Let’s build. Let’s grow something resilient, together.

Huy speaking at the 2017 Portland People's Climate March. Photo courtesy of 350pdx.