Solís Policy Institute – State
The Dr. Beatriz María Solís Policy Institute (SPI) State is a policy advocacy and leadership training fellowship for advocates and activists who work in non-profit or grassroots organizations.
We accept applications from genderqueer and non-binary people, cisgender and transgender women, and transgender men, especially BIPOC folks, who want to build their skills, on behalf of their organizations, to influence public policymaking at the state level.
At its core, SPI-State affirms that the people closest to the problems and harm should be centered and shaping the solutions to address them. SPI-State seeks to diversify the policy arena by building the leadership of people impacted by gender-based oppression, violence, and discrimination. Each year the WFC chooses specific intersectional issue areas for SPI fellows to advance. Check out our past policy wins.
SPI-State Issue Areas:
The Women’s Foundation California’s Solís Policy Institute (SPI) focuses on shaping just policies that will positively impact the lives of non-binary and genderqueer people, cisgender and transgender women, and transgender men in California. This year, SPI-State aims to feature teams working to address racism, anti-Blackness, and cis-hetero-patriarchy through the following specific areas:
For grassroots leaders and community organizations that work to create places where families and communities are healthy, safe as is possible within our current systems. Health includes more than physical conditions; health has social, cultural and economic impacts on the well-being of communities. Health is also determined by racial, gender and economic circumstances, with direct ties to the history of anti-Blackness and oppression in our country.
Katherine Cabrera
Program Manager, Capacity Building, The Greenlining Institute
Mandy Diec
Director of California, Southeast Asia Resource
Ariana Federico-Mondragon
Interim Director of Organizing at Mid-City CAN
Sophia Rodriguez
Partner Relations Manager, La Familia
Jenna Haywood
Associate Director of Community Mobilization
For grassroots leaders and community organizations that work to address the harmful and oppressive impacts that the criminal justice system has on the lives of Californians, especially those impacted by racial and gender injustice.
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Airam Coronado
MILPA Collective
Sandra Johnson
Fair Chance Community Organizer, Legal Aid at Work
Isabella Borgeson
Inside/Outside Senior Organizer
Ivana Gonzales
Family Unity Coordinator
Su Kim
Policy Manager/Legal Assistant, UnCommon Law
For grassroots leaders and community organizations that work or support programs that focus on the economic security of individuals impacted by systemic gender-based discrimination. This includes organizing low-wage and informal workers, advocating for better implementation of safety net programs, local workforce development, and the promotion of small business ownership.
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Nicole Meda
Executive Administrator, Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO)
Sylvia Romo
Northern CA Program & Policy Director
Sela Steiger
Staff Attorney, Legal Aid at Work
Norma Palacios Cruz
Policy Associate, Drug Policy Alliance
Andrea Borgen Abdallah
RAISE Restaurants Community Manager
For grassroots leaders and community organizations that work to support programs that expand and protect the rights of all people to make informed decisions about and exercise control over their sexual and reproductive lives.
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Malissa Thomas
Staff Attorney, Free to Thrive
Arisa Dhiensiri
Development Associate
Mai Thao
Political Director, Courage California
Camila Camaleón
Administrative Coordinator, Gender Justice Los Angeles
TaVia Iles
Executive Director, The EmpowerTHEM Collective