GUIDE TO INTERNET RESOURCES


A Mix of Progressive and Mainstream Information Sources

Prepared by Mimi Abramovitz with considerable input from Kathleen Panndhorst, Cathy Kaufmann, Barbara Kasper, Pam Linden, and Lara Edwards for distribution at the SWAA 2002 Teach-Ins on the Politics of Welfare.
 

In light of the fact that funding for TANF expires in September 2002, SWAA has launched a national Teach-In Campaign targeted to ending poverty not welfare. The series of teach-ins replaces the SWAA national conference for 2002. Since the Internet has become a powerful source of information and a useful organizing tool, SWAA compiled but has not screened, this list of web sites.

 

  This Guide is available at RedandGreen.org and Swaaportland.org.
[Guide suitable for printing - Guide in MS Word format - Guide in PDF format

 

I. GRASS ROOTS GROUPS

Low Income Networking and Communications Project (LincProject)
http://www.lincproject.org
Contains database of resources, a Directory of grass roots organizations, and links to important TANF reauthorization information. Offers technical assistance to help low-income groups access and use Internet technology for organizing purposes. A project of the Welfare Law Center

Growl: Grass Roots Organizing For Welfare Leadership
http://www.ctwo.org/growl/index.html
A national movement of welfare rights and economic justice organizations that challenges the dominant framework around welfare reform from a grassroots perspective.

Kensington Welfare Rights Union
www.KWRU.org and www.Universityofthepoor.org
The educational arm of the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign

Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN)
http://www.acorn.org/community/
Advocates for local involvement and control over issues affecting communities

Center for Community Change
http://www.communitychange.org
Helps local groups run by low-income people to organize themselves and their communities, build affordable housing, and develop successful issue

National Campaign For Jobs And Income Support
www.nationalcampaign.org
National Campaign a multiracial, multi-class constituency-based organization committed to increasing engagement of disenfranchised communities in public life and action. Web site includes publications on welfare as well as new of various action campaigns.

Jobs with Justice
http://www.jwj.org
A national campaign for workers' rights; local chapters include coalitions of religious, labor, and community organizations active throughout the country.
 

II. Information, Education, Advocacy

Alliance for Justice
http://www.afj.org
National association of child welfare, environment, civil rights, mental health, child and consumer advocacy organizations. Organizations work to advance public interest and community ability to influence policy.

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
http://www.aclu.org
Works for every man, woman, and child to ensure everyone's rights that are guaranteed in the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Contains information on the legal rights of welfare recipients and information on pending law suits against unconstitutional aspects of the 1996 Welfare Reform Law.

American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO)
http://www.aflcio.org
Main federation of unions. Conducts organizing, research, education, and advocacy on labor issues. Mission is to improve the lives of working families.

American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)
http://www.afscme.org/afscme/pol-leg/welftc.htm
Union of state and local public employees. Web site includes resources on welfare reform, links to federal and state information.

American Public Human Services Association
http://www.aphsa.org
Mission is to develop, promote, and implement public human services policies that improve the health and well-being of families, children, and adults.

Association For Community Organization And Social Administration (ACOSA)
http://www.acosa.org
A membership organization for community organizers, planners, activists, administrators, policy practice specialists, students, and professors from a variety of disciplines and professional fields.

Call to Renewal
http://www.calltorenewal.com
A network of churches and faith-based organizations, has launched a national Campaign to Overcome Poverty

Center For Law And Social Policy (CLASP)
www.clasp.org
Conduct research and policy analysis on issues affecting low-income families.

Center on Social Welfare Policy and Law (Welfare Law Center)
http://www.welfarelaw.org
A national legal and policy organization that focuses on means-tested cash public assistance programs. Provides representation for poor people in litigation and before administrative and legislative bodies.

Center on Urban Poverty and Social Change
http://www.povertycenter.cwru.edu
National and local clearinghouse on census information, statistics and welfare programs.

Children's Defense Fund
http://www.childrensdefense.org/
Provides research, advocacy, public education, monitoring of federal agencies, assistance to state and local groups, and community organizing on a wide range of issues that affect children and youth.

Coalition Of Human Needs
www.chn.org
The Coalition on Human Needs is an alliance of national organizations, including NASW, working together to promote public policies that address the needs of low-income and other vulnerable populations.

Corpwatch
www.corpwatch.org
Counters corporate-led globalization through education and activism. We work to foster democratic control over corporations by building grassroots globalization -- a diverse movement for human rights, labor rights and environmental justice. Web site includes news, research and action alerts.

Electronic Policy Network
http://epn.org
Web site provides access to a variety of liberal policy institutes, foundations, journals, and resources on welfare Project of The American Prospect.

Feminist Activist Resources On The Web
http://www.igc.apc.org/women/feminist.html

Food Research and Action Center
http://www.frac.org
Seeks to enhance public awareness of the problems of hunger and poverty and provides assistance to groups working on these issues.

HandsNet
http:www.handsnet.org
National, nonprofit that promotes information sharing and advocacy among individuals working on a broad range of public interest issues.

If Not Now
http://www.ifnotnow.com/intro.shtml
Brings advocacy groups together in one web site to follows issues.

Inequality.Org
http://www.inequality.org
A nonprofit organization that is a network of journalists, writers, and researchers trying to look beyond conventional economics and its notions of prosperity and progress.

Institute for Global Communication
www.igc.org

Actively promotes changes toward a healthy society, one which is founded on principals of social justice. Offers progressive individuals and groups a place on the Internet to learn, meet, and organize. Contains links to PeaceNet, WomensNet, LaborNet, EcoNet, and AntiracismNet.

International Gay And Lesbian Human Rights Campaign
http://www.iglhrc.org
Seeks to protect and advance the human rights of all people and communities subject to discrimination or abuse on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, or HIV status. Web site include publications and action alerts.

National Council of Churches
www.ncccusa.org

Has made TANF reauthorization a top priority.

NOW Legal Defense And Education Fund (NLDEF)
www.nowldef.org
Uses the power of the law to define and defend women's rights. Web site includes reports and actions related to welfare and poverty, women and violence, immigrant rights, education, child care the workplace among others.

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
http://www.naacp.org/
Works to achieve equal rights through the democratic process and to eliminate racial prejudice by removing discrimination in housing, employment, voting, education, the courts, transportation, recreation, and business.

National Coalition for the Homeless
http://www.nationalhomeless.org
Provides information and education to people and organizations working with the homeless and promotes housing for low-income families. Contains Directory of National, Statewide, and Local Homeless Advocacy Coalitions and Organizations.

National Council of La Raza
http://www.nclr.org
National umbrella organization working for civil rights and economic opportunities for Latinos.

National Jobs for All Coalition
http://www.njfac.org
Dedicated to providing jobs with sufficient pay for all who want them and to demonstrating the linkages between unemployment and other problems facing the nation, such as women's rights, the environment, and economic justice.

National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty
http://www.nlchp.org
Advocates to protect rights of homeless people and to implement solutions to end homelessness through impact litigation, policy advocacy, and public education.

National Organization of Women (NOW)
http://www.now.org
Works to end discrimination and gender inequality in all facets of life and to increase the number of women elected to political office. Open to all who support gender equality.

National Rainbow Coalition
www.rainbowpush.org

Encourages the development of a progressive political leadership dedicated to economic justice, peace, and human rights.

National Urban League
http://www.nul.org
Works for racial equality for African-Americans and other minorities in all phases of life. Fights institutional racism and provides direct service to minorities in the areas of employment, housing, education, social welfare, health, law, consumer rights, and community and minority business development.

National Welfare Monitoring & Advocacy Partnership (NWMAP)
http://www.nwmap.org
Collaboration of organizers, advocates, service providers, and researchers concerned with the well-being of low income people. Activities include: monitoring, advocacy, and organizing.

Public Citizen
www.citizen.org
Founded by Ralph Nader fights for safer drugs and medical devices, cleaner and safer energy sources, a cleaner environment, fair trade, and a more open and democratic government.

Public Interest Clearinghouse
http://www.pic.org
Supports organizations that make our legal system more accessible and responsible to people who are traditionally excluded (i.e., people of color, women, poor people).

Protest.Net
www.protest.net
A community of activists working together to create their own media which takes stand against the established media.

State Action Organization/Center for Policy Alternatives
http://www.stateaction.org / http://www.cfpa.org
Contains research and directory of over 800 progressive organizations. Compiles reports on welfare, affirmative action, domestic violence, family leave, crime, education, TANF funds, and heath-care for states. Disseminates information on policy and leadership initiatives.

Welfare Information Network (WIN)
www.welfareinfo.org
Extensive clearinghouse for information, policy analysis, and technical assistance on welfare reform.

WelfareWatch
http://www.welfarewatch.org/
Provides data for journalists and policy makers seeking to understand how the welfare law is being implemented around the country. Tracks the effects and outcomes of welfare.

Wider Opportunity for Women
http://www.wowonline.org
Works nationally and locally to achieve economic independence and equality of opportunity for women and girls. Provides organizing, skills training, and technical assistance for women workers.

Women's Committee of 100 (WC100)
www.welfare 2002.org
Feminists supporting progressive welfare policy including a caregivers allowance.

III. RESEARCH ORGANIZATIONS

Applied Research Center
www.arc.org
The Applied Research Center is a public policy, educational and research institute whose work emphasizes issues of race and social change. Publishes A magazine called Color Lines (selected article available on-line).

Council on Economic Priorities (CEP)
www.cepnyc.org
A public service research organization, dedicated to the accurate and impartial analysis of the social and environmental records of corporations.

Center On Budget And Policy Priorities
www.cbpp.org
A nonpartisan research organization and policy institute that conducts research and analysis on a wide range of government policies and programs with an emphasis on those affecting low and moderate income people.

Center on Hunger and Poverty
http://www.centeronhunger.org
Conducts applied research and policy analysis, disseminates analytical information on poverty and hunger, and carriers out public education initiatives.

Child Trends
http://www.childtrends.org
Non-profit, nonpartisan research organization dedicated to studying child, youth, and families through research, data collection, and data analysis. Major research areas include: the effects of welfare and poverty on children, issues related to parenting, family structure, teen pregnancy, and childbearing.

Citizens For Tax Justice
www.ctj.org
A nonpartisan, nonprofit research and advocacy organization dedicated to fair taxation at the federal, state, and local levels. Web site includes report on tax issues.

Economic Policy Institute
http://epinet.org
Conducts research and promotes dialogue on economic policy issues, particularly the economics of poverty, unemployment, inflation, American industry, international competitiveness, and problems of economic adjustment as they affect people.

Institute for Research on Poverty
http://www.ssc.wisc.edu/irp
Organizes academic research conferences and publishers papers on all aspects of poverty. Publishes Focus, featuring research summaries. Which can be obtained at the above address.

Institute For Women's Policy Research (IWPR)
www.iwpr.org
Researches economic issues important to women and families, including low-wage work, poverty, welfare reform, child care, family leave, and health care. Maintains list-serve of welfare reform, WELFAREM-L.

Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies
http://www.jointcenter.org
Through research and information dissemination, aims to improve the socioeconomic status of black Americans, increase their political and public policy influence, and facilitate coalition building across racial lines. Contains Data Bank giving fast access to current and trend data.

Joint Center for Poverty Research (Northwestern University/University of Chicago)
http://www.jcpr.org
Organizes academic research conferences and publishes papers on all aspects of poverty. Focuses on the causes of poverty and the effectiveness of policies aimed at reducing poverty. Housed at the Poverty, Race, and Inequality Program at www.nwu.edu/IPR/research/repoverty.html

Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation (MDRC)
www.mdrc.org
A nonprofit, nonpartisan social policy research organization. Dedicated to learning what works to improve the well-being of low-income people. Contains research on welfare reform, working poor people, communities, families and children, and education.

Mathematica Policy
http://www.mathematica-mpr.com
Strives to improve public well-being by producing high-quality, objective research to support decisions abut our nations most pressing social policy problems. Contains a direct data collection and evaluations.

National Center for Children in Poverty
http://cpmcnet.columbia.edu/dept/nccp/
Conducts research and education on children in poverty.

National Housing Institute
http://www.nhi.org
A non-profit organization that examines issues causing the crisis in housing and communities. Research on housing, jobs, safety, and education.

Pew Partnership for Civic Change
http://www.pew-partnership.org
Civic research organization that identifies documents promising solutions crucial to strong communities. Disseminates information to practitioners and citizens.

Pew Research Center for the People and the Press
http://www.people-press.org
Independent opinion research group sponsored by Pew Charitable Trust. Studies public attitudes toward the press and public policy issues.

Political Research Associates :The Public Eye
www.publiceye.org
An independent, nonprofit research center, based on progressive values, that serves as a national resource for information on antidemocratic, authoritarian, and other oppressive movements and trends. Seeks to provide reliable research and analysis to activists, journalists, educators, policy makers, and the public at large.

Research Forum on Children, Families, and the New Federalism
http://www.researchforum.org
Encourages collaborative research and informed policy on welfare reform and child well-being. Contains a clearinghouse of an on-line database with up-to-date summaries of welfare research projects.

The Brookings Institute
http://www.brook.edu/default.htm
This site has research information on the impact of the 1996 welfare law.

Urban Institute
http://newfederalism.urban.org
This site offers welfare information for each state as well as briefing papers on reauthorization.

III. PROGRESSIVE RESEARCH, NEWS & REPORTS

AlterNet
www.alternet.org
An alternative to the corporate conglomerates that dominate the media marketplace that offers . provocative opinions, hard facts, thorough research and a place for those ideas to be discussed.

Color Lines Magazine
http://www.arc.org
Published quarterly by the Applied Research Center. A national multiracial magazine devoted to covering the politics and creation of communities of color. Discusses issues of welfare, human rights, urban planning, art, culture, etc.

Common Dreams: News and Views for Progressives
www.commondreams.org
Breaking news and links to highlights from the day's progressive press.

Dollars and Sense
www.dollarsandsense.org
Bimonthly popular economics magazine. Explains the working of the US and international economies and provides left perspectives on current economic affairs. Selected full text articles can be downloaded from this site.

Insight & Action; The Human Needs Report
http://www.chn.org
A bimonthly newsletter and legislative update published by the Coalition on Human Needs, Updates information about pressing Congressional action, administrative decisions, Supreme Court decisions, and major new human needs related studies

In These Times
www.inthesetimes.com
Newsmagazine committed to extending political and economic democracy in the US and around the world and to opposing the dominance of transnational corporations and the tyranny of the marketplace values over human values.

Monthly Review
www.monthlyreview.org
Critical essays on current realities, their historical roots and the prospects for change.

Mother Jones MoJo Wire
http://www.motherjones.com
Exposes and politics from Mother Jones magazine rooted in a commitment to social justice and investigative reporting.

New Internationalist
http://oneworld.org/ni/index4.html
Report on issues of world poverty and inequality and the unjust relationship between the powerful and the powerless in both rich and poor nations;.

Organizing
http://www.communitychange.org
Published ten times a year. Shares efforts of grassroots organizations around the country to move low income people into the welfare reform debate. Contains state and federal updates, resource lists, and opinion pieces.

Poverty & Race
http://www.pracc.org
Contains topical articles as well as listings of recent reports and meetings. Published six times a year by the Poverty and Race Research Action Council.

Poverty Research News
http://www.jcpr.org
A quarterly publication of the Joint Center for Poverty Research, featuring research summaries. Free.

Survival News
masswelf@aol.com
Grassroots welfare rights newspaper published by recipients.

The American Prospect
http://www.prospect.org
Published biweekly. Available on-line and in hardcopy at. Publishes articles for the general reader and attempts to reframe public questions around welfare, peace, science and politics.

The Nation
www.thenation.org
Offers a progressive critique of social, economic and political question, both domestic and international. Allows you to select articles and e-mail them to others. Has good links to other alternative resources.

The Progressive
www.progressive.org
A journalistic voice for peace and social justice at home and abroad.

Tom Paine.Com
www.tompaine.com
Features the ideas, opinions, and analyses too often overlooked by the mainstream media.

Utne Reader
www.utne.com
Reprints articles from over 2,000 alternative media sources on a wide range of issues" social change, the environment, gender issues, community, society, politics, humor and more.

Update
http://www.clasp.org
Lists the most recent developments in welfare issues. Published by the Center for Law and Social Policy.

Welfare News
http://www.welfarelaw.org
Tracks recent legislative developments. Published by the Center for Social Welfare Policy and Law.

Znet
www.zmag.org
A political magazine of critical thinking on political, cultural, social, and economic life in the United States.

V . Government and Statistical Resources

Administration for Children and Families- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
http://www.acf.dhhs.gov
Assists state, county, and city government through funding, policy direction, and information services to provide family assistance. The federal agency that administers Temporary Assistance to Needy Families. Resources include links to welfare, children, and families web pages.

American Public Welfare Association/Welfare News in the State
http://www.apwa.org/statenew/textonly.htm
State-by-state descriptions of welfare reform initiatives.

Child Welfare League of America
http://www.cwla.org
Works with state child welfare agencies to present a comprehensive interactive child welfare database: The National Data Analysis System (NDAS).

Children's Defense Fund Plans
http://www.childrensdefense.org/stateplans.html
Profiles state welfare plans.

Federal Electronic Research and Review Extraction Tool (FERRET)
http://ferret.bls.census.gov/cgi-bin/ferret
Provides access to statistics from the Current Population Survey and the Survey of Income and Program Participation.

Federal Statistics
http://www.fedstats.gov, firstgov.gov
"One stop shopping" for U.S. federal government statistics.

Green Book: Background Material and Data on Major Programs within the Jurisdiction of the Committee on Ways and Means (of the U.S. House of Representatives).
http://www.gpo.gov
Detailed information on major federal entitlement programs.

Government Information Sharing Project -- USA Counties 1996
http://www.govinfo.kerr.orst.edu/usacostateis.html
Provides a Web interface to U.S. county-level Census data. Includes poverty data by race, age, and family composition.

Local Government Home Page
http://www.localgov.org
Links to the official home pages of many city and county governments.

Money Income in the United States (Current Pop Reports)
http://www.gpo.gov
Annual summary of income data for households, families, and individuals in the United States, based on a survey of one in 1,000 families. Issued by the Census Bureau.

National Association for Welfare Research and Statistics
http://www.aspe.hhs.gov
Aims to promote and exchange ideas for the betterment of research and statistics in the field of public welfare.

National Conference of State Legislatures/ Welfare Reform Connection
http://www.ncsl.org/statefed/welfare/welfare.html
Provides information about state and federal actions and analyses of key welfare issues.

National Governor's Association/Welfare Reform
http://www.nga.org/welfare/
Includes state information on welfare reform and links to state's home pages on welfare reform.

Poverty in the United States (Current Population Reports)
http://www.gpo.gov
Annual summary of poverty data for households, families, and individuals in the United States, based on a survey of one in 1,000 families. Issued by the Census Bureau.

U.S. Census Bureau
http://www.census.gov/
Contains statistical abstracts, housing and household economic statistics, income inequality, income statistics, and poverty graphs. Of particular interest: The Census Bureau's Poverty Web site provides poverty definitions and the most recent national and state level poverty estimates.

United States General Accounting Office
http://www.gao.org
Provides analysis options and recommendations for Congress to make improved and effective policy. Checks the constitutionality of legislation, evaluates use of public funds and federal programs and activities.

Welfare Reform Bill of 1996: HR3734, Personal Responsibility, Work Opportunity, and Medicaid Restructuring Act of 1996
http://www.libertynet.org/~edciv/iscvhome.html
This site offers direct and easy access to the complete text version of the Welfare bill passed in 1996.

VI. MEDIA WATCH GROUPS

FAIR (Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting)
www.fair.org
A national media watch group offers well-documented criticism of media bias and censorship. Publishes EXTRA, a magazine of media criticism, and produces the weekly radio program CounterSpin.

Institute for Public Accuracy
www.accuracy.org
Seeks to broaden public discourse by gaining media access for those whose perspectives are commonly drowned out by corporate-backed think tanks and other influential institutions.

Just Think Foundation
www.justthink.org
Stimulates critical thinking about popular media and seeks to equip young people with the literacy tools critical for their future.

Media Channel
www.mediachannel.org
Concerned with the political, cultural and social impacts of the media, large & small.

Project Censored
www.projectcensored.org
Explores and publicizes societal censorship in the US.

The Daily Howler
www.dailyhowler.com
An insightful Web-based column on media inaccuracy and arrogance.
 

VII. SOME VIDEOS

Poverty Outlaw, Outriders and Battle for Broad
Produced by Peter Kinoy, Skylight Pictures.
To order: pkinoy@aol.com, 1-800-724-8367, or from KWRU.

A Days Work, For A Days Pay
Produced by Kathy Leichter and Jonathan Skurnik, Mintleaf Productions.
To order: New Day Films, www.newday.com, (888) 367-9154, Orders@newday.com

Welfare Warriors
Produced by Barbara Lamonica
To order Vision Quest Film and Production ,Inc.
Phone 516-385-7459, Fax 516, 427 2090.

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