BAWS is updating our resource guides, and we need your help! As a peer-run mutual aid organization, we depend on community involvement to create and maintain these valuable resources that support sex workers and the broader Bay Area community. 

We have two juicy projects that we would love for you to be a part of: 

1. Centralized Resource Guide: BAWS maintains resourced guides to help connect our community to information and  organizations that provide support for food, crisis support, mental health, domestic violence/intimate partner violence, trans care, housing, and more. We want these resources to be up-to-date and easy to access. We need a few folks to help update this guide who are comfortable with spreadsheets and verifying info online and possibly on the telephone. If you are interested in supporting this project, please email BAWSassist@gmail.com

2. COVID Harm Rdx Guide: In 2021, we published a COVID-19 Harm Reduction Guide for sex workers as we worked through since the beginning of this pandemic. We partnered with the National Harm Reduction Coalition, Public Health Justice Collective, and medical students from UCSF, our guide had national reach. In this 5th year of the ongoing pandemic with cases surging, mass dis/misinformation, mask bans, and millions dead and disabled, BAWS is  creating an updated COVID-19 harm reduction guide with the latest research and harm reduction strategies to support all folks in the sex trade. We are looking for volunteers to help collect information, draft and revise the guide, and graphic design. We welcome volunteers with any kind of time capacity; experience with Google Docs necessary. $100 stipends for 2-4 volunteers who can provide 10 hours of work and a $600 graphic design stipend, with priority to SWers. If you would like to contribute to the Harm Reduction Guide, please fill out this form. If you have any questions or feedback, email bawsops@gmail.com with the subject line: "COVID-19 Harm Reduction Guide”.

We look forward to hearing from you as we work to keep our communities informed and connected. Thank you so much

In solidarity,

BAWS Tops Team

Dear Community,

Bay Area Workers Support (BAWS) finds itself at a critical juncture. Since our establishment in 2018, we've remained steadfast in our mission to support Bay Area sex workers. 

BAWS is the last remaining peer-based sex worker organization in the Bay Area. Our leadership “Tops” team is a small group of current and former workers who volunteer their time between sex work, caregiving responsibilities, school, and other jobs and activism, with those who qualify receiving a small monthly stipend. The TOPS team has ranged from 2 up to 12 people during 2020. In the past year, we've operated with a team of 3 to 5 individuals, with occasional volunteers; regardless of size, we have accomplished much over the past half-decade.

Our impact is multifaceted; we've strengthened community bonds through online forums, resource fairs, and socials, creating a supportive network of Bay Area sex workers. Simultaneously, we've developed and distributed a wealth of health, wellness, and safety resources, providing reliable information and care for our community. We also aim to be a beacon of celebration for our community, hosting solidarity events like International Whore's Day every June 2nd. 

We serve as a hub for those facing hardships or crises, and we are honored to support the diverse experiences of sex workers. 

We are most proud of our most tangible impact. Over the past five years, we've distributed hundreds of mutual aid funds, providing vital assistance to an average of 15-25 community members monthly. This achievement is a testament to the collective strength of our community and the work of our BAWS Tops Team members.

As we step into 2024, the need from our community has reached unprecedented levels while our funds are at an all-time low.

Urgently, we appeal to the community for heightened support to ensure the continued sustainability of BAWS. 

Given our financial constraints, we've decided to pause our Mutual Aid Grant Program, meaning we cannot provide funds to our community for now. The demands of our grants program currently exceed our financial and time capacities. We do not take this decision lightly, as we have deep and ongoing relationships with our mutual aid recipients. 

While our Mutual Aid grant program is on hold, we will primarily focus on fundraising efforts to help sustain BAWS operations and initiatives into the future. We will also work on strengthening internal systems to support our team and clarify our programs' purpose, practice, and outcomes. During this pause, we remain committed to various ongoing programs, including in-person social gatherings, weekly Art Club meetings, resource fairs, clothing swaps, and skill-sharing sessions. Additionally, we're broadening our Resource Guides and online support channels. We will continue to be available through email for those seeking individual support and resource requests.

As we channel efforts into fundraising and expanding our capacity, we will require your attention to effectively address our community's growing needs. The TOPS team at BAWS cannot sustain this work without your support.

COMMUNITY ASKS:

Please email us at bawsorg@gmail.com to contribute in any of the following ways.

• Fundraising: 

• Consider hosting one-time or ongoing fundraising events.

• Explore partnerships with Bars, Restaurants, or Businesses willing to donate a portion of their proceeds. Opportunities for both one-time and ongoing partnerships.

• Share Our Donation Link:

• Please spread the word by sharing our Donation Link within your networks: bayareaworkerssupport.org/support

• Grant Research:

• Assist us in finding institutional grants that align with BAWS. Funding categories include SW, Housing, Domestic Violence/Intimate Partner Violence, Single Parents, and Harm Reduction.

• Merch Manager Opportunity:

• We want to bring on a Merch Manager. You would earn a percentage of all merchandise sold, and responsibilities include managing merchandise orders and shipments.

• Build out our TOPS team:

• Over the next year, we are looking to strengthen relationships with folks who are interested in taking on leadership positions within BAWS

• It is important to us that leadership reflects the diversity within our communities, where we are specifically looking to partner with BIPOC, trans + GNC, people with dependants, disabled folks, and current sex workers. *Onboarding new folks is contingent on fundraising enough for more paid stipend positions

• Social Media Engagement:

• Interact with our social media channels to help raise engagement

• @BAWSupport on Twitter

• @BayAreaworkersSupport on IG

We share this with you shortly after December 17th, International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers. Escalating surveillance and criminalization threaten our livelihoods and safety. Our collective heart carries the weight of the challenges faced by our community. We recommit to our ongoing effort to imagine and create a world free from violence for our community and beyond.

This statement is made as violence increases globally. People worldwide are protesting against oppression and genocides in places like Palestine, Congo, Sudan, and other regions where people are fighting for their lives and freedom. This time is a big wake-up call for many, reminding us to work towards lasting change for the safety and well-being of all people.

Thank you for reading this statement and taking time to understand the challenges that BAWS is facing. At a time when hope feels thin, we will not ask you to feel hopeful. Instead, we invite you to connect and build with people you trust. We trust in and want to build with you. We thank you for your partnership, which is our is crucial in shaping our sex worker-led organization into a supported community working together to make lives better for sex workers. 

We look forward to collaborating more with you all, our beloved community, in the new year. 

In solidarity,

Bay Area Workers Support (BAWS)

Our mutual aid fund began five years ago, in May 2018, after the Fosta-Sesta legislation was passed. We increased our funding at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and over the past three years alone, we have given out over 700 grants! Since then, so much has changed, and our small team is constantly evolving to meet our community’s changing needs. 

Our team needed some TLC and time to rest, reflect on, and restructure our mutual aid program to ensure longevity and sustainability. A huge thank you to our donors, partner organizations, and community members who keep us going. After a much-needed break, grants are back!

Much of our grants program is the same:

• You can reapply for a grant every two months.

• You’ll still have to complete a verification process. Be sure to check your emails regularly!

• Applications do not carry over to the next month. We do not review new applications after applications close.

• For your security: We use Google products to collect and store information. The data will be wiped every few months from our online accounts. Please factor this into your decision to apply for a grant and what information you include. 

We’ve made some big changes to our mutual aid program:

• The application is open the first week of each month.

• You’ll have more time to verify your work status and Bay Area residency. 

• Apply using this form only. We will no longer accept applications via email.

• We have a new email: bawsgrants@proton.me. We will reply to all emails using Proton mail. Any emails sent to our former gmail will be forwarded automatically to Proton mail.

• Option to apply for crowdfunding

We are piloting a crowdfunding process for our mutual aid fund! This decision comes out of many constraints from our original program. We can only send grant funds through our fiscal sponsor via PayPal, check, and direct deposit. These methods are not always easily accessible or possible for grant recipients. In addition, PayPal takes a percentage of our donations and recipients’ grants and sometimes even freezes grant payments for up to 2 weeks. Crowdfunding can help our community members receive funds directly and immediately without fees. This is a new program, so if there are delays or unexpected obstacles, please be patient with us.

We are so thankful for your support and to be able to continue to serve our community. To sustain our mutual aid program, we rely on the generosity of our supporters and community. Your donation is an act of solidarity and care that makes a tangible difference in sex workers' lives. We have a high demand for funds during this pandemic. 

The best way for you to support us is to become a monthly donor to our Bay Area Worker Research (BAWR) fund. You can sign up to make a monthly donation- $5, $10, $25, $50, or more. Re-occurring donations allow us to provide sustainable resources to local workers and are tax-deductible, or you can make a one-time donation here.

____________________________________________________________

For more information on navigating COVID-19 as a sex worker and additional support options, please check out our latest SW resource page.

We want to thank Lysistrata Mutual Aid Fund for inspiring our grant language and protocol and for supporting the BAWS Emergency Grants initiative. Be sure to check out their website here and support their efforts if you can.

Public Response to SF Supervisor's Statement on Sex Work:

Bay Area sex workers and advocates appreciate San Francisco Supervisor Hillary Ronen for acknowledging the challenges that those in the sex trade face and initiating policy about these issues. In this letter, we ask for further collaboration and aim to provide context to improve the safety and well-being of sex workers in the Bay Area. We hope this can serve as a powerful starting point for productive discussions and concrete steps toward a more inclusive and flourishing Bay Area where policy is informed by empirical evidence and the voices of those who are most impacted.

Our Three Asks:

• Decriminalize sex work instead of legalizing it, as punitive approaches have proven ineffective and violent.

• Increase support of peer-led resources and services for Bay Area sex workers.

• Collaborate with local sex workers, survivors, and community advocates to develop policies and programs prioritizing the safety and well-being of the sex worker community.

We welcome Ronen's collaboration across the Bay with Oakland City Council member Nikki Fortunado Bass to establish more "comprehensive resources and services to sex workers." Increasing culturally humble outreach and services is essential to community safety. When creating programs and policies for Bay Area sex workers, we invite San Francisco and Oakland cities to partner with local sex workers, survivors, and community advocates, who have engaged in this work for decades. The SF Bay Area is home to the sex worker rights movement. Together, we can build upon this history to develop policies and programs that prioritize the safety and well-being of sex workers and the Bay Area neighborhoods we work.

It is important to recognize that reducing street prostitution can not happen by solely creating one policy. Instead, reducing harm in the sex trade requires an intersectional approach that addresses the Bay Area's housing crisis, economic opportunities, racial inequality, transgender discrimination, police violence, interpersonal partner violence, queer youth support, the foster care system, and other disparities. Additionally, reversing laws like FOSTA/SESTA, which have increased violence, exploitation, and economic instability for sex workers, is necessary. Until people can meet their material needs in other ways, outdoor prostitution will always exist.

San Francisco and Oakland's latest response to deterring outdoor prostitution is to barricade the streets. Barricades may temporarily relieve a neighborhood from the visibility of sex work, but it is not a solution. This approach only pushes sex work to other blocks or underground, creating more opportunities for abuse and even more dangerous working conditions. In addition, the whole neighborhood faces impeded access to fire and emergency services and is a constant reminder of a hostile environment.

Legalization and decriminalization of sex work are two distinct concepts with different implications. Legalization involves government control and regulation of the industry, which still creates an underground "illegal" sect of the sex trade, increasing opportunities for exploitation and abuse. Legalization creates obstacles for those who do not meet the legal requirements to work, such as undocumented people, those escaping violence, transgender individuals, and folks living in poverty, making them more susceptible to exploitation and abuse. Those who cannot comply with the regulations will still be criminalized and punished. To be clear, legalization disproportionately harms BIPOC, transgender, gender non-conforming, those living with violence, unhoused, and poor people in the sex trade. 

It is important to note that decriminalization does not change laws against trafficking, coercion, sex with minors, and other forms of abuse. We condemn exploitation and violence in all forms. This letter is our sincere effort to prevent further harm from coming to marginalized communities.

Decriminalizing sex work removes the punishment and associated stigma, allowing sex workers to access legal protections, health and social services, community support, and other resources to improve working conditions, health, safety, and overall well-being of sex workers AND the communities we share.

Decriminalization is supported and advocated for by (links to decriminalization statements) 

World Health Organization (WHO),

 Amnesty International,

Human Rights Watch,

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), 

National Harm Reduction Coalition, 

DecrimSWCA, and the 

National Sex Workers Outreach Project (SWOP). 

We urge San Francisco and Oakland policymakers and neighborhood representatives to work with us and listen to the voices of sex workers and sex worker-led organizations to develop policies prioritizing the safety and well-being of all Bay Area residents. Decriminalization and providing resources would be a more equitable approach that respects the dignity and autonomy of sex workers while addressing the complex social, economic, and health issues associated with the sex trade.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Bay Area Workers Support 

St. James Infirmary Health Clinic

With the support of: 

National Harm Reduction Coalition

El/La Para TransLatinas 

Rad Mission Neighbors

The SF Transgender Cultural District

LYRIC Center for LGBTQQ+ Youth in SF

The SF Leather + LGBTQ Cultural District  

Democratic Socialists of America San Francisco

JOIN THE BAWS LEADERSHIP TEAM

Dear friends,

BAWS is excited to announce that in order to continue providing support and resources to our sex worker community, we are seeking to fill several new organizational “Top” roles to work alongside our Co-Directors, Maxine Holloway and Minxy Lopez, and our existing Tops members. In order to make our community work sustainable, we are investing in BAWS community members by offering a financial stipend for select positions.

We are currently looking to fill the following roles: 

• Finance Top

• Communications Top 

TOPS members complete their individual roles as well as participate in the collaborative process with fellow members of the leadership team.

In order to fulfill our ongoing commitment to making BAWS’ Tops team reflect the diversity of our communities, any applicant who is BIPOC, disabled, transgender, and/or has a dependent/s is encouraged to apply and will receive a stipend of $300 monthly for your labor.

Feel free to share this posting within your networks.

To apply please read the position details and fill out the form below. Applications are due by midnight on January 2nd, 2022. Please reach out to bawsorg@gmail.com with any questions.

In community,

BAWS Tops Team

BAWS is an anti-racist, anti-transphobic, anti-whorephobic organization, pledging to keep learning and doing better. We are in solidarity with local BLM movements, Defund the Police, drug-users, and poor folks because sex worker justice is racial justice, harm-reduction, anti-poverty, and abolitionism. We are looking for Tops members who share and work towards these same values. BIPOC, Trans, GNC, disabled folks, and people with dependants are strongly encouraged to join our team.

FINANCE TOP 

Manage the financial health of BAWS 

• 2-4 hrs per week + two 1HR meetings per month

• 6-month minimum commitment

• $300/month stipend for those that qualify (BIPOC, disabled, transgender, and/or has a dependent/s)

Responsibilities:

• Recording and tracking BAWS’s finances and balance on multiple channels

• Update BAWS Grant requests & payouts

• Reports Bi-Weekly balance statement 

• Manage all disbursement and reimbursement payments from our fiscal sponsor in a timely manner

Essential Qualities:

• Comfortable with accounting, budgets, & spreadsheets

• Reliable & timely with funding disbursements 

• Regular access to the internet & email

COMMUNICATIONS TOP

Help BAWS communicate our activities to our communities through social media and other online channels

• 2-4 hrs per week + two 1HR meetings per month

• 6-month minimum commitment

• $300/month stipend for those that qualify (BIPOC, disabled, transgender, and/or has a dependent/s)

Responsibilities:

• Help create content to share with our BAWS community 

  • BAWS resource & event information 

  • Update info on BAWS’ website & blog

  • Newsletter

  • Email listserv

• Create engaging, on-brand social media content to promote BAWS’ resources and events to our communities

Essential Qualities:

• Writing skills

• Experience in online s*x worker spaces

• Familiarity with local and national s*x worker organizations

• Comfort and ease with Twitter & IG

• Experience with Squarespace a plus

• Must have internet access

APPLICATION

Due Jan 2, 2022

2020 was a big year for our Mutual Aid Program. During the pandemic, we fundraised and distributed over 500 grants. We created harm-reduction information for sex workers and connected our community with essential health and safety resources. We recently took a small hiatus to reflect on the past three years of mutual aid and re-imagine how we distribute resources to our beloved community. Taking input from team leaders and community members, we made some adjustments that realign our actions with our values and mission. On May 18th-25th, we will be re-launching our Mutual Aid offerings. Please see details below, and help support this growth by DONATING TO BAWS today. 

BAWS' Mutual Aid Program has now expanded into three different sections. 

1) GRANT PROGRAM: This is the original grant program that our community knows and loves. To sustain this program and allow BAWS to expand into other support areas, grants are now available one week per month. Applications can be found online here: bayareaworkerssupport.org/grants

• Bay Area sex workers can apply for $50-$200 per individual. 

• Applications are now open ONLY the third week of every month, Tuesday - Tuesday.

• We still prioritize BIPOC, trans, disabled, those with dependents, and outdoor workers. 

2) CASH-IN-HAND: We want our funds to easily reach workers who may have limited or no access to our online grant application. BAWS is now partnering with local organizations that have pre-existing relationships with outdoor workers. We will be providing three months of funding to these organizations to distribute directly to folks in the sex trade. 

• This quarter we are partnering with the Transgender Intersex Justice Project (TGJIP)

3) HOME BOOST: We have learned a lot from providing mutual aid to sex workers for the past three years. We identified that housing insecurity is one of the most consistent barriers to our community's health, safety, and well-being. This past year, we were awarded a community grant from the Third Wave Fund to support individuals taking steps to secure housing for themselves. 

• We are currently partnering with TGJIP, other on-the-ground organizations, and community members we have connected with through our grants program to provide housing stabilization for our community members. 

Please reach out with any questions or comments about our new systems. We look forward to working with you all this coming year.  

Love & Solidarity,

BAWS

Help support sex workers in the Bay

The BAWS Tops Team is a group of dedicated volunteers that keep BAWS running. We manage our Mutual Aid Fund and work to provide valuable info, resources, and support for local sex workers. We work hard, but also manage to have fun together. BAWS needs some more help, and we would love to have YOU be a part of creating our community care structures. This volunteer position is available to current and former sex workers in the Bay Area. We are doing all of our organizing remotely during the pandemic.

BAWS is an anti-racist, anti-transphobic, anti-whorephobic organization, pledging to keep learning and doing better. We are in solidarity with BML and Defund the Police because sex worker justice is racial justice and abolitionism. We are looking for Tops members who share and work towards these same values. BIPOC, Trans, GNC strongly encouraged to join our team.

To apply please fill out the form below. Please reach out to bawsorg@gmail.com with any questions.

Social Media Position

Responsibilities:

• Work with a small team to create engaging, on-brand BAWS social media content 

• Use Twitter & IG to promote BAWS’ resources and events to our communities

• Check & respond to DMs when needed

Role Requirements (we will train & guide folks - don’t worry about having exact experience):

• Must have internet access

• Experience in online s*x worker spaces

• Familiarity of local and national s*x worker organizations

• Comfort and ease with Twitter & IG

• 2-5 hours per week

APPLICATION

BAWS is an anti-racist, anti-transphobic, anti-whorephobic organization, pledging to keep learning and doing better. We are in solidarity with BML and Defund the Police because sex worker justice is racial justice and abolitionism. We are looking for Tops members who share and work towards these same values. BIPOC, Trans, GNC strongly encouraged to join our team.

Dear Community:

Trans Latin@ Coalition, Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach, Positive Women’s Network – USA, St. James Infirmary, SWOP LA, ACLU California Action, and Equality California are co-sponsoring SB 357, the Safer Streets for All Act, authored by Senator Scott Wiener, and we would appreciate your support! 

SB 357 would repeal the California law that criminalizes loitering with intent to commit prostitution and create a way for persons who have been convicted of loitering in the past to have their records cleared.  This law is discriminatorily enforced against Black and trans sex workers and allows police to arrest someone based on what they are wearing or where they are standing.  I've attached the fact sheet for more information.

Here is how you can take action to support SB 357:

1. Submit Your Letter Of Support to the Senate Public Safety Committee by Noon On April 6th

Below is a template letter of support. Letters must be submitted via the legislative portal by Noon on Tues., April 6th. Instructions for using the legislative portal are here: https://calegislation.lc.ca.gov/Advocates/. If you have difficulty using the portal, please let us know and we can assist you.

• Create an account if you do not already have one.

• Click on “Submit a Letter”

• Select a bill: SB 357

• Select recipient: Senate Public Safety

• Select Stance: Support, Subject SB 357, upload your letter, review, and submit.

• Help us keep track by sending a copy of the letter to Minouche Kandel from the ACLU at mkandel@aclusocal.org

2. Please share this e-mail widely with your networks.

• You can even share this webpage directly: https://bayareaworkerssupport.org/events/sb357

3. Voice Your Support At the Senate Public Safety Committee Hearing On April 13th

SB 357 will be heard in Senate Public Safety Committee on Tuesday, April 13th. The hearing starts at 1:30 pm, but SB 357 could be heard later in the afternoon. Please call into the hearing to voice your support. Instructions for calling in to give testimony are here, under “Teleconference Instructions”: Welcome to the Senate Standing Committee on Public Safety | Senate Public Safety Committee (ca.gov).

Thank you in advance for your support!

THANK YOU TO THE ACLU NORCAL FOR PUTTING THIS INFORMATION + TEMPLATE LETTER TOGETHER <3

Template Letter:

Date: {Date}

Committee on Public Safety

California State Senate

State Capitol, Room 2031

Sacramento, CA 95814

Re: SB 357 (Wiener) – Safer Streets for All -- Support

To the Senate Committee on Public Safety:

{Your name or the name of your organization, and a brief description} is writing in support of SB 357, a measure that will repeal California Penal Code § 653.22, which criminalizes loitering for the intent to engage in prostitution. [Include a sentence about your organization’s connection to

the issues in this bill.]

The broad subjective nature of the anti-loitering law has created opportunities for law enforcement to engage in discriminatory policing that targets Black and Brown women and members of the transgender community. For instance, Black adults accounted for 56.1% of the § 653.22 charges in Los Angeles between 2017-2019, despite only making up 8.9% of the city’s population.

By repealing Section 653.22, SB 357 eliminates a law that allows police to rely on bias rather than evidence to criminalize otherwise legal activities like walking, dressing, or standing in

public, and results in the harassment of LGTBQ+, Black and Brown communities for simply looking like a “sex worker” to law enforcement. Arresting sex workers or persons perceived to be sex workers increases safety risks for people trading sex. Sex workers are more vulnerable to exploitation and violence and have barriers to accessing safe housing and legal employment when they can be arrested for loitering.

We urge you to support SB 357 to increase sex worker safety. We must stop criminalizing the color of a person’s skin, gender, or livelihood. We all deserve to exist in public peacefully without fear of arrest.

Sincerely,

(your name)

(title/org if applicable)

(Contact information)

BAWS Legal resource list in the works - we need your input

We have partnered with Kelly Lou - a lawyer previously with Transgender, Gender Variant, Intersex Justice Project (TGIJP) - to create a comprehensive legal resource list for sex workers. Currently, if you are a sex worker facing a legal challenge whether it’s an illegal eviction or being harassed on the job, there is no resource list of legal aid or information that is explicitly sex worker-friendly. We want to change that, but we need your help!

If you are a sex worker or are connected to the legal field, please fill out this survey to help us create a resource page of sex worker allied legal aid.

Please share this survey with your worker friends, colleagues, and social networks.

Help support sex workers in the Bay

The BAWS Tops Team is a group of dedicated volunteers that keep BAWS running. We manage our Mutual Aid Fund and work to provide valuable info, resources, and support for local sex workers. We work hard, but also manage to have fun together. BAWS needs some more help, and we would love to have YOU be a part of creating our community care structures. There are one-time projects and ongoing positions open. These volunteer positions are available to current and former sex workers in the Bay Area. We are doing all of our organizing remotely during the pandemic.

BAWS is an anti-racist, anti-transphobic, anti-whorephobic organization, pledging to keep learning and doing better. We are in solidarity with BML and Defund the Police because sex worker justice is racial justice and abolitionism. We are looking for Tops members who share and work towards these same values. BIPOC, Trans, GNC strongly encouraged to join our team.

To apply please fill out the form below. Please reach out to bawsorg@gmail.com with any questions.

POSITIONS AVAILABLE

ONE TIME PROJECTS:

Host Virtual Workshop or Meeting (time frame up to you) - We're looking for folks who might want to host workshops or socials through the BAWS network. If you want to, let us know and we'll help you promote. 

Host Fundraiser (time frame up to you) - We're looking for fundraisers to help sustain our mutual aid program. If you were interested in hosting a fundraiser (photo/art sales, online DJ parties, online strip clubs, % of sales from a restaurant, online bartending demos), let us know and we'll help you promote. 

ONGOING ROLES:

Fundraising Top

Keeps the money flowing in for our mutual aid fund - 2-4 hrs per week

Responsibilities:

• Initiate BAWS fundraising campaigns - work with our graphic designers, artists, and Social Media Top

• Manage and expand our donor and membership base

• Reach out to the community to help with fundraisers

Role Requirements (we will train folks - don’t worry about having exact experience)

• Internet & email access

• Understanding of online marketing and promotion

• Creative promo ideas

• Writing skills 

• Comfortable reaching out to donors and community members via email & social media

• General hu$tler attitude

Grant  Top Assistant

Responsible for verifying and approving mutual aid requests - 1hr a day for 5 days. The current days off are Sunday and Wednesday. This assistant role will be relieving the main Grant Top for 1 week/month

Responsibilities:

• Add new applications to the requests spreadsheet 

• Reach out to applicants to verify 

• Check email and request spreadsheet daily

• Answer within 24hrs of each email about a grant request (excluding days off) 

• Verify the correct payment information and copy it accurately into the payouts spreadsheet 

Role Requirements (we will train & guide folks - don’t worry about having exact experience):

• Must have internet access

• Google doc & spreadsheet skills

• This role requires a minimum of 5hrs a week 

• Email & phone communication skills 

• Access to IG, Twitter, Facebook 

Finance Top

Manage the finance of BAWS - 2-5 hrs per week

Responsibilities:

• Recording and tracking BAWS’s finances & balance on multiple channels

• Update BAWS Grant requests & payouts

• Weekly financial report

• Support the Grants team with financial info

• Manage all disbursement, reimbursement, and contractor payments from SEE (our fiscal Sponsor) in a timely manner

• Communicate with SEE when we have problems or questions

Role Requirements (we will train folks - don’t worry about having exact experience)

• Comfortable with accounting, budgets, & spreadsheets

• Reliable & timely with funding disbursements ( this is important because the sex worker community will be counting on these funds to make ends meet)

• Access to internet & email

• Virgo Doms encouraged to apply! ;)

Operations Top

Keeping the general operations and records of BAWS - 2-5 hrs per week

Responsibilities:

• Recording and storing BAWS documents (notes, voting, guides, photos, etc)

• Helping define BAWS Tops roles & responsibilities 

• Provide tech & operations support for Google Drive access and Slack communications for BAWS Tops members

• Research and seek out legal advice as needed to make sure our operations are above board & minimize liability

• Assessing best privacy practices

• Lead our unincorporated nonprofit association filing

• Network with other organizations and mutual aid funds to brainstorm best practices 

Role Requirements (we will train folks - don’t worry about having exact experience):

• Access to internet & email

• Tech-savvy

• Organized AF

• Experience with Google Drive and Slack communications

• General knowledge or interest in non-profit organization structure, internet privacy, & legal/liability non-profit concerns

• Virgo Doms encouraged to apply! ;)

Care Line

Manage a mutual aid network of Bay Area sex workers for SWers who can't leave their homes - 5-10 hrs per month

Responsibilities:

• Manage a mutual aid network of Bay Area workers. Set up regular shifts (we're thinking 2x a month) where Bay Area workers with vehicles can sign up to run grocery, pharmacy, and other errands

Role Requirements (we will train folks - don’t worry about having exact experience):

• Two-month minimum commitment

• Volunteer management

Membership

Community Outreach - 1-3 hrs per week

Responsibilities:

• Expand on our membership of sex workers

• Bring information to workers who do not currently know about BAWS’ resources

• Managing our membership email list

Role Requirements (we will train folks - don’t worry about having exact experience):

• Relationships with BIPOC, transgender, GNC, low income & working-class, outdoor, or disabled sex workers

• Able to share info and help folks access our resources

• Email list management (adding emails to a listserve)

APPLICATION

Dear BAWS Community & Allies,

As COVID-19 cases rise, sex workers continue to be struck by the effects of the pandemic. Folks are making difficult decisions about their health, safety, and income.

Since March, the BAWS Mutual Aid Fund has been able to support 10-15 workers per week, providing over 250 grants total. We are very proud of this mutual aid program, and could not have done it without our community partnerships and your contributions. Unfortunately, donations have declined over the past two months. We need your support to cover this week’s funding requests and expand our reach. We want to reach even more Black trans women, outdoor workers, and recently arrested workers. We want to provide larger amounts and longer-term support that helps folks mobilize out their current situation. To do that, we need your financial act of solidarity — our goal is to attract $10k of support each month to sustainably care for our communities. 

"These funds provided me with the most valuable thing in life - HOPE. Without it, I don’t know if I’d make it through this."

- BAWS Funding Recipient

Your donation to the BAWS Mutual Aid Fund is an act of camaraderie and care that makes a tangible difference in sex workers' lives. We know that there are many important people and organizations to support right now, so we want to let you know where your donation goes when you contribute to BAWS. 

All of our funds go directly to local low income and working-class sex workers. We are partnering with local shelters and navigation centers to help reach more street-based workers. We actively prioritize Black, Indigenous, people of color, single parents, trans, NB, GNC, disabled, and outdoor workers when granting money. With these funds, folks have been able to meet their own needs by having more access to groceries, medicine, hormones, diapers, child-care, rent and shelter, and personal care items.

In addition to funding, our volunteer team has been working to connect funding recipients with grocery and phone bill gift-cards programs, and additional services and resources, to further the amount of care we can provide. 

We ask you to take steps to sustain the BAWS Mutual Aid Fund by taking one or more of the following steps. 

1. BECOME A MONTHLY DONOR. You can sign up to give $5, $10, $25, $50, or more a month. Re-occurring donations allow us to provide sustainable resources to local workers.

2. ONE TIME DONATIONS are always welcome

3. SIGNAL BOOST. Share this ask & link on your social media. Please help us meet our fundraising goals by spreading our information. You can write your own post or share our post on IG, Twitter, and this is a great link to share on FB bayareaworkerssupport.org/donate

4. HOST A FUNDRAISER. Our community has lovingly hosted photography sales, virtual strip clubs, online DJ dance parties, Zoom Cocktail-Mixing parties, and more! If you have a way to direct funds to BAWS, please reach out to bawsorg@gmail.com.

We appreciate all the love our community and allies have shown us. If you have donated in the past, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. And if this is your first time, welcome, we are excited to have you as a contributor! 

Thank you for taking these crucial steps to sustain the BAWS Mutual Aid Fund.  

Love,

BAWS Team

From our friends at criticalresistance.org

What
A chart that discusses reforms that expand policing vs reforms that reduce the role of policing in our lives and its violence.

For Who
Organizers, community members, & anyone grappling with ways to demand practical steps towards ending the violence of policing.

Format
View the PDF online or email crnational@criticalresistance.org for a print version. You can also print this one on 11×17 paper yourself.