Change takes organizing. But organizing is also changing.
AJS is a national center for innovative organizing and strategy. We build powerful organizations and communities. We fight for racial, social, and economic justice.
Founded by LeeAnn Hall in 1993, AJS began as the Northwest Federation of Community Organizations (NWFCO). Groups in the network built grassroots power in unexpected places. They advanced racial justice and multiracial organizing in rural and conservative communities. In 2003, this network expanded nationally and changed its name to Alliance for a Just Society. Our network played a pivotal role in the national campaign to win the Affordable Care Act.
“The Alliance for a Just Society has demonstrated a long commitment to racial justice work and has been so effective in moving community organizations from principles to practice.”
— Rinku Sen, author and racial justice leader
AJS has a reputation for collaborative, hands-on work with organizations. We partner with movement organizations to improve their impact. AJS has trained thousands of organizers and coached organizing teams large and small. AJS has a deep commitment to grassroots leadership and member-driven organizing.
No longer a network of organizations, AJS remains a leader in social change strategy. We use training, political education, coaching, and campaign strategy to advance the public good.
Alliance for a Just Society also helps organizations audit their organizing programs and campaigns to sharpen their strategy and staff management. If you are interested in working with us, email admin@juststrategy.org.
Alliance for Just Society’s 501(c)(4) sister organization is Just Strategy.
Our team
LeeAnn
Hall
Executive Director
LeeAnn Hall has been a leader of social and racial justice movements for more than thirty-five years. She was a co-founder of People’s Action and is treasurer of the board of Race Forward. As Director for Idaho Community Action Network, she led the successful campaign to cover farmworkers by Idaho’s minimum wage laws for the first time. LeeAnn was the recipient of the prestigious Leadership for a Changing World Award from the Ford Foundation and the Prime Movers Award. She lives in Seattle, Washington.
Fernando
Mejia Ledesma
Campaign Director
Fernando is the Communities for Our Colleges Campaign Director at the Alliance for a Just Society. He has twenty years of organizing and policy experience with many labor, community, and racial and economic justice organizations in Washington State and across the U.S. Fernando migrated from Mexico at sixteen years old and recently became a U.S. citizen and voted for the first time in 2021. He sits on the board of the Tubman Center for Health & Freedom and the Washington State Commission on Hispanic Affairs.
Tysonia
Carr
Finance & Administrative Director
TySonia Carr has over a decade of experience building non-profit accounting and administrative systems, as well as with budgeting and financial reporting. TySonia supports the operations of Alliance for a Just Society and its fiscally sponsored organizations and projects. Tysonia began working with Alliance for Just Society 501(c)(3) and its sister organization Just Strategy’s 501(c)(4) sister organization — in 2010. Tysonia loves to travel, cook and spend time with her large family. She lives in Seattle, WA.
Charlene Sinclair
Dr. Charlene Sinclair is an organizer, thinker, and writer whose work centers on the intersection of race, gender, economy, and democracy. A highly sought-after human-centered strategist, designer thinker, and facilitator. Charlene is a consultant, trainer, and strategic advisor for leading social change organizations and leaders. Charlene serves as Interim Publisher of Colorlines, a leading source for accessible media on race, power, and democracy, and Associate Director of BlackPAC and the Black Progressive Action Coalition (BPAC).
Gabby
Fitz
Campaign Organizer
Gabby (she/her/ella) is an Organizer for Communities for Our Colleges. She is originally from Boise, Idaho, and began working for Alliance for a Just Society in 2022. She earned her bachelor’s degrees in Political Science and Spanish from Seattle University. Gabby’s values align with AJS’s work in community organizing and empowering self-advocacy. During her downtime, you can catch her happily immersed in the art of crocheting.
Molly
McKinley
Senior Transit Organizer
Molly McKinley has over a decade of organizing and policy advocacy experience on transportation and environmental justice issues in both North Carolina and Colorado. Before joining Alliance for a Just Society, she was the policy director for the Denver Streets Partnership, where she led efforts to stop a major highway expansion in central Denver, expand access to public transportation, and pass a citizen-initiated ballot measure to fund Denver’s sidewalk network.
Stevie
Pasamonte
Senior Transit Organizer
Stevie Pasamonte is an organizer focused on building grassroots power at the intersection of mobility, climate, and racial justice. As the chair of Transit Columbus, they helped win a major funding increase for central Ohio public transit, sidewalks, and bikeways, and built coalitions to champion the city’s first complete streets policy. Stevie draws from their experience as a grassroots advocate and lifelong public transit rider in their work with the National Campaign for Transit Justice.
Xochilt
Lopez
Campaign Organizer
Xochilt Is an Organizer for Communities for Our Colleges. She emigrated from Jalisco, Mexico in 2009, and is a mother of three. She worked in Yakima-area packing warehouses for many years. Xochilt pursued a community college degree at Yakima Valley College in order to improve her English, find a job supporting her family, and help the community. At YVC, she founded Connection Bridge, a student club that helps students navigate their college experience.