Community & Justice Annual Fundraiser
Over 70 years, RICJ has recognized Rhode Island social justice leaders with the Community & Justice award, to honor exemplary contributions to creating a society that values all of its members. RICJ's annual fundraising event.
CELEBRATE AT RICJ's 70th ANNIVERSARY FUNDRAISER
Thursday, December 7, 2023
6:00PM - 8:00PM
Rhode Island State House
Past Year Event:
In 2022, RICJ held our 1st Community & Justice Fundraiser since the Pandemic, on Wednesday, December 7th, 2022. RICJ warmly welcomed our valued Supporters, Donors & Alumni of our leadership programs to our event to
"Build Connections that Change Lives".
We heard from Alumni now in the working world whose lives were changed by RICJ youth programs. We enjoyed a networking reception with delicious food, complimentary wine/beer, music and entertainment, raffle/silent auction and a holiday-decorated Statehouse. We raised over $35,000 to support RICJ programs!


ABOUT & HISTORY
Since 1953, the annual Community & Justice Awards have honored those who help create a society that values ALL its members. It's our annual fundraiser and our social event of the year.
We held this event, our annual fundraiser, every year until the pandemic in 2020. In 2021, instead of a virtual event, our staff worked to create video presentations to share the expertise of our staff and our youth facilitators with the public, developing and premiering two "edu-nars" (webinars): 1) DEI facilitation: Building a Culture of Belonging, and 2) Juvenile Hearing Boards and Transformative Justice. In other events we saw our friends and supporters virtually through zoom.
Finally, in 2022 we were excited to hold a real fundraiser, to see and be with our friends! We welcomed back our supporters, donors and Alumni of our youth programs (teens when we met them and now part of the older working world).
C&J tickets are generally $100 and sponsorships are available. Thank you for your support and for celebrating with us!

Three generations of NCCJ & RICJ Executive Directors:
Toby Ayers, Charlotte Penn and Tony Maione.
PAST HONOREES
RICJ congratulates our 2018 and 2017 Community & Justice Award honorees! In 2018, our theme was Comm[UNITY] and we celebrated Tony Maione's over 35 years of service as the long-time President and CEO of United Way of RI, and before that, as Executive Director of the National Conference for Community & Justice. Throughout his career, Tony has sought to bring young people in to the seats of power, as at United Way, he supported creation of the Young Leaders Circle. In 2017, we celebrated Providence and leaders building a dynamic, diverse city with a bright future. Dan Baudouin, now-retired executive director of The Providence Foundation, facilitated partnerships that played key roles in moving rivers, cleaning streets, renovating historic buildings and shifting highways, over 24 years, all with an eye to the value of a diverse city. We honored community volunteers of the new Providence and Central Falls Juvenile Hearing Boards, who create brighter futures and prevent the pipeline to prison for juveniles, providing resources, referrals and guidance that keep children and communities safe.
Our last Award Gala was held Dec 11, 2019, when we honored RAMONA ROYAL. Ramona was Talent Acquisition and Diversity Officer at Amica Mutual Insurance, where she led diversity initiatives across their 44 offices. Nationally recognized for her creative, out of the box storytelling approach to building DEI in corporate settings, her work establishing cultures of belonging in the workplace is a model for DEI professionals and an inspiration for RICJ's Youth Facilitators. A supporter of our mission and a role model for RICJ's youth, Ramona is an important contributor to building an inclusive Rhode Island.


2018 C&J honoree Tony Maione of United Way RI.


2017 C&J honoree Dan Baudouin
of The Providence Foundation.
2017 C&J honorees from the Providence Juvenile Hearing Board