The fund was created to align with the principals of mutual aid. This means that there is not one group of people who “needs help” and one group of people that “gives help.” We embrace our responsibility to take care of one another, and are committed to meeting the needs of the Austin community. Read more about our values below!
Solidarity not CharityWe are all equal in worth and profoundly interdependent. And yet, our ability to access mental healthcare is deeply unequal. We believe our well-being is dependent on the well-being of others, and we engage in a politics of solidarity that, unlike charity, rejects power imbalance and embraces our shared humanity. |
EquityWe aim to distribute funds with the intention of rectifying racial and socioeconomic inequities in access to care. |
Transparency and PrivacyWe take financial transparency and accountability as seriously as the privacy and dignity of recipients of aid. All transactions—both contributions to the fund and distribution to recipients of aid—are publicly tracked on our Open Collective page, while the personal information of our aid recipients is kept private. |
TrustIf someone is reaching out for assistance, we are choosing to believe them. We do not engage in means testing. It is a choice to trust one another, and one we encourage everyone to choose to do so. No one will ever need to prove or demonstrate their need, nor share information they do not feel comfortable sharing. |
Our BelIefWe are worthy of care. We can take care of each other. |