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Solidago Foundation July 2021 Grantees

by in General

Solidago Foundation Grants $230,000 in July 2021 Docket for the Protection of Voting Rights & Non-Partisan Integrated Voter Engagement

The Solidago Foundation is pleased to announce that we have recently awarded $230,000 in grants for our July 2021 docket. The strategic focus of the docket was work related to the protection of voting rights and non-partisan integrated voter engagement. The geographic focus was Arizona, Georgia, and national.

Arizona and Georgia are among the many state legislatures that passed laws in the last session making it more difficult for many people – especially people from historically disenfranchised communities – to exercise the right to vote. In the coming year, organizations in those states will be educating prospective voters about the changes brought about by the new laws, helping them cast their ballots despite the new restrictions, and working to ensure that their ballots will be counted. At the same time, they will also be mobilizing to try to overturn the new restrictive legislations. While this work is ongoing, state-based organizations and national organizations will be speaking out about the need for the federal government to take action to defend and expand voting rights and to ensure that our democracy is truly of the people, for the people, and by the people.

Our approach to this docket was to fund organizations doing this work across the pro-democracy movement ecosystem, and to dedicate the bulk of our funding towards general operating support. We are grateful to have the opportunity to support the following organizations: 

In Arizona: 

  • Arizona Advocacy Foundation: Arizona Advocacy Foundation is devoted to defending and deepening Arizona’s commitment to democracy. They believe the cornerstones of a vibrant democracy are meaningful voting rights and access to the ballot, political decisions driven by voters instead of money, and a fair and independent judiciary.
  • Instituto Lab: Instituto Lab builds sustained political power with low-income and communities of color across Arizona. The two pillars of their work are (1) accelerating organizations by focusing on leadership development and scaling electoral and advocacy programs; and (2) incubating ideas and leaders that seed the next generation of power-building organizations, rooted in multiracial lived experience.
  • Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders for Equity: AZ AANHPI for Equity is an emergent coalition whose mission is to build power for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities and allies. Working in relationship with other historically marginalized and underrepresented communities of color, AZ AANHPI for Equity uses non-partisan integrated voter engagement, issue advocacy, and narrative/culture change to expand the electorate, with a particular focus on cultivating youth leadership. The coalition is comprised of nine local AAPI-led groups, all of which are volunteer-driven.
  • Rural Arizona Engagement (RAZE): RAZE’s mission is to educate, advocate, and coordinate in rural communities, so they might gain access to civic education, engagement opportunities, and voter registration.

In Georgia: 

  • Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Atlanta: Asian Americans Advancing Justice- Atlanta is the first and only nonprofit legal advocacy organization dedicated to protecting the civil rights of multi-ethnic Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPI) in Georgia and the Southeast.
  • ProGeorgia: ProGeorgia is the 501c3 civic engagement table (State Voices affiliate) in Georgia that provides training and support to partner organizations and coordinates voter and census engagement efforts among more than 30 groups across the state. ProGeorgia’s model is to provide coordination and strategy for progressives in Georgia that result in tangible wins in the areas of democracy reform, social justice, and advocacy. There are four main buckets of work: (1) capacity building for partners; (2) voter registration; (3) voter engagement; and (4) election reform.

National Organizations: 

  • Center for Popular Democracy, for the Voting Rights and Democracy Program: The Center for Popular Democracy (CPD) partners with community organizations, progressive elected officials, and individuals in the fight for a responsive democracy that advances a pro-worker, pro-immigrant, racial and economic agenda, and delivers on the promise of dignity and equality for all. CPD’s work grows out of its network of 53 affiliates and partners in 131 cities across 34 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, DC. CPD’s Voting Rights and Democracy Program works with state affiliates and national partners to drive a proactive democracy agenda, increase access to the ballot, expand the electorate, and strengthen the voice of the New American Majority in the electoral process.