Type of Activity: Project
Grantee: Collective Future
Amount: $100,000 in 2021

What is Collective Future?

Collective Future is a 501(c)4 that works to increase civic engagement and political representation of Black communities.

Why do we think this project is important?

Black women are underrepresented at the local, state, and federal levels of government. This results in legislative policies that often directly or indirectly harm Black women, despite their commitment to championing a healthy and fully inclusive democracy.

The state of Black women and girls isn’t fully known or understood by much of the electorate and those in positions of power, in part, because of the historical erasure in storytelling. When these stories are told in mainstream media and entertainment platforms, their lived experiences are often misrepresented.

The You Are My Sister (YAMS) Institute will work to reveal narratives about Black women and girls that focus on the realities, challenges, needs, and opportunities of this community in a data-driven, yet culturally relevant manner; resulting in proposed solutions to create systemic change.

How is Democracy Fund Voice supporting Collective Future?

In 2021, Democracy Fund Voice approved a grant of $100,000 to Collective Future.

Type of Activity: Project
Grantee: Working Families Organization, Inc.
Amount: $250,000 in 2021

What is the Working Families Organization?

Working Families Organization seeks to build a genuine, vibrant multiracial democracy. To work toward this, it organizes individuals, institutions, and movements to achieve the scale that this goal will take.

Why do we think this project is important?

Organizing for Democracy Reform is a project of Working Families Together, and aims to disrupt the culture, institutions, and rules of the game in order to unrig our political system and transform the fight for an inclusive, multi-racial democracy. Doing so requires legislative changes at the state and federal level that expand voting rights, strengthen campaign finance and ethics rules, end partisan gerrymandering, enact D.C. statehood, and more.

Working Families Organization works toward these goals by building federal and state-based organizing infrastructure to create a pro-democracy ecosystem. Working Families Organization leverages its nationwide network of supporters and activists —particularly people of color and working-class people — to advance this work.

How is Democracy Fund Voice supporting Working Families Organization?

In 2021, Democracy Fund Voice approved a grant for $250,000 to Working Families Organization, Inc.

Type of Activity: Project
Grantee: The Hub Project
Amount: $850,000 in 2021

What is The Hub Project?

The Hub Project, a fiscally sponsored project of the Sixteen Thirty Fund, builds coalitions and provides resources, capacity, infrastructure, and expertise to advocacy campaigns working to strengthen our democracy.

Why do we think this project is important?

Democracy Fund Voice supports efforts to disrupt the culture, institutions, and rules of the game in order to unrig our political system and transform the fight for an inclusive, multi-racial democracy. Structural democracy reforms, such as filibuster reform, D.C. statehood, expanded voting access, and others are critical to creating a representative, multi-racial democracy.

Through its campaigns and coalitions, The Hub Project’s democracy program is leveraging a broad coalition of state and national organizations — many led by and serving people of color — to achieve meaningful structural democracy reforms.

How is Democracy Fund Voice supporting The Hub Project?

In 2021, Democracy Fund Voice approved a grant for $850,000 to support The Hub Project.

Type of Activity: Project
Grantee: Congre$$ Series
Amount: $42,000 in 2021

What is Congre$$ Series?

Melissa Medina is a former Capitol hill staffer and tech entrepreneur who produces YouTube videos related to personal finance. Her Congre$$ Series project is a collection of free educational videos aimed to help congressional staffers better understand financial literacy with an aim to decrease barriers of entry and foster a more equitable and diverse workforce on Capitol Hill.

Why do we think this project is important?

The Congre$$ Series helps to create an ecosystem of empowered, diverse, knowledgeable, and talented staff leaders in Congress. The published videos raise awareness, fill knowledge gaps among congressional staff, and break down financial barriers that factor into Congress’ lack of diversity in its workforce.

How is Democracy Fund Voice supporting Congre$$ Series?

In 2021, Democracy Fund Voice approved a grant of $42,000 to support Melissa Medina’s Congre$$ Series project.

Type of Activity: Project
Grantee: Demand Justice
Amount: $200,000 in 2021

What is Demand Justice?

Founded in 2018, Demand Justice is a 501(c)4 organization that aims to restore the ideological balance and legitimacy of the federal courts by advocating for reforms that improve the trust in and legitimacy of the courts.

Why do we think this project is important?

The courts play an essential role in protecting the rule of law and serving as a check on the executive and legislatives branches. To play this role effectively, the judiciary must be seen as trusted and legitimate in the eyes of the public. Reforming the courts by diversifying the bench, preventing ethical violations, improving the structure of federal courts and more are critical aspects of improving trust and legitimacy.

Demand Justice works toward these goals by building a diverse pipeline of talent into the federal judiciary. By supporting those from diverse backgrounds, Demand Justice aims to shift the makeup of the federal bench to be more representative of the legal profession as a whole.

How is Democracy Fund Voice supporting Demand Justice?

In 2021, Democracy Fund Voice approved a grant for $200,000 to support Demand Justice.