Type of Activity: Project
Grantee: Center for Secure and Modern Elections (CSME) Action
Amount: $400,000 in 2023

What is the Center for Secure and Modern Elections Action?

Center for Secure and Modern Elections (CSME) Action, a fiscally sponsored project of Sixteen Thirty Fund, works to make voting registration easier through pro-voter policy reform advocacy. They are a bipartisan organization dedicated to advancing pro-voter policies at the state level that modernize the voting process and ensure that every eligible voter can have their voice heard. CSME Action supports state-led efforts to advance good voting policy, beat back bad ideas, and implement laws to maximize enfranchisement.

Why do we think this project is important?

While the pro-voter sector has made massive strides in the past five years changing state-based policy, significant work remains. Voters still experience a two-step voting process, with arbitrary barriers put into civic engagement that deter many from voting. Inequities in rules, administration, and elections funding mean that lower-income voters, as well as Black, brown, and young voters, all face a disproportionate challenge to vote in America.

How is Democracy Fund Voice supporting CSME Action?

In 2023, Democracy Fund Voice approved a two-year grant of $400,000 to the Center for Secure and Modern Elections Action.

In 2022, Democracy Fund Voice approved a one-year grant of $250,000 to support the primary purpose activities of Center for Secure and Modern Elections Action.

Previously, a two-year grant of $1,000,000 was approved in 2019, and in 2021 the grant was amended to increase the amount to $1,250,000.

Type of Activity: Project Grant
Grantee: American Oversight, Inc.
Amount: $200,000 in 2019 over two years

What is American Oversight?

A non-partisan, nonprofit ethics watchdog, American Oversight uses the Freedom of Information Act and public records laws to investigate government misconduct. Once documents have been uncovered and published, they work with the judicial system to end corruption and abuses of power within the government. 

Why do we think this project is important?

We believe that voting rights must be protected against voter suppression efforts. Greater transparency into how legislative and administrative election changes are made can deter attempts to disenfranchise voters. American Oversight enables greater transparency by requesting access to state government records and using the legal system to obtain documents when necessary. They make all of this information available to the public, shining a light on voter suppression attempts.

Through the course of their work, American Oversight has found that increased transparency can influence the actions of public officials who realize that their work and communications will be available for public scrutiny. This grant will support American Oversight’s current efforts to uncover paper trails behind concerted efforts to undermine the right to vote. 

How is Democracy Fund Voice supporting American Oversight?

In 2019, Democracy Fund Voice approved a two-year grant of $200,000 to American Oversight.

Type of Activity: General Operating Support
Grantee: Alliance for Youth Action
Amount: $150,000 in 2022

What is the Alliance for Youth Action?

The Alliance for Youth Action is a nationwide network of organizations growing progressive people power across America by empowering local young people’s organizations to strengthen our democracy, fix our economy, and correct injustices through on-the-ground organizing. The Alliance network is made up of youth-powered organizations in about 20 states across the country from Washington to Florida.

Why do we think this organization is important?

The Alliance works with a national network of state-based youth-focused organizations leading local Democracy Done Right issue campaigns to secure the access, security, and convenience young voters deserve. Democracy Fund Voice believes our electoral system needs the participation of young voters if the results of elections are going to truly reflect the will of the people, which in turn can increase the electorate’s faith in our political system. 

How is Democracy Fund Voice supporting the Alliance for Youth Action?

In 2022, Democracy Fund Voice approved a one-year grant of $150,000 to the Alliance for Youth Action to provide general operating support.

In 2019, Democracy Fund Voice approved a two-year grant to the Alliance for Youth Action for their Democracy Done Right project in the amount of $225,000. In 2021 an amendment was approved to increase the amount of the grant by $150,000 for a total of $375,000 and to change the purpose of the grant from project support to general operating support.

Type of Activity: Project Grant
Grantee: Alliance for Safety and Justice, a project of Tides Center
Amount: $20,000 in 2019 

What is the Alliance for Safety and Justice?

The Alliance for Safety and Justice (ASJ), a fiscally sponsored project of the Tides Center, works with leaders and advocates to reform the justice system through coalition building, research, education and advocacy.

A multi-state organization,  ASJ aims to replace over-incarceration with new safety solutions rooted in prevention, rehabilitation and support for crime victims. Their work is focused on the largest incarceration states; they partner with state leaders and advocates to implement policy advocacy, organizing, coalition building, research and strategic communications.

Why do we think this project is important?

ASJ’s work on rights restoration and broader criminal justice reform helps build a movement of returning citizens and allies, and mobilizes them to tell the story of rights restoration in Florida and protect the re-enfranchisement of Floridians living with past convictions.

Democracy Fund Voice believes that in order to build a responsive political system in which the public comes first, barriers to voting must be removed. Voting is the cornerstone of our democracy, and any time a group of people are disenfranchised, there is a cost to the health of our political system. 

How is Democracy Fund Voice supporting Alliance for Safety and Justice?

In 2019, Democracy Fund Voice approved a grant to Alliance for Safety and Justice in the amount of $20,000.

Type of Activity: Project
Grantee: Florida Rights Restoration Coalition Education Fund
Amount: $100,000 in 2022 

What is the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition Education Fund? 

Florida Rights Restoration Coalition Education Fund (FRRC EF), a fiscally sponsored project of Tides Advocacy,  works to improve society by strengthening people and communities who have been most weakened by their interaction with the criminal legal system.

This grassroots, membership organization is run by returning citizens (formerly convicted persons) dedicated to ending the disenfranchisement and discrimination against people with convictions, and creating a more comprehensive and humane reentry system that will enhance successful reentry, reduce recidivism, and increase public safety. 

Why do we think this project is important?

Before FRRC EF led the campaign to pass Amendment 4 in 2018, Florida was one of just four states that permanently barred people with past convictions from voting for the rest of their life. Florida’s law was among the most restrictive in the nation. Experts estimated that before Amendment 4’s passage, 1 in 5 Black Floridians could not vote because of felony disenfranchisement rules. Passing Amendment 4 represented the largest expansion of voting rights in the United States in 50 years.

With 7 million people in the state having a criminal background that serves as a barrier to voting, employment, housing, education and other opportunities, FRRC EF is committed to building an engaged constituency in Florida with the power to eliminate the current barriers enshrined in law, policy, and practice.

How is Democracy Fund Voice supporting the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition Education Fund? 

In 2022, Democracy Fund Voice approved a one-year grant of $100,000 to Florida Rights Restoration Coalition Education Fund. 

In 2019 Democracy Fund Voice approved a two-year grant to FRRC EF’s as a fiscally sponsored project of the Tides Foundation, in the amount of $225,000. In 2021 an amendment was approved to increase the amount of the grant by $75,000, for a total of $300,000. A previous grant was made in 2018 in the amount of $200,000.

Type of Activity: Project
Grantee: Proteus Action League
Amount: $100,000 in 2022 

What is Proteus Action League?

Proteus Action League convenes and facilitates donor collaboratives, partners with innovative projects through fiscal sponsorship and offers Donor Advised c4 accounts. Their work addresses democracy, human rights, peace, LGBTQI justice, racial justice, and gender justice, among other issues.

The Piper Action Fund’s Right to Protest program, a project of Proteus Action League, is a rapid response fund to state groups combating legislation that would restrict the freedom to assemble. In addition, they coordinate a national network of organizations that serve as support to local actors.

Why do we think this project is important?

Peaceful protest is a quintessential exercise of the freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment. Throughout American history, protest has been a key strategy to hold the government accountable to the people and to advance democracy. In recent years, state and federal threats to peaceful protest have mounted, including legislation ranging from significantly increased civil fines for protestors and increased criminal penalties for specific forms of protest. 

In 2021, there was a sharp increase in the number of attempts by states to criminalize protest. Unfortunately, this trend continued in 2022 with 22 states considering legislation to criminalize protest.

In response to these bills, the Right to Protest program quickly dispersed grants to organizations to conduct public education, engage their communities, and advocate for freedom of assembly. They also worked to coordinate national support to state groups through the Protect Dissent network, developed messaging to build strong support for the right to protest, and engaged the donor community in addressing these threats.

How is Democracy Fund Voice supporting Proteus Action League?

In 2022, Democracy Fund Voice approved a one-year grant of $100,000 to Proteus Action League to support their project, Piper Action Fund’s Right to Protest Program. 

Previous financial support includes $100,000 in 2018, $100,000 in 2019, $100,000 in 2020 and $100,000 in 2021.