Author Archives: Meredith Bird

Defending Nonprofit Advocacy

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Type of Activity: Project
Grantee: Shared Ascent Fund
Amount: $30,000 in 2020

What is the Shared Ascent Fund?

Shared Ascent Fund is a nonprofit designed to provide sustained support for efforts to confront the growing threat to our democracy. This work cannot succeed without advancing economic, racial, and gender equity. Shared Ascent Fund assists skillful leaders and organizations as they strive to move beyond the zero-sum economics and politics that impoverish communities and deepen divides.

Why do we think this project is important?

In order to defend the ability of 501(c)(3) organizations to share resources with their partner 501(c)(4) organizations without jeopardizing the tax status of the (c)(3) organizations, Shared Ascent Fund mobilized a congressional response to the IRS’s private letter rule 134894-18.

In January 2020, the U.S. Internal Revenue (IRS) released a private letter ruling that could undermine the ability of 501(c)(3) organizations to share resources, including office space and employees, with their partner 501(c)(4) organizations without jeopardizing the tax status of the (c)(3) organizations.

Through this project, the Shared Ascent Fund defended this long-established, legally sound practice, which has been integral to the growth and effectiveness of nonprofit advocacy. As is the case now, the (c)(3) and (c)(4) organizations would continue to observe the legal formalities of their separate incorporations and separate financials to avoid violating their different lobbying and electoral rules. The existing legal structures have allowed non-profit organizations to pursue outcomes that serve the public interest on a range of priorities that are core the future of an open and just democracy.

How is Democracy Fund Voice supporting Shared Ascent Fund?

In 2020, Democracy Fund Voice approved a grant of $30,000 to Shared Ascent Fund.

COVID-19 Accountability

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Type of Activity: Project
Grantee: Public Citizen
Amount: $200,000 in 2020

What is Public Citizen?

Public Citizen is a nonprofit consumer advocacy organization that works to address the growing power gap between everyday people and concentrated power in the hands of corporate and government actors. They approach this issue through a combination of congressional advocacy, litigation, research, and grassroots advocacy.

Why do we think this project is important?

Public Citizen worked to co-convene a diverse coalition of organizations urging proper oversight over the trillions in taxpayer dollars spent in response to COVID-19. Public Citizen helped coordinate advocacy to ensure that aid and stimulus funds went to those in need and that funds were not misused for corrupt political purposes. It also worked with Congress and the companies receiving funds to ensure the funds were disbursed in a manner that was transparent and free from waste and mismanagement.

Public Citizen coordinated advocacy to: bolster existing oversight structures (such as congressional committees and independent bodies); strengthen guardrails in future legislation; identify and highlight potential conflicts of interest in government aid and stimulus spending; and, encourage companies to adopt stronger transparency measures, among other activities.

Together, these activities showed elected and appointed officials and aid recipients that advocates and the public were closely monitoring the distribution and use of taxpayer dollars.

How is Democracy Fund Voice supporting Public Citizen?

In 2020, Democracy Fund Voice approved a grant of $200,000 to Public Citizen.

Poder NC Action

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Type of Activity: Project
Grantee: Poder NC Action
Amount: Updated to $260,000 in 2022.

What is Poder NC Action?

Poder NC Action is a Latinx-led and –serving, grassroots organization building the leadership and civic power of the Latinx community in North Carolina.

Why do we think this project is important?

Poder NC Action’s efforts to promote the active participation and engagement of the Latinx community in the democratic process are vital to improving voter participation and voter access in North Carolina. Poder NC is also building out its legislative work to more directly educate lawmakers on the impacts of election changes on the Latinx community.

As the Latinx community continues to grow in NC, organizations like Poder NC Action are key to ensuring inclusive elections and representative leadership in the state.

How is Democracy Fund Voice supporting Poder NC Action?

In 2022 an amendment was approved to increase the amount of the grant by $100,000 for a total of $260,000, with an extension of the grant period through February 2024.

In 2020, Democracy Fund Voice made a two-year grant of $75,000 to Poder NC Action. In 2021 an amendment was approved to increase the amount of the grant by $85,000 for a total of $160,000.

Stop Online Violence Against Women

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Type of Activity: Project
Grantee: Planetwork NGO
Amount: Updated to $535,000 in 2022

What is the Stop Online Violence Against Women Project?

Stop Online Violence Against Women Project (SOVAW), fiscally sponsored by Planetwork NGO, raises awareness and funding to stop online harassment. SOVAW addresses inadequate laws and policies that lack protections for women, particularly women of color. They focus on laws to prevent online violence against women and policy change at the local and federal level of government agencies, and they also work to hold technology and social media companies accountable.

SOVAW serves as a resource of services and options for women and women of color, based on their level of harassment or violence, and they work to include diverse stories of women who are willing to share their experiences. They highlight and include partnering organizations, legislators and companies who are working together to address this important issue.

Why do we think this project is important?

Stop Online Violence Against Women is exploring ways to reduce digital voter suppression and harassment on social media platforms, with an intersectional focus on women of color, through research, public education, and coordination with other groups working to solve this challenge. Advocacy and research are needed to pressure government and platforms to change the policies and functionality of platform algorithms, paid content, and content governance.

Digital and social media platforms are an undeniable and vital part of our public square, and serve as a major source of information for Americans throughout the country. For our democracy to function successfully, voices representing underserved or underrepresented communities must be able to contribute without the fear of harassment or threats against their safety. When women and people of color are silenced, our country loses out on important points of view that impact the discussion of common problems and potential solutions.

How is Democracy Fund Voice supporting the Stop Online Violence Against Women Project?

In 2022, an amendment was approved to increase the amount of the grant by $100,000 for a total of $535,000 with an extension to the grant period through June 2023.

In 2020, Democracy Fund Voice approved a grant of $135,000 over two years to the Stop Online Violence Against Women Project. In 2021 an amendment was approved to increase the amount of the grant by $300,000, for a total of $435,000, with an extension of the grant period to April 2023.

Local News and Press Freedom Advocacy

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Type of Activity: Project
Grantee: PEN American Center
Amount: $100,000 in 2020

What is PEN American Center?  

Founded in 1922, PEN America is the largest of the more than 100 centers worldwide that make up the PEN International network. PEN America works to ensure that people everywhere have the freedom to create literature, to convey information and ideas, to express their views, and to access the views, ideas, and literatures of others.

Why do we think this project is important?

A robust, dynamic, and inclusive free press is essential to genuinely empowered, informed, and vibrant communities — the very foundation of American civic life. And protecting a free press requires both grassroots support from the communities it seeks to cover and a commitment from lawmakers to legal, economic, and policy support.

PEN America expanded its local news and press freedom advocacy efforts throughout the country, with a focus on legislative efforts and policy solutions. Their teams led campaigns and community convenings that advocated for increased attention to these issues using a variety of methods that included resolutions, bills, and constituent campaigns. This built on their existing efforts to organize Congressional support for stimulus funding of local news organizations.

This work is needed now more than ever; in response to the recent increase in protests in cities and states across the country, PEN America drafted local sign-on letters to city officials urging them to protect the press and protestors who faced threats and violence from law enforcement.

How is Democracy Fund Voice supporting PEN American Center?

In 2020, Democracy Fund Voice approved a grant of $100,000 to PEN American Center.

NILC Immigrant Justice Fund

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Type of Activity: Project
Grantee: NILC Immigrant Justice Fund
Amount: Updated to $200,000 in 2021 — originally approved as $100,000 in 2020

What is the NILC Immigrant Justice Fund?

In 2013, the National Immigration Law Center created an affiliate organization, the NILC Immigrant Justice Fund (NILC IJF), to advocate more directly for federal immigration reform policies that provide a road to U.S. citizenship for all aspiring citizens. IJF’s work is guided by a mission focused on building immigrant power, and advancing smart, effective, and fair immigration policy by executing civic engagement campaigns.

Why do we think this project is important?

Despite devastating attacks on immigrants’ lives and livelihoods over the last four years, immigrants and immigration are all too often the last issue on the policymaking agenda. IJF and its sister organization, the National Immigration Law Center, litigates in court and lobby with allies in state houses and Congress to advance immigrant justice. Last year, IJF relaunched its political arm, and developed the 2020 Project to advance smart, effective, fair immigration policy by: 1) shifting how immigration is covered by the media; 2) transforming the way policymakers and political influencers talk about immigrants and immigration; and 3) building enough political power to hold leaders accountable.

The civic engagement strategies of NILC-IJF accomplished these goals including engaging and building their list of activists, preparing activists and voters for advocacy efforts in 2021 and beyond, continuing to produce social media ads using immigrant inclusive messaging to build broad support for immigrants, and continuing to engage the press to tell the story of an inclusive, thriving vision for the United States that includes a fair and humane immigration system.

How is Democracy Fund Voice supporting the NILC Immigrant Justice Fund?  

In 2020, Democracy Fund Voice made a grant of $100,000 to NILC Immigrant Justice Fund. In 2021 an amendment was approved to increase the amount of the grant by $100,000 for a total of $200,000.

Reunited States Documentary Launch

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Type of Activity: Project
Grantee: Mediators Foundation
Amount: $55,000 in 2020

What is the Reunited States documentary?  

The Reunited States is a feature documentary, fiscally sponsored by Mediators Foundation, that follows ordinary citizens on extraordinary journeys of bridging political and racial divides. Through personal stories, the film documents how overcoming polarization is an actionable and attainable goal — and one that we are all responsible for.

Why do we think this project is important?

The Reunited States is a story of the opportunities we all have as Americans to bridge political divides. The grant was used to widen the reach of the film to communities across the country, accelerating and amplifying the call-to-action. This outreach campaign also partnered with other organizations to promote actionable models to bridge divides.

By highlighting several organizations that are bridging divides, the closing credit sequence is an invitation for viewers to continue seeking solutions in their own lives. The credits also point viewers to www.reunitedstates.tv; the URL served as the entry point to access hundreds of other organizations for continuing education and activism. The publishers of “The Reunited States of America: How to Bridge the Partisan Divide,” Berret-Koehler, generously agreed to give a free digital copy of the book to anyone who requested it. Finally, a long-term goal of the campaign is to maintain an online social community to continuously inspire new viewers and audiences into taking action.

How is Democracy Fund Voice supporting the Reunited States?

In 2020, Democracy Fund Voice approved a grant of $55,000 to Reunited States LLC.

Whistleblower Aid

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Type of Activity: General Operating Support
Grantee: Whistleblower Aid
Amount: $200,000 in 2019 

What is Whistleblower Aid?

Whistleblower Aid is a pioneering, non-profit legal organization that helps patriotic government employees and others report abuse and wrongdoing safely, lawfully, and responsibly. 

Why do we think this organization is important?

Protecting whistleblowers is vital to ensuring that government officials are accountable to the public. Whistleblower Aid helps employees of the federal government and others safely and lawfully bring awareness to government wrongdoing. While the federal employees who become whistleblowers are supposed to be covered by whistleblower protection laws, in many cases they face retaliation in the form of intimidation, threats, or the loss of employment. Whistleblower Aid supports these individuals through direct legal support, psychosocial support, and by advocating for them in the press. 

How is Democracy Fund Voice supporting Whistleblower Aid?

In 2019, Democracy Fund Voice approved a grant of $200,000 to Whistleblower Aid. 

Media and Technology Program

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Type of Activity: Project Grant
Grantee: Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
Amount: $50,000 in 2019

What is the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights?

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights was founded in 1950 by a coalition of civil rights activists. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, the Leadership Conference advocated for the passage of civil rights legislation in Congress. Their efforts resulted in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1957, the Civil Rights Act of 1960, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Fair Housing Act of 1968.

Today, the Leadership Conference is a coalition of over 200 member organizations and continues to coordinate advocacy and lobbying efforts in support of  legislation that protects and expands civil and human rights. 

Why do we think this project is important?

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights’ Media and Technology program works to ensure that new technologies enhance civil rights protections, expand media diversity,  and increase access to broadband. Their focus includes challenging media platforms to take responsibility for their role in public access to information, which will lead to increased transparency on how platforms conduct business and raise public pressure for better policies governing how platforms operate. 

How is Democracy Fund Voice supporting the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights?

In 2019, Democracy Fund Voice approved a grant of $50,000 to the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights for their Media and Technology program. 

Secure Democracy

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Type of Activity: General Operating Support 
Grantee: Secure Democracy 
Amount: $400,000 in 2019 over two years

What is Secure Democracy?

Secure Democracy’s mission is to educate policymakers and the public about secure and fair elections. Launched in January 2018, Secure Democracy develops campaigns at the state and local level to secure and protect fair and secure voting access for all Americans.

Why do we think this organization is important?

Secure Democracy works to ensure that every eligible American has the opportunity to make their voice heard. They create campaigns to work with the public, lawmakers, and other key stakeholders to create a voting system that works for all Americans.

Secure Democracy has the ability to mobilize quickly, and the organization has a proven track record of engaging state legislatures and working across the aisle to create meaningful policy change.

How is Democracy Fund Voice supporting Secure Democracy? 

In 2019, Democracy Fund Voice approved a two-year grant to Secure Democracy in the amount of $400,000.