Remember when Black LGBTQ youth saved democracy? This session will explore the intersection of LGBTQ funding and nonpartisan civic engagement funding, telling the story of how Black, queer, and youth organizers in Georgia created one of the largest voter turnout operations in the history of the state. Spoiler alert: it started long before January 2021.

This conversation will demonstrate why Integrated Voter Engagement (IVE) is a proven model to increase civic engagement using c(3) funds and learn what kinds of funding make IVE a reality for local organizations. As described by Funders for Civic Engagement, “IVE groups train community members to reach out to their peers in a continuous, ongoing effort that increases the number of voters and leads to policy changes. […] In addition, their work has a long-term impact by developing local leaders and involving people in shaping the public policy decisions that affect their lives.” 

Grantmakers will learn how strategic c(3) investments in capacity building and organizing helped change the game in Georgia, built progressive infrastructure, and allowed the LGBTQ community to show up in a big way.

Moderator:
Rebecca Fox, Senior Program Officer in the SOGIE department, Wellspring Philanthropic Funds
Speakers:
Malika Redmond, Co- founder and CEO, Women Engaged
Fran Hutchins, Executive Director, Equality Federation Institute
Eric Paulk, Deputy Director, Equality Foundation of Georgia

Sponsored by: Wellspring Philanthropic Fund