Voqal is excited to announce grants to 19 organizations working across the country to strengthen the community through inclusive, progressive organizing. The grants to Proteus Action League, Black Alliance for Just Immigration, Georgia Equality, CASA in Action, Citizen Action of New York, South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT), National Vote at Home Institute, Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, Organizers in the Land of Enchantment (OLÉ), Ballot Initiative Strategy Center (BISC), Fair Elections Portland, Living United for Change in Arizona (LUCHA), New Georgia Project Action Fund, Organize Florida, Faces of Giving, Way to Win, Four Directions, Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Atlanta and Grassroots Leadership exemplify Voqal’s commitment to supporting progressive movements that advance social equity.
Proteus Action League — $150,000
Proteus Action League is a public foundation that partners with other foundations, advocates and individual donors to advance democracy, human rights and peace. Voqal’s grants to Proteus Action League are helping support the work of its collaborative funds including Emergent Fund, Piper Action Fund and RISE Together Action Fund.
Black Alliance for Just Immigration — $25,000
Black Alliance for Just Immigration engages African Americans and other communities in a dialogue that leads to actions that challenge U.S. immigration policy and the underlying issues of race, racism and economic inequity that frame it. Voqal’s grant is helping support Black Alliance for Just Immigration’s work to engage Black immigrants and refugees in the 2020 census and presidential election.
Georgia Equality — $25,000
Georgia Equality’s advances fairness, safety and opportunity for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities and its allies throughout the state. Voqal’s grant is helping support Georgia Equality’s HIV Criminalization Reform Campaign.
CASA in Action — $25,000
CASA in Action is the Mid-Atlantic region’s largest electoral organization fighting for immigrant rights. With support from Voqal, CASA in Action is working to expand access to driver’s licenses, pass TRUST Act policies and establish a new workers’ center in Virginia.
Citizen Action of New York — $50,000
Citizen Action of New York fights for social, racial, economic and environmental justice in the state and city of New York. Voqal’s grant is supporting Citizen Action of New York’s efforts to win strong public funding of election systems in communities across New York state.
South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) — $30,000
SAALT is a national, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that fights for racial justice and advocates for the civil rights of all South Asians in the United States. Voqal’s grant is supporting the work of SAALT to advance policies that protect the most vulnerable populations within the South Asian American community.
National Vote at Home Institute — $20,000
National Vote at Home Institute is dedicated to ensuring the security of the nation’s elections and putting voters’ needs first. Voqal’s grant is helping support National Vote at Home Institute’s work to make elections more accessible by advancing policies across the country that allow voters to vote from their homes.
Florida Rights Restoration Coalition — $75,000
Florida Rights Restoration Colation is dedicated to ending the disenfranchisement of 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. Voqal’s grant is supporting Florida Rights Restoration Coalition’s efforts to engage the base of newly re-enfranchised voters resulting from the passage of Amendment 4.
Organizers in the Land of Enchantment (OLÉ) — $50,000
OLÉ strengthens the community through social advocacy and economic reform, using issue-based campaigns and electoral engagement to ensure working families are playing a critical role in shaping New Mexico’s future with a united voice. Voqal’s grant is funding its Democracy Dollars voter mobilization program, which is aimed at building support for a ballot measure that will increase the amount of funding publicly financed candidates can receive in Albuquerque’s municipal elections.
Ballot Initiative Strategy Center (BISC) — $21,000
BISC is a progressive organization working across the many policy, organizing and political organizations, with local, state and national players to analyze and support the ballot measure landscape. Voqal’s grant will support the work of BISC as it helps organizations prepare for 2019 and 2020 ballot measures across the country.
Fair Elections Portland — $25,000
Fair Elections Portland seeks to strengthen the voices of the people in Portland, Maine, by reducing the influence of big money in local campaigns and ensuring that elected officials represent a true majority of voters. Voqal’s grant is supporting Fair Elections Portland’s campaign to bring public funding to the city in an effort to increase the engagement and political power of the most marginalized groups in the community.
Living United for Change in Arizona (LUCHA) — $25,000
LUCHA is a membership-led, grassroots organization that builds power with Arizona’s working families to advance social, racial and economic justice for all. Voqal’s grant is helping LUCHA support and defend workers, specifically around minimum wage, paid sick leave, time off and a fair workweek.
New Georgia Project Action Fund — $20,000
The New Georgia Project Action Fund is dedicated to growing political engagement in historically underrepresented communities. Voqal’s grant is supporting New Georgia Project Action Fund’s voter education and mobilization of new voters and voters of color.
Organize Florida — $20,000
Organize Florida is a movement of community leaders coming together to fight for real, lasting change across the state of Florida. Voqal’s grant is helping support Organize Florida’s effort to mobilize voters for the 2019 and 2020 elections.
Faces of Giving — $50,000
Faces of Giving democratizes the field and practice of philanthropy. Voqal’s grant is supporting Faces of Giving’s efforts to change the dynamics, face and focus of philanthropic giving in the U.S. by organizing, networking and supporting the voices, leadership and giving of individual people of color.
Way to Win — $115,000
Way to Win works with a coalition of funders and organizations including Women Donors Network Action, Movement Voter Project, Solidaire Action Fund, Democracy in Color, Propel Capital, The Solutions Project and Groundswell Action Fund. It seeks to embody a shared ethos of political funding that brings together near-term strategic wins and long-term power building. Voqal’s grant will help support a number of progressive organizations that are building power in states across the country.
Four Directions — $25,000
Four Directions works to advance equality at the ballot box for Native voters. Voqal’s grant is helping support Four Directions as it protects voting rights and increases the voter participation of Tribal Nation members in the lead up to the 2020 election.
Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Atlanta — $25,000
Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Atlanta is the first nonprofit legal advocacy organization dedicated to protecting the civil rights of the Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities and the Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim and South Asian (AMEMSA) communities in Georgia and the Southeast. Voqal’s grant is supporting Asian Americans Advancing Justice’s work to empower the vote of communities of color proportionately to their real presence in the state of Georgia by advocating for more fairly drawn legislative districts.
Grassroots Leadership — $30,000
Grassroots Leadership works for a more just society where prison profiteering, mass incarceration, deportation and criminalization are things of the past. Voqa’s grant is supporting Grassroots Leadership’s continuing base-building efforts in Texas.
At Voqal, we believe that creating a truly socially equitable world requires a strong community working together to create a more diverse, engaged and empowered citizenry. We believe these organizations exemplify this idea and are excited to be able to support their work.
Learn more about Voqal’s grantmaking and its other grantees on our grants page.