Alliance for Justice’s Post

Within hours of Joe Biden withdrawing from the presidential race, nearly $50m was received by ActBlue, the small donor arm of the Democrats fundraising machine the most raised in this election cycle. As well as big donors like George Soros pledging blue dollars, it's a sign that the grassroots Democrats are backing Kamala Harris. #actblue #Democrats #kamalaharris #georgesoros #funding #president #optionsstrategies #assetallocation #wealthmanagement #wealthmanager #donor #trump #politics #congress #democracy #usaelections #geopolitics #stockmarket #politics #publicpolicy #leadership

Today's post is about some issues affecting the youth vote today. If you haven't already, please register for tomorrow's webinar "Building Inclusive Democracy and Power Through Youth Voting and Nonprofit Activism." I will introduce a new guide on multicultural youth GOTV for nonprofits from The Institute for Race, Power & Political Economy and then be joined by Quyen Tu and Sarah Efthymiou of Bolder Advocacy for a workshop on nonprofit advocacy. This will be really helpful if you work for a youth-serving nonprofit (although that is not a requirement for participation). You can register for the webinar here: https://lnkd.in/gMtj6C8u *Margin of Error Blog represents my personal & professional viewpoints and not necessarily those of IRPPE, Bolder Advocacy, or any other organization. No organization pays me to write it. I am alone responsible for its content. #youthvoting #elections #voterturnout

We need to ensure that any changes to our electoral system work for the benefit of citizens and not the benefit of the two major political parties. We need to totally ban political donations and fund all campaigning by candidates from the public purse. It would end up saving us money and our democracy. These campaigns need not be as expensive as those we currently see and could involve just a few minutes of TV and radio, a certain number of corflute signs and maybe three rounds of flyers for each candidate and that is it. They can make as many phone calls and knock on as many doors as they and their volunteers can manage. Candidates who try to game the system or who are not serious in their attempt could be libel for serious fines. WE already spend more than this would cost funding the political parties. We seem to have forgotten it is the candidates that are supposed to represent their electorate not the political parties.

Here is a good question and appropriate priority - how to ensure elections are free and fair. It's not a simple one to answer, but the thrust here is organizing, organizing, organizing. It is a titanic David and Goliath story: how to wrest power and democratic decency from the forces bent on protecting the power of those elites that control capital

🚨 A Ban on Political Donations? The search for democratic reform in South Australia 🚨 Associate Professor Rob Manwaring and Dr Josh Holloway discusses a potential world-first ban on all political donations and the technical and constitutional challenges that follow. 📖 Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gTsh_w-c 💬 Join the Conversation: Share your thoughts in the comments! Flinders University  #PoliticalReform #Democracy #SouthAustralia

⏰ We’re already counting down to the 2024 election, and civic groups working to make sure the electoral process is free and fair need our support NOW. 🗓️ Early funding empowers nonpartisan efforts to reduce voting barriers, combat misinformation, and protect the rights of Americans. ⏳When funds arrive late in the year, they are less effective. That’s why this year we’re committing to moving faster. Join us for All by April – a movement of funders committed to making contributions by April: AllByApril.org #AllByApril

My latest, for Cleveland.com: Ohio's broader crisis of representative government cannot be solved without addressing the civic engagement crisis in Cleveland. In November, voters narrowly rejected a participatory budgeting amendment, the latest attempt to increase citizens' sense of agency and trust in their city's governance. Such efforts cannot stop here. Cleveland's leaders, from City Hall to City Council to foundations, nonprofits, and the private sector, should treat civic disengagement like the crisis it is. Until they do, Cleveland--and the state of Ohio--will never reach their full potential. https://lnkd.in/gp7G-Ajy

Yes, your nonpartisan organization can engage in the elections without upsetting your volunteers, members and donors. Here are a few tips for doing so successfully. 📌 Focus on the act of voting, not who to vote for. This includes encouraging people to register to vote, directing them to a website that helps them locate their polling place and encouraging them to vote once early voting begins (and obviously on election day). 📌 Educate your audience about the connection between advocacy and your organization’s mission. Most people don’t understand it so you need to explain it to them in very simple terms. (If the terms you’re using include “cloture” or “germane” then you haven’t kept it simple. Try again.) 📌 Nonpartisan is different than bipartisan. Make it clear that you are being nonpartisan in your work. 📌 Don’t try to be cute. Oh sure, there are plenty of workarounds to staying officially nonpartisan while still nudging your audience toward one candidate. But, if you’re seeking workarounds that means you’re actually being partisan and your audience will see through this. How to be partisan but still pass legal scrutiny is a topic for an entirely different post. (Said with love to my former colleagues Katherine Karl, Siri Buller and Sharon Want.) 📌 Proactively educate your board and leadership team on how relating your issues and organization to the election makes you more relevant to your volunteers and members, not controversial. Address their concerns before they raise them in a big meeting (that you might not be in to defend it). #grassroots #advocacy #digitalstrategy #election #nonprofit Rubenstein Impact Group, LLC

MWEG Executive Director, Jennifer Walker Thomas, on how people of faith can strengthen our democracy through participating as poll workers. "This year, it is our democracy that requires an emergency response. Religious communities can and should be the first to step forward. Churches and other faith-based organizations are key non-partisan organizers in cities and towns across America, and they should take up the task of ensuring that we experience free and fair elections. Values central to our faith traditions such as hospitality and service particularly equip us to ensure a positive, smooth experience at the polls." https://lnkd.in/g38gbawe

As pro-democracy funders and donors, how can we best show up for the organizations working to ensure our elections remain free and fair? This year, the call to action has never been more clear: grassroots leaders accomplish their best work when they have the resources and time necessary to plan their efforts confidently, develop robust partnerships, and invest in their employees. That’s why Tides’ Healthy Democracy Fund maximized opportunities for long-term power-building among historically excluded communities well before the start of this pivotal election year.   Approximately 1 in 5 dollars that Tides granted in 2023 went toward organizations dedicated to protecting democracy, civic participation, or community organizing. This year, we’re taking it a step further by pledging to move all the democracy-protecting dollars we can before the end of April to best support changemakers on the ground.    We’re supporting important activities including:     •    Community-informed, multi-issue organizing,      •    Advocacy to help our grantees educate voters and lead nonpartisan voter registration drives, and     •    Increasing voter turnout by reaching across language and cultural barriers to inspire voters of all backgrounds.   We are committed to shifting power to people of color, youth, low-income communities, and other groups who face systemic barriers. Join us in our work to build a healthy and inclusive democracy: https://lnkd.in/eeTf98aV (https://lnkd.in/ep5k-gut) #Tides #socialjustice #impact #democracy