In this episode of Direct Democracy Diaries, Chris and Caroline speak with Krithika Harish, Senior Program Officer for Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies, about philanthropy’s role in building lasting movements. Krithika shares her path from civic engagement and international development to advocacy and institutional funding, then explains how transparency, and long-term relationships shape strong funder-grantee partnerships. They examine the role of ballot measures in advancing reproductive freedom, why early and sustained investment matters across the full life cycle of a campaign, how the funding landscape has shifted since the 2024 election, and why funders must reflect on the power they hold in shaping movements.
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In this episode of Direct Democracy Diaries, Chris Melody Fields Figueredo and Caroline Sanchez Avakian speak with attorney Emma Sharkey about what happens after voters approve a ballot measure. Emma explains how voter-approved policies can face challenges through litigation, legislative action, funding decisions, and delayed implementation. They discuss why campaigns should plan for implementation from the beginning, how legal, communications, organizing, and coalition strategies can work together, and why protecting the ballot measure process itself is essential. Emma also shares what campaigns can do to anticipate challenges and continue protecting the policies voters approved after Election Day.
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In this episode of Direct Democracy Diaries, Chris and Caroline speak with Tram Nguyen, co-executive director of New Virginia Majority, about building lasting community power and giving people something meaningful to say yes to. Tram shares how her family’s refugee story shaped her commitment to democracy and explains why proactive campaigns must connect elections to the everyday concerns affecting people’s lives. The conversation examines Virginia’s proposed constitutional amendments, including the right to vote, and how shared values like freedom can connect issues across communities. Tram also discusses organizing through human connection, giving people the tools to lead, holding elected officials accountable, and treating Election Day as part of a much longer effort to build power and create change.
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