We believe direct democracy can be a tool for liberation. We leverage ballot measures across the United States as part of a larger movement to strengthen democracy, center people of color, queer, low-income, immigrant, indigenous and other marginalized communities, move towards racial equity, build and transform power, and galvanize a new progressive base.
We lead by supporting the use of ballot measures as a tool for transformational impact, not just in a measure’s outcomes, but at every stage of the ballot measure process—from policy development, signature gathering, civic engagement, the campaign itself, implementation and beyond. We believe in movement building and empowerment, bringing communities into the work and leaving lasting infrastructure for continued social change.
Over the past 20 years, we’ve supported state and national organizations throughout the country to lead campaigns that create a living wage, restore voting rights for the formerly incarcerated, reform our criminal justice system, fund public education, and much more. As we are building a world where equity and justice prevails, we also fight efforts to curb reproductive freedom, limit a worker’s right to organize and join a union, and restrict people’s civil rights.
We know that success isn’t just defined by getting 50% + 1 of the vote. If we’re serious about building a more equitable world, we also have to consider who’s driving the change and whether it will have a transformational impact on the people and communities who have been pushed to the margins for too long.
We achieve impact through training the field and developing leaders, convening state and national leaders and funders in a co-created strategy that results in transformative wins, leading innovative research and providing assistance to support ballot measures as a tool to build long term power.