2009 Grantees

Strategy: New Electoral Mainstream	$530,000
Campaign for Community Change	$65,000
Democracia U.S.A.	$100,000
Planned Parenthood Action Fund	$65,000
Rock the Vote Education Fund	$80,000
Women’s Voices. Women Vote Action Fund	$40,000
Working America Education Fund	$180,000
Strategy: Strengthening State and Regional Infrastructure	$788,500
Advancing Wisconsin	$15,000
Alliance for Justice	$40,000
American Constitution Society for Law and Policy	$25,000
America Votes Education & Action Fund	$102,000
Ballot Initiative Strategy Center	$35,000
California League of Conservation Voters	$17,500
Center for Civic Policy (NM)	$12,500
Conservation Voters for Idaho	$13,500
Conservation Voters New Mexico	$15,000
Forward Montana	$15,000
HealthCare for America Education Fund	$50,000
League of Conservation Voters	$200,000
League of Conservation Voters Education Fund	$100,000
Michigan League of Conservation Voters	$35,000
Montana Conservation Voters	$15,000
National Popular Vote Institute	$25,000
New York League of Conservation Voters	$17,000
Progress Ohio	$16,000
State Voices	$25,000
WIN Minnesota	$15,000
Strategy: Seizing the Moment	$915,000
Catholics in Alliance	$25,000
Center for American Progress Action Fund	$20,000
Clean Water Action	$40,000
Climate Protection Action Fund	$60,000
Democracia Ahora	$10,000
Environment America	$20,000
Institute for America’s Future	$35,000
Natural Resources Defense Council	$320,000
Natural Resources Defense Council Action Fund	$250,000
Sierra Club	$50,000
Unity Fund	$35,000
USAction	$50,000
Strategy: Communicating Progressive Values	$75,000
Media Matters Action Network	$75,000
TOTAL	$2,308,500

2008 Grantees

Building Inclusive Democracy	$105,000
Brennan Center Strategic Fund	25,000
NAACP Legal Defense Fund	25,000
Opportunity Agenda, project of Tides Center	25,000
Right to the City Alliance, a project of Miami Worker’s Center	15,000
Voter Action	15,000
The New Electoral Mainstream	$1,672,000
ACORN	100,000
Campus Compact	15,000
Civic Engagement Fund	75,000
Defenders of Wildlife	30,000
Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund	30,000
Democracia USA , a project of NCLR	95,000
Generation Vote	15,000
HeadCount	25,000
League of Young Voters	15,000
NAACP National Voter Fund	112,000
National Hip Hop Political Convention, a project of National Black United Fund	35,000
New Voters Project, a project of PIRG	25,000
Planned Parenthood Federation of America	125,000
Project Vote	175,000
Rock the Vote	85,000
Rock the Vote Education Fund	50,000
VoteVets Action Fund, Inc.	45,000
Voto Latino	25,000
Women’s Voices. Women Vote	195,000
Women’s Voices. Women Vote Action Fund	50,000
Working America Education Fund	175,000
Young Voter Engagement Fund	175,000
Strengthening State & Regional Capacity	$1,120,000
Advancing Wisconsin	55,000
Arizona Advocacy Network Foundation	25,000
Asian Communities for Reproductive Justice	20,000
Border Action Network	25,000
CAUSA	25,000
Center for Civic Action (NM)	25,000
Center for Civic Participation	150,000
Center for Civic Policy (NM)	25,000
Center for Community Change	60,000
Clean Water Action	20,000
Clean Water Foundation	50,000
Colorado Conservation Voters	25,000
Colorado Conservation Voters Education Fund	10,000
Colorado Progressive Action	15,000
Colorado Progressive Coalition	10,000
Colorado Unity	25,000
Conservation Minnesota	25,000
Conservation Voters of New Mexico	35,000
Democracy in Action	35,000
Latina Initiative Project	25,000
Miami Worker’s Center	40,000
Michigan LCV	10,000
Mobilize the Immigrant Vote	10,000
Montana LCV	10,000
New Strategies Fund, a project of Tides Foundation	100,000
Our Oregon	30,000
SouthWest Organizing Project	25,000
US Action	65,000
US Action Education Fund	50,000
Virginia League of Conservation Voters Education Fund	25,000
Western Organization of Resource Councils	15,000
WIN Minnesota	55,000
Framing and Communicating Progressive Values	$710,000
Campaign for America’s Future	55,000
Center for American Progress Action Fund	45,000
Catholics United	35,000
Communities for a Quality Education	10,000
Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund	30,000
Defenders of Wildlife	30,000
Institute for America’s Future	25,000
League of Conservation Voters	110,000
Media Matters Action Network	25,000
National Wildlife Action	20,000
NDN, Inc.	45,000
Progress Now Action	90,000
Sierra Club	70,000
Working for Good Jobs in America Fund	100,000

2007 Grantees

Our Collective Vision: Democracy and Justice

Tides’ Voter Action Fund provides timely, targeted funding aimed at magnifying the electoral power of diverse, progressive constituencies, issues and organizations; and funding focused on efforts to make the ideal of democracy real for all Americans, with particular attention paid to removing legal and social barriers to full civic participation.

December 2007: Summary Grant Recommendations

Building Inclusive Democracy	$450,000
Advancement Project	150,000
Lawyers Committee on Civil Rights/National Campaign for Fair Elections	150,000
NAACP Legal Defense Fund/Prepare to Vote Project	150,000
Seizing the Moment	$415,000
Blue Green Alliance/Public Health Institute	25,000
Campaign for America’s Future	80,000
Campaign for Consumer Rights	25,000
Campaign to Defend America / Americans Against Escalation in Iraq	30,000
League of Conservation Voters	115,000
League of Conservation Voters Education Fund	50,000
National Wildlife Action	15,000
Sierra Club	75,000
Framing and Communicating Progressive Values	$360,000
Progress Through Action	100,000
Catholics United	15,000
NDN, Inc.	140,000
People for the American Way	25,000
The Opportunity Agenda	50,000
Working Families Organization	30,000
The New Electoral Mainstream	$430,000
Center for Community Change	100,000
League of Independent Voters	50,000
Mobilize the Immigrant Vote California Collaborative	50,000
NAACP Voter Fund	100,000
National Committee on Black Civic Participation	25,000
People for the American Way Foundation /Democracia USA	25,000
SCOPE/Pushback Network	30,000
Women’s Voices Women’s Vote	50,000
Building State, Local and Regional Infrastructure	$480,000
Center for Civic Action	10,000
Federation of State Conservation Voter Leagues	100,000
Gamaliel Foundation	100,000
Northeast Action Campaign	25,000
Progress Now (CO)	50,000
SouthWest Organizing Project	25,000
US Action	95,000
Western Organization of Resource Councils	50,000
Western States Center	25,000
TOTAL	$2,335,000

2006 Grantees

Through its grantmaking, Tides Voter Action Fund is working to reflect the changing demographics of the United States and encourage the participation of traditionally under-represented or disengaged communities, such as people of color, youth and low-income families and individuals. Many organizations are effectively reaching these communities by incorporating different entry points and issues into their civic participation work, such as low-wage organizing, the environment or faith. Below are examples of some organizations that are doing this important work.

Organization Name	Organization Description	Grant Amount
The Apollo Alliance	This alliance is building a broad coalition within the labor, environmental, business, urban, and faith communities, and developing public education campaigns in support of job development and energy independence.	$25,000
California Primary Care Association	California Primary Care Association is working with the Community Clinics Initiative to register voters and implement a clinic-based GOTV effort.	$75,000
Campaign for Communities	Campaign for Communities a partnership comprised of the Earth Day Network and its partners NAACP National Voter Fund, Project Voter and the Southwest Voter Registration and Education Project - is coordinating national voter registration efforts aimed at young people, specifically in African American and Latino communities.	$365,000
Center for Community Change's	This Center's Community Voting Project builds on an existing infrastructure and a strong track record of organizing low-income communities. The project is registering and mobilizing low-income communities in Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, New Mexico and Wisconsin.	$150,000
El Pueblo	El Pueblo seeks to strengthen North Carolina's Latino community's civic participation through El Pueblo Votes! with voter education, promotion of citizenship, voter registration and GOTV activities. NC is a new hub for Latino immigrants, who are one of the fastest and newest growing constituency groups in the Southeastern United States. El Pueblo integrates civic participation into all of its work as a service provider and proactively and organically engages its community.	$31,667
Fannie Lou Hamer Project	"Hamers Trainers" Training and Education Project. Dedicated to making campaign finance reform a civil rights issue, a grant to the Fannie Lou Hamer Project adds an important voice to this debate. Their training program reaches community-based organizers throughout the African American and Latino communities.	$25,000
Florida ACORN	Florida ACORN's Economic Justice and Minimum Wage Campaign will mobilize low-income, immigrant and minority voters who were most negatively affected by the irregularities of the 2000 election. This pro-active use of the ballot initiative process to mobilize the disenfranchised serves as an important model for progressive movements.	$230,000
NAACP National Voter Fund	NAACP National Voter Fund's Empowerment 2004 will register and mobilize African American voters through a nationally coordinated campaign built on an increasing strength of locally-based partners and affiliates. Targeted states include Ohio, Florida, Missouri, New Mexico and Pennsylvania.	$91,000
The NALEO Educational Foundation	The NALEO Educational Foundation's Voces del Pueblo program will focus on mobilizing 150,000 Latino registered voters in highly populated Latino communities. Voces del Pueblo develops messages that resonate and motivate the Latino communities to vote and shares these with organizations across the United States. NALEO's national scope and ability to provide resources and expertise to local groups complements the regional and local work being done in these communities.	$50,000
The National Interfaith Committee of Worker Justice (NCIWJ)	NCIWJ seeks to register and mobilize low-wage and immigrant workers through congregations. NICWJ has solid contacts with congregations that reach low-wage and immigrant workers in medium to large cities, where there are communities that do not participate in the political process. NICWJ is also relying on youth organizers from several denominations to register and mobilize voters.	$20,000
¿Oíste?	¿Oíste? is an innovative Massachusetts-based organization working to bridge the gap between voter participation among Latinos in their home countries (where participation is upwards of 80% and 90%) with participation here.	$25,000
People for the American Way	People for the American Way is working to turn out infrequent women voters by engaging new voters in issues they care about-in this case childcare. By adding the issue of childcare to local political agenda, PFAW seeks to engage the other half of women who do not turn out to vote, and therefore strengthen and deepen the level of women's political participation.	$30,000
Project Vote	Project Vote's Latino Voter Registration Project will employ its established voter mobilization networks to reach voters in the increasingly powerful Latino community in 13 states: Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Michigan, Missouri, New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington and Wisconsin.	$145,000
Voces de la Frontera	Voces de la Frontera is working to register and turn out 5,000 low-wage, Latino workers in Wisonsin. Voces is part of the Community Voter Project and is focusing on engaging the Latino community in WI-the fastest growing population group in the state. Successful voter registration and turn out can only be implemented with local connection, which Voces has, as they already organize around immigrant issues, legalization and access to education.	$15,000

2006 Grantees

The Southwest is the highest growth area in the country for Latinos - including new citizens - and is where the Native American population is most concentrated. The region's urban centers, such as Las Vegas, Phoenix and Albuquerque have high concentrations of low-wage workers and large numbers of "domestic immigrant/new resident" families who are not registered or particularly civically engaged. The opportunity for engaging new voters - including large numbers of young people - is unique. On the other hand, the low population density of the rural areas of these states present barriers and challenges to voter participation. Subsequently, organizing efforts in these areas, particularly among Native American populations, is resource-intensive.

Organization Name	Organization Description	Grant Amount
Border Action Network (BAN)	BAN is a grassroots membership organization that organizes new Latino citizens and recent immigrants in the under-served border region between Mexico and the United States in the Southwestern United States. Focusing on three border communities, BAN will register 10,000 community members and increase voter turnout by 20%.	$15,000
Moving America Forward Foundation (MAFF)	MAFF seeks to register over 160,000 Latino, Hispanic and Native American voters using reverse voter files. The Southwestern United States is the fastest growing region in the United States-and mostly through the rising numbers of Latinos. NM, AZ, and NV are all states with low levels of political participation and high concentrations of Latinos, Hispanics and Native Americans.	$20,000
Native Action	National Action seeks to target its voter registration and mobilization at the seven Indian Reservations of Montana. The Native population is the largest single minority in the state at nearly 10% of its total population. Native Action has successfully mobilized the Indian vote in the past; and the Native American vote is considered "swing" to both parties within the state.	$10,000
Public Campaign Action Fund	Public Campaign Action Fund is fighting the corrupting influence of money in politics by working with groups around the country to educate the public about the role of money in American politics and to mobilize voters around this issue. Tides funding will support outreach to the Latino community in Arizona related to a ballot initiative recalling the public campaign law in that state.	$25,000
SAGE Council's Native American Voters Alliance (NAVA)	NAVA will expand a voter base of Native Americans in urban areas in New Mexico; coordinate NAVA outreach to the National Indian Youth Council; and get 4,000 Native Americans out to vote. NAVA is reaching potential Native American voters through community-based, culturally appropriate methods. NAVA is focusing on urban voters because they are the most difficult to identify and most unlikely to vote. NM, though small in population, is home to a very poor community that is made up of infrequent or rare voters.	$26,667)
The Southwest Organizing Project (SWOP)	SWOP aims to register and mobilize low-income youth in NM. Folding in a disenfranchised segment of the population that has an historical rate of only 28% participation in elections is key for a state whose majority is low-income and of color. There is great value in local grassroots organizing in states where many organizations are 'parachuting' in to conduct this type of work.	$20,000
The Southwest Voter Registration Education Project (SVREP)	SVREP is working to register, educate and turnout newly registered Latino and Hispanic voters. As part of VAF's Southwestern strategy, SVREP has the regional infrastructure and technical expertise necessary to complement the work of local grassroots organizations in the Southwest. SVREP is targeting these states as they are home to the highest rates of unregistered Latinos.	$20,000
The Western States Center	The Western States Center is working to advance voter education and mobilization in historically under-represented communities-especially those of recent immigrants and those of color. The organizations the Western States Center is working with are grassroots, community-specific points of entry and engagement for traditionally disengaged communities. These organizations target Latinos, youth, Native Americans and rural populations in the Western United States.	35,000

2006 Grantees

Youth traditionally have exceptionally low levels of civic and electoral participation. And despite the fact that the majority of organizations now incorporate youth as a key element of their outreach work, we explicitly sought to support groups across the country doing innovative and cutting edge work with 18-30 year olds, and making sure they begin participating in the political process.

Organization Name	Organization Description	Grant Amount
Center for Public Interest Research	Center for Public Interest Research's New Voters Project is the largest national grassroots youth voter mobilization campaign. The project is building on the organizing networks of the State PIRGs while forging new partnerships with organizations such as Rock the Vote, the Hip Hop Summit Action Network, Youth Vote Coalition and the World Wrestling Entertainment's Smackdown Your Vote.	$30,000
National Hip Hop Convention	National Hip Hop Convention was an unprecendented success in gathering thousands of members of the hip-hop generation. Post Convention, they are working to build a core of volunteer leaders; serve as a conduit between grassroots organizations, funders and other allies; and convene leaders on a regular basis.	$30,000
League of Young Voters Education Fund and League of Independent Voters	These two groups are working to establish a network of young voter advocates and organizers through their Progressive Network and Training program. By investing in LYVEF at this startup phase, the Voter Action Fund is providing critical help in launching an innovative Internet- and youth-based approach to voter organizing.	$180,000
Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada (PLAN)	PLAN is requesting a grant to support the Nevada Young Activist Project Voter Mobilization Plan that seeks to register 400 young people by September and turn 50% of them out through High School tours and a youth-led voter mobilization project. NYAP is explicitly targeting youth as part of PLAN's larger voter mobilization strategy in NV-another state with large numbers of new residents.	$10,000
The United States Student Association Foundation (USSAF)	USSAF is working to increase student access to voting and increase actual student voter turnout by 15% across 20 campuses in the United States. USSA is focusing on not only reversing the student voting trend by registering voters, but by also decreasing barriers to student voting, such as improving campus accountability to the Higher Education Act and placing polling sites on campus. USSA is also providing tools to enable student coalitions to more effectively work together beyond November.	$25,000

2006 Grantees

Organization Name	Organization Description	Grant Amount
Gamaliel African American Leadership Commission	Gamaliel African American Leadership Commission's "Defend the Vote" project organizes African American clergy to take leadership on voter participation through organizing efforts to register voters and preserve voting access. This faith-based organizing effort is a powerful addition to other work that supports the empowerment of the African American community.	$36,666
UNITY '04's	UNITY '04 Voter Protection Program, is specifically focusing on the African American community promoting voter's rights and ensuring every vote is counted by conducting voter education, recruiting poll workers, strengthening relationships with local election officials, and raising awareness about the 1800 voter intimidation hotline.	$75,000
Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights	Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights, to support its mobilization of pro bono lawyers and law students in thirty states with large African American, Latino and Native American populations as well as the staffing a 1800 voter intimidation hotline.	$100,000
NAACP Legal Defense Fund	NAACP Legal Defense Fund is protecting and advancing the interests of minority voters especially with regards to HAVA and to work with local partners in Florida to ensure compliance with the settlement of a case brought by LDF to address the 2000 election and replicate lessons learned in other jurisdictions.	$80,000

2006 Grantees

Organization Name	Organization Description	Grant Amount
Wellstone Action Fund	Wellstone Action Fund trains nonprofits who wish to increase their levels of civic participation through "501 c(3) camps" that will take place in late August and early September. Each camp will train between 120 and 150 participants.	$61,000
Center for Progressive Leadership	Center for Progressive Leadership will carry out five nonpartisan activist training programs where activists and organizations will learn about opportunities for engaging in political activism beyond voter mobilization efforts. These trainings will be free or offered at a greatly reduced cost.	$55,000
Democracy South	Democracy South has developed a Precision Voter Targeting Service, a voter mapping system that grassroots 501c(3) voter mobilization campaigns can use to improve their voter registration and GOTV efforts. Their partnerships include other Voter Action Fund grantees, including the Center for Community Change.	$25,000
Demos	Demos plans to produce accessible and usable materials about the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) and help organizations monitor its implementation. By sharing its tools and expertise, Demos strengthens the capacity of organizations around the United States to monitor and implement HAVA on a local level.	$15,000
Electronic Frontier Foundation	Electronic Frontier Foundation is providing litigation coordination and leadership as well as activism support focusing on the tech community. Specifically, this grant will allow EFF to coordinate activist work on verified voting issues.	$29,000
E-Volve Foundation	E-Volve Foundation's AdvoKit is a web-based application for powering Voter ID/GOTV field operations in the 2004 electoral season. It is being provided to nonprofit community groups organizing voter registration/GOTV efforts. The tool can affect organizations across the United States, regardless of size.	$20,000
Michigan Environmental Action (with Ameregis)	A model interactive mapping project to inform voter registration and GOTV efforts in the key state of Michigan working in partnership with Michigan Environmental Action. This grant is a strong complement to the grant to Democracy South, which is developing a similar tool likely to be used in Florida.	$25,000
National Voice	National Voice is a coalition of non-profit and community groups working to maximize public participation in the democratic process. National Voice has developed an electronic library of technical, legal, and organizing information, and an on-line clearinghouse of effective tools and strategies. National Voice is also providing message development expertise to grassroots organization through its "November 2" campaign.	$320,000

2006 Grantees

Organization Name	Grant Purpose	Grant Amount
Center for American Progress	general support	$25,000
Communications Consortium Media Center	general support	$60,000
Institute for America's Future	general support	$200,000
League of Conservation Voters	for research on the Mercury and Energy Bill	$30,000
Media Matters for America	for voter education	$100,000
Public Justice Foundation in Texas	for its Access to Democracy outreach and education project	$50,000
Sierra Club	for its Environmental Defense Campaign	$20,000
United for a Fair Economy	for its voter education work	$50,000
US Action Education Fund	for its GOTV program	$20,000
Win Without War	for its voter education program	$40,000
Center for Public Interest Research	New Voters Project's Maine Outreach	$30,000
TransparentDemocracy.org	general support	$100,000
Women's Voices-Women Vote		$179,000