Grants

Ballot Initiative Strategy Center Foundation

Project Title

As a final grant for general support

Date

Mar. 07, 2024

Duration

24 months

Description

As the 2024 elections approach, issue campaigns and ballot measures offer the opportunity for direct participation on a range of matters, promoting more equitable and just governance structures. The ballot initiative process allows citizens to propose statutes or constitutional amendments, depending on the state, and collect signatures to place their proposals on the ballot for voters to decide. Twenty-six states allow for citizen-initiated ballot measures. Founded in 1999, the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center (BISC) is a primary source of research, information, expertise, and training on ballot measures and campaigns. In recent years, BISC has worked on initiatives on voting rights, election administration, immigrant integration, and economic inequality. In addition, BISC tracks legislation around referenda and ballot measures and conducts research on national and state-level trends. With Corporation support, BISC will educate the public on the power of ballot measures as effective tools to increase civic engagement and promote positive social and economic change.

Project Title

Date

Jun. 09, 2022

Duration

24 months

Description

Founded in 1999, the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center (BISC) Foundation is a clearinghouse for state-level ballot measure information and campaign expertise. Every year, the BISC Foundation trains hundreds of advocates on how to maximize their issue-based civic engagement campaigns and use the ballot initiative process, where appropriate, to promote more equitable and just governance structures. The BISC Foundation also conducts ongoing research on national and state-level trends regarding voter attitudes, opinions, concerns, and policy priorities on various issues. Some of the issues the BISC Foundation has worked on in the past include voting rights, immigrant integration, and economic inequality. With Corporation support, the BISC Foundation will continue to help advocates across the country understand the power of ballot measures as effective tools to increase civic engagement, correct systemic inequalities, and promote positive social change.

Project Title

For general support

Date

Dec. 10, 2020

Duration

12 months

Description

Founded in 1999, the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center (BISC) Foundation is a clearinghouse of state-level ballot measure information and expertise. Every year, the BISC Foundation trains hundreds of advocates on how to maximize their issue-based civic engagement campaigns and use the ballot initiative process, where appropriate, to promote more equitable and just governance structures. The BISC Foundation also conducts ongoing research on national and state-level trends regarding voter attitudes, opinions, concerns, and policy priorities on various issues. Some of the issues BISC Foundation has worked on in the past include voting rights, challenges to immigrant integration, and economic inequality. With Corporation support, the BISC Foundation will continue to help advocates across the country understand the power of ballot measures as effective tools to increase civic engagement, correct systemic inequalities, and promote positive social change.

Project Title

For general support

Date

Mar. 07, 2019

Duration

24 months

Description

Ballot measures are a vital form of direct democracy that allows people to vote on policies that provide tangible solutions for their communities. When approached strategically and with a long-term lens, ballot-driven issue campaigns can build grassroots infrastructure around a number of policy issues, thus strengthening and expanding the electorate. The Ballot Initiative Strategy Center (BISC) Foundation is a nationally-recognized clearinghouse of ballot-measure information and expertise. BISC is committed to increasing the number of young people who understand how ballot measures affect their communities. With Corporation support, BISC will train hundreds of advocates on how to develop and implement issue campaigns that increase access to and participation in democracy. As part of that effort, BISC will also conduct research to test attitudes toward critical issues and collaborate with a wide range of organizations to build infrastructure and increase engagement around voting rights and immigration policy.

Project Title

For general support

Date

Sep. 08, 2016

Duration

24 months

Description

Ballot measures affect many important public policy issues. But for years, regressive efforts have dominated the ballot-measure process—including those aimed at obstructing immigrant integration. The Ballot Initiative Strategy Center (BISC) Foundation is committed to reversing this trend, and helping national and state groups understand the importance of ballot initiatives in engaging underrepresented communities. With Corporation support, BISC will continue to conduct research and experiments to better understand how ballot measures can be used to increase civic engagement among underrepresented groups.

Project Title

For research on how ballot measures can be used to promote immigrant integration and civic engagement in immigrant communities

Date

Jun. 12, 2014

Duration

12 months

Project Title

For research on how ballot initiatives can promote immigrant civic integration at the state level

Date

Dec. 13, 2012

Duration

12 months

Project Title

For a project to assess the impact of anti-immigrant ballot measures on civic participation

Date

Jun. 09, 2011

Duration

12 months