What Can Philanthropy Do to Protect and Expand Voting Rights?

The latest efforts to suppress the votes of Americans demand that philanthropies across causes, from environment and education to health care, do more by continually supporting the expansion and protection of voting rights – and not just at election time, writes the Corporation’s Geri Mannion

By Geri MannionDecember 22, 2022

Carnegie Reporter Winter 2022 Voting

More than 158 million Americans voted in the 2020 election — a record number despite the challenges posed by a global pandemic. But rather than celebrating this development as a victory for democracy, many government leaders have responded with a slew of proposals aimed at making it harder to vote.*

Since 2020, these measures have restricted voter access by cutting back on extended early voting hours, eliminating drive-through voting, and prohibiting election officials from sending mail-in voting applications to voters. Many of these efforts specifically target people of color, relying on false claims of rampant voting fraud as justification. But the clear effect is to reduce voting access across party lines for huge portions of the electorate — Black and brown, young and old, urban and rural.

Such policies are bad for our democracy and would pose real harm to communities that are central to the work of many foundations. No matter what issues our organizations focus on, we will get better results if all Americans can participate equitably in our democracy and hold our government leaders accountable.

Philanthropy has a long and distinguished record of standing up for the voting rights of vulnerable populations, including in recent decades. Foundations supported bipartisan efforts that resulted in the enactment of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 and the Help America Vote Act of 2002. After the 2013 Supreme Court decision Shelby County v. Holder stripped important provisions from the Voting Rights Act of 1965, grantmaker-led efforts supported voting-rights litigation, voter protection, and policy research aimed at ensuring the voices of all eligible voters are heard.

But the latest wave of efforts to suppress the votes of Americans demands that philanthropy do more. In 2019 report, Carnegie Corporation of New York published Voting Rights Under Fire, a report that highlighted the work of the heroic lawyers, grassroots activists and organizers, coalition and movement builders, and everyday citizens who are following in the footsteps of earlier generations that fought to protect and expand Americans’ voting rights. We also looked at the many ways philanthropy can engage in this urgent work.

One of our conclusions was that this is an area all foundations should embrace — not just those whose primary focus is protecting democracy or promoting civic involvement. The ability to vote freely and fairly is fundamental to the efforts of all grantmakers, whether we focus on the environment, health care, or education or work at the local, state, or national level.

So how can philanthropy make a difference in this moment when Americans’ voting levels are up, and it is clear voters want their voices heard? Here are a few ideas:

Don’t think about these issues only at election time. Local, state, and national groups need flexible, reliable support year in and year out to counter regular assaults on voting rights that one lawyer with the Southern Coalition for Social Justice compared to “a big game of whack-a-mole.” Yet many organizations reported a pronounced drop in funding after the 2020 election cycle. A Carnegie Corporation grantee who works on voting issues across the country shared that her organization’s projected income for election protection, advocacy support, voter registration, and related work saw a 40 percent decrease in 2021.

Declines like these work against the goal of building a stronger, healthier democracy. Boom-and-bust cycles of election-related funding don’t allow groups to build the lasting infrastructure needed to respond to challenges and opportunities as they arise, especially in the years between big elections when lawmakers often try to undermine voter protections when they think people won’t notice.

Join with other grantmakers. Pooled funds such as the State Infrastructure Fund, which is operated by NEO Philanthropy, allow grantmakers to coordinate their resources and work together to increase civic participation and promote voting rights for marginalized people. Few foundations have the staffing or expertise to determine which state and local groups to support, so funds of this type can do that work for them, assuring money goes where it’s needed most.

Grantmakers can also join collaboratives that reflect their missions or target populations. For example, the Heartland Fund concentrates on the challenges facing rural communities when it comes to civic engagement and voting. One of those challenges is that county governments in many rural areas are making voting harder by reducing the number of polling places. In seven counties in Georgia, major polling place reductions resulted in one polling place serving voters across hundreds of square miles. Studies have shown that the further voters have to travel to a polling place, the less likely they are to vote.

Support local voter engagement. Most of the media interest in U.S. elections revolves around federal level races: who will be president and who controls Congress. But local races — city council, mayor, district attorney, school board, for example — often impact voters more directly. Yet, downticket races usually have very low voter interest, and there is often a drop-off as citizens choose to skip over voting for offices or candidates they know little about. Foundations, especially at the local level, could invest more on voter education about why local- and state- elected officials are so important. This year, many voters learned about the importance of the secretary of state, who usually oversees elections. All of the candidates for secretary of state in battleground states defeated candidates who denied the legitimacy of the 2020 election. That bodes well for the 2024 presidential election and fair elections.

Support legal action and advocacy. Time and again, nonpartisan lawsuits and advocacy have proven their worth as essential strategies for protecting voting rights. But litigation is expensive. Groups filing strong cases need data, technology, expert witnesses, local partners, experienced lawyers, and more.

Right now, nonprofit public-interest litigation groups are working overtime to push back against antidemocratic policies that restrict voting rights in communities of color. Organizations such as the Native American Rights Fund are fighting requirements that voter IDs include a physical street address even though one-third of those living on reservations use post office boxes only. Cases like these are ongoing and will continue to need support whether or not an election is on the immediate horizon.

Many grantmakers can provide general operating support to groups that do this work and can invest in nonpartisan public education efforts highlighting the need for new protections.

Voting rights should not be a controversial or a partisan issue. However, foundations concerned about jumping right in can test the waters by funding civic engagement and get-out-the-vote efforts. They can also support more and better civic education programs in schools and communities so more Americans understand the power of their vote.

As philanthropy continues to consider how best to support the struggle for racial justice, voting rights and voter participation should be central to that work, both during elections and in the years in between. The record number of Americans who voted in 2020 in the middle of a pandemic is an achievement to build on. While the final turnout numbers for the 2022 midterm elections were not available at press time, it is clear that there continues to be enthusiasm among voters, especially in competitive races. Let’s do more to support the people and organizations working at all levels to strengthen our democracy by protecting the right to vote and keep engaging the electorate.

This article, which was edited and updated in December 2022, was first published online by the Chronicle of Philanthropy. Reprinted with permission.

Geri Mannion is managing director of the Strengthening U.S. Democracy program and the Special Opportunities Fund at Carnegie Corporation of New York.

_{* The 2022 midterm elections also indicate a much higher turnout than is usual in off-year elections, with 40.7 million citizens voting before Election Day.}