GoVoteNYC funder collaborative announces $1.05 million in grants to get out the vote

City donors unite across issues to bolster democracy as the foundation of a fair and just recovery throughout the five boroughs

(April 26, 2022) New York, NY – The GoVoteNYC Fund in The New York Community Trust has announced $1.05 million in grants to 11 nonprofits for nonpartisan get-out-the-vote activities.

Targeting more than 2 million new and infrequent voters, these grants will draw attention to the importance of voting in the coming state and congressional elections and is central to the Fund’s mission to shift the decades-long downward trajectory of voter participation in the city.

This year New Yorkers will vote in elections for four statewide offices and all state legislative seats. State elected officials are the decision-makers in myriad issues affecting New York City residents. 

The grantees, who are all trusted messengers in their communities, include: The Asian American Federation, Center for Independence of the Disabled in New York, Center for Law & Social Justice at Medgar Evers College, College & Community Fellowship, El Puente, Hispanic Federation, MinKwon Center for Community Action, New York Civic Engagement Table, New York Immigration Coalition, Northwest Bronx Community & Clergy Coalition, and United Neighborhood Houses. 

This effort builds on GoVoteNYC’s investment in civic engagement leading up to the 2021 municipal elections, which saw an uptick in voter turnout for the June primary. In 2022, these nonprofits will work together, tapping into the voter data expertise of the New York Civic Engagement Table, one of 22 statewide “tables,” or coalitions of nonprofits working on a nonpartisan basis to strengthen democracy across the country. The Table’s technical assistance will guide the GoVoteNYC grantees as they combine in-person canvassing with the digital outreach they successfully ramped up during the pandemic.

“New York City’s democratic processes do not get the national attention that other districts do, but our local democracy needs attention to ensure an equitable recovery,” said Martha King, senior program officer at the Charles H. Revson Foundation and co-chair of the Fund. “New Yorkers need to be heard at the polls, and we are resourcing the nonprofit partners who can successfully get-out-the-vote in diverse communities and make government more responsive and accountable.”

“Roughly three out of four New York City registered voters regularly sit elections out, while those who do vote tend to be older, better educated, and more affluent,” said Neill Coleman, executive director, Trinity Church Wall Street Philanthropies and co-chair of the Fund. “That has far-reaching consequences on policy decisions and allocations of public dollars. The GoVoteNYC Fund’s collaborative giving will help ensure an electorate that looks more like the city.”

“Our success in the philanthropic sector, from climate change to affordable housing, depends on an engaged electorate,” said Patricia Swann, program director at The New York Community Trust and co-chair of the Fund. “With GoVoteNYC, we are providing resources to the organizations across the city with the relationships to move the needle on voter turnout.” 

"With a statewide network of partner organizations, we’ve developed a successful model of organizing strategic, regional get-out-the-vote campaigns in the Hudson Valley and Long Island,” said Melody Lopez, executive director at the New York Civic Engagement Table.

“We look forward to working with GoVoteNYC’s cohort of New York City-based organizations to achieve our shared vision of increased voter turnout and engagement. Together, we can help New York City meet its potential as a beacon of democracy.” 

GoVoteNYC member organizations include:

• Altman Foundation

• Charles H. Revson Foundation

• The Ford Foundation

• Jamie Rubin

• J.M. Kaplan Fund

• Moelis Family Foundation

• The New York Community Trust

• New York Foundation

• Robert Sterling Clark Foundation

• Scherman Foundation

• Trinity Church Wall Street Philanthropies

About The New York Community Trust

The New York Community Trust connects past, present, and future generous New Yorkers with vital nonprofits working to make a healthy, equitable, and thriving community for all. It is a public grantmaking foundation dedicated to improving the lives of residents of New York City, Westchester, and Long Island.