$3 Million Moved to 24 Groups for Expanded Impact in 2024
At WDN Action, we’re kicking off the summer by moving over $3 million to 24 groups organizing in key states as they drive work on local elections, issue advocacy campaigns, and organizing and programs to position them for expanded impact in 2024.
These groups are doing critical work around gender justice issues such as abortion justice, trans rights and justice, and the care economy, as well as organizing and in rural communities and building a women of color pipeline in key battleground states.
Building on the grants we made in March in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, we’re focusing on states with competitive elections either in the Senate and/or Presidential in 2024—Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, and North Carolina—as well as several national partners. And we’re also introducing three new grantees this cycle – Asian American Women’s Political Initiative Mobilize, Equality Federation, and Sister District.
Arizona has been a major battleground for most critical federal campaigns, including voting rights, climate justice, and immigrant justice. It has also been a hotspot for anti-voter policies and voter suppression at the state level. In 2023, organizations are readying their base-building operations in preparation for 2024 while also participating in high profile local elections in Tucson and Phoenix. We’re moving resources to anchor electoral and organizing groups ahead of 2024: AZ Poder, Indigenous Baaja Ádaaní Al Son, LUCHA, Our Voice Our Vote, and Rural Arizona Action.
Georgia continues to be a critical battleground state for voting rights, as Republicans continue to push anti-democracy initiatives in the state legislature. Organizations are focused on defensive fights in the state legislature to prevent further anti-voter and anti-democratic policies and are gearing up for an earlier primary season in 2024 (March instead of June). We’re funding Asian American Advocacy Fund and the New Georgia Project Action Fund to help ensure they can start building and preparing their organizing and advocacy teams well in advance of 2024.
Last year, Michigan organizations successfully flipped the state legislature and secured all three executive offices for Democrats in a large-scale progressive sweep. While there are no major elections happening in the state in 2023, continued investment in statewide infrastructure is essential as Michigan will remain a critical battleground in 2024. Along with grants moved to Michigan earlier this year, we are funding We the People Action Fund to help support their continued organizing efforts in this critical state.
Nevada has issued a suite of successful progressive pro-democracy policies in recent sessions, and continued investment in the state will help ensure organizations have the capacity to advance progressive policy wins and hold onto recent political gains. To help addreess gaps in funding in the state, we are moving grants to Make it Work Nevada, Make the Road Action, and One APIA Nevada.
North Carolina remains a critical state for continued investment—particularly in rural infrastructure and candidate recruitment/pipeline efforts. With our 2023 annual conference being hosted in Charlotte this November, we are building on our support for our grantee partners and the important organizing they are doing to change the political landscape of the state and moving funding to five organizations: Advance NC, Carolina Federation, Down Home NC, NC Asian Americans Together, and Poder NC Action.
We’re also moving funding to seven national and multi-state organizations that are providing capacity, training, and backbone infrastructure to the movement, working across states and multiple issues: Ballot Initiative Strategy Center (BISC), National Women’s Law Center Action Fund, re:power, United We Dream Action, Asian American Women’s Political Initiative Mobilize (AAWPI), Equality Federation (EF), and Sister District.