Mapping the work and getting IDs
A summer update
We’re Mapping the Work. Help Us Find It.
Here’s something I’ve learned after almost a decade in this space: the most important democracy work in this country is almost always the hardest to find. It’s happening in church basements and county jails and library conference rooms and someone’s kitchen table. It’s being done by people who don’t have communications staff or a PR budget or a major donor list. And because of that, it’s being chronically underfunded.
That’s why our new Abby Lab initiative is building a national map of grassroots democracy and civic participation work so we can direct funds to the movements that need it most, and we need your help to fill it in.
If you know an organization doing great work- voter registration, mutual aid, protecting undocumented children, feeding their neighbors, real community work- we want to know about them. If you are doing the work, we especially want to know about you. The goal is to create real visibility into what’s actually happening on the ground so we can connect grassroots organizations to the funding and resources they need right now, when it matters most.
Please fill it out. Please share it. Let’s support this work together.
On our end: things are very much still happening.
I know some of you have been following along as the Spread The Vote programs transitioned to the National Civic League and it has been so exciting. The team is working hard on getting our programs up and running in the new space and I am so thrilled! Over here at Project ID, we are still active and busy and heading into a fruitful summer.
Our Virginia volunteers are out in the field doing direct ID work as always, and they just received a grant from the League of Women Voters! That’s real recognition of real work, and I couldn’t be prouder of that team.
Our ID hotline is still incredibly busy. People are still calling, texting, and emailing needing IDs multiple times a day and we are working hard to make sure they get them.
The world is chaotic right now, but I remain as positive and hopeful as ever. Every day I am surrounded by people who are working hard to protect their neighbors, their communities, and our democracy. Every day I see examples of people all over this country proving that our core values of courage, compassion, and community are alive and well. I am more convinced than ever that we are heading towards a better and more equitable future for all. We just have to keep working to get there.
Have a great summer
Kat