Voter turnout for local elections in New York, particularly in the city, is dismal. Just one out of four registered voters filled out a ballot for the most recent mayoral election in New York City. This has far-reaching consequences for policy decisions, public budgets, and whether our government is accountable to and representative of all New Yorkers. The nonprofits below are working to reverse a decades-long downward trajectory of voter participation and encourage a stronger, more vibrant democracy in our region.
Presidential election years may attract more attention, but it’s important to support local democracy efforts year-round and every year. Nevertheless, the sooner that you donate in election years, the more time nonprofits have for voter registration and education efforts, and to help people understand what’s at stake. Give general operating support to these causes well before elections begin—ideally, by this month—to ensure your gift has the most impact!
Get Out the Vote
Voters of color, young voters, and those in low-income communities are historically less likely to vote. They often face barriers including frustration with the voting process or feeling that the government is not responsive to or representative of them. These nonprofits conduct nonpartisan voting efforts to help reduce fear, confusion, and apathy around voting, and help New Yorkers access accurate information about how to register and how elections impact their lives.
Community Votes trains social service organizations to conduct nonpartisan voter education, registration, and other get-out-the-vote activities as part of their day-to-day activities. Local community groups are often trusted messengers in their neighborhoods who can help encourage their clients to go to the polls.
MinKwon Center for Community Action serves the city’s Asian Pacific Islander communities through grassroots organizing, advocacy, and voter engagement. It is the founder of APA VOICE, an 18-member coalition of pan-Asian civic engagement organizations who register voters, distribute multilingual voter guides, and conduct voter education and outreach.
VOCAL-NY is a statewide grassroots organization that builds power and civic participation among low-income people affected by HIV/AIDS, drug use, incarceration, and homelessness, many of whom are unlikely to vote. It conducts voter outreach to help people become registered, ensure they understand their right and eligibility to vote, and that their lives and opinions matter and their inclusion is vital to the democratic process.
LONG ISLAND: League of Women Voters of Suffolk County encourages informed and active participation in government, increases awareness of public policy issues, helps people understand the voting process and register to vote, and conducts voter drives.
Protect Voter Rights
Legal and advocacy groups play an important role in monitoring polls and elections to make sure that voters don’t encounter problems when trying to cast their votes. This includes ensuring that elections comply with non-discrimination protections and language assistance provisions as required by law.
Center for Independence of the Disabled, NY helps people with disabilities fully participate in social, economic, cultural, and political life. A recent national survey found that 60 percent of polling places were physically inaccessible to disabled voters. The Center documents polling site barriers in the city such as dangerous ramps, poorly trained poll workers, and inaccessible ballot marking devices, and advocates for reforms to make voting accessible to people with disabilities.
Center for Law & Social Justice at Medgar Evers College provides legal advocacy, conducts research, educates communities, strengthens Black leadership and organizing capacity, and works to increase civic knowledge and civic participation in Black communities.
Common Cause Education Fund promotes open, honest, and accountable government by leveraging research and public education. It is the 501c3 arm for Common Cause New York, a leading advocate for election administration reform, expanding access to the ballot by simplifying voter registration, and expanding early voting and ranked-choice voting options.
Empower Local News
In communities without a credible source of local news, voter participation declines, misinformation proliferates, and corruption increases. Strong local journalism can help limit abuses of power, drive civic engagement, and reduce political polarization in our large, diverse, and multilingual region.
The City is a free nonprofit digital news platform the uses a blend of investigative pieces, short articles, online videos, and digital tools to report on city policies affecting housing, education, the environment, criminal justice, and politics. It also organizes community events to complement coverage and engage its audience.
Documented is devoted to local coverage for and about New York City’s 3.1 million immigrants. It reports on the impact of shifts in local and federal immigration, labor, law-enforcement, and bureaucratic practices and policies. It has launched platforms specifically for Spanish-speaking, Chinese-speaking, and Caribbean New Yorkers on issues affecting these communities.
WNYC/New York Public Radio, together with its companion news site Gothamist, reaches five million New Yorkers every month through consistent reporting on local issues. It routinely provides extensive nonpartisan coverage of local elections, candidates, voting processes, and policy issues, filling the void left by shrinking local newspaper coverage.
WESTCHESTER: The Hudson Independent (operated by the Hudson Valley News Foundation) delivers local news to the communities along the Hudson River. This year, it is also an important source of information on the impact of recently redrawn district boundaries for the 16th and 17th Congressional districts.
This list is not exhaustive. There are many incredible nonprofits helping make our region a better place for all; we seek to highlight a few that may not be on your radar, but please reach out to our philanthropic advising department at info@nyct-cfi.org if you would like recommendations tailored to your charitable goals.