Skip to content

Press Release

GoVoteNYC Grantees Launch Week of Action to Engage NYC Voters

Multiple Events Across NYC to Align With National Voter Registration Day

Contact:
Lauren Stewart | (804) 690-9966 | Lauren@Turn-two.co
Neill Coleman | (212) 300-6890 | info@govotenyc.org


To celebrate
National Voter Registration Day, grantees of the GoVoteNYC Collaborative Fund will kick off a week of nonpartisan get-out-the-vote activities, including parties, workshops, and distributing voter guides across New York City. 

 

The GoVoteNYC funder collaborative, hosted at The New York Community Trust, brings together nearly a dozen foundations to make grants and learn alongside grantees how best to advance civic engagement. Since 2021, GoVoteNYC funders have invested $3.5 million in grants and more than $13 million in aligned funding to support nonpartisan voter engagement. 

 

A 2023 evaluation of the first two years of GoVoteNYC’s grantmaking showed increased voter turnout across New York City’s five boroughs. In 2021, for example, voters of color, including Asian American, Black, Indigenous, and Latinx voters, canvassed by GoVoteNYC grantees voted at nearly double the rate of voters of color who were not contacted: 37 percent of those canvassed by GoVoteNYC partners voted, versus 20 percent of those not contacted. 

 

“Generations of people fought for the right for Black people, women, and Indigenous Americans to vote. Now it is our job to help everyone exercise that right,” said Eve Stotland, senior program officer for civic affairs and human justice at The New York Community Trust and a GoVoteNYC co-chair. “It’s inspiring to see GoVoteNYC grantees organize fun, creative events to encourage voting in communities often overlooked in the democratic process.” 

 

The grantees include: The Asian American Federation, Center for Law & Social Justice at Medgar Evers College, El Puente, Faith in New York, Hispanic Federation, MinKwon Center for Community Action, New York Civic Engagement Table, New York Immigration Coalition, and United Neighborhood Houses.  

 

Week of Action activities include:

 

Dancing for Democracy
Organized by Brooklyn Org in Partnership With Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, NYC Votes, YVote, Center for Law and Social Justice, The Brooklyn Mavens & Vinyl Nights
This non-partisan (and free!) party will be an epic celebration of our democracy.
Date and Time: September 17, 2024, 5:00 PM–8:00 PM EDT
Location: Abolitionist Place, Brooklyn, NY 11201
For more information: https://brooklyn.org/event/dancing-for-democracy/

 

50 – Fest
Organized by El Puente
50 Fest is an annual event where new and existing Middle School 50 students and their families are welcomed to the El Puente and MS50 community. The afternoon is filled with workshops, games and activities focusing on how students and families can be leaders in our community, including by learning about candidates and issues on the ballot, voting, and encouraging others to do the same.
Date and Time: September 18th from 2:40 PM to 6:00 PM.
Location: M.S. 50 Community School – 183 S. 3rd St, Brooklyn, NY 11211
For more information: Volunteers can reach out to El Puente Community School Assistant Director Michelle Durmo (mdurmo@elpuente.org), or Parent Organizer Teresa Arieta, tarieta@elpuente.org

 

Rise & Register
Organized by APA VOICE
Five locations throughout New York City will offer opportunities to register to vote, check voter registration status, pledge to vote, and identify opportunities to get involved ahead of the November general election! They will also be debuting Beyond Voting, a non-partisan voter education handbook, to showcase state and federal policies that are important for Asian American New Yorkers and other multilingual education resources for community members
Date & Time: September 17, 2024, 11AM – 3PM
Location: Essex Market (88 Essex St, New York, NY 10002)
Organizations: OCA-NY, Metropolitan Asian Deaf Association, Immigrant Social Services, Chinese Progressive Association, New York Civil Liberties Union
Languages Spoken: Mandarin

Date & Time: September 17, 2024, 12 – 4PM
Location: Diversity Plaza, Jackson Heights (73-19 37th Rd, Queens, NY 11372)
Organizations: Adhikaar, Woodside on the Move
Languages Spoken: Nepali, Korean, Mandarin, Bangla

Date & Time: September 17, 2024, 3 – 7 PM
Location: CPC Brooklyn (4101 8th Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11232)
Organizations: Chinese American Planning Council, Parent Child Relationship Association
Languages Spoken: Mandarin

Date & Time: September 17, 2024 3 – 7 PM
Location: Little Guyana, Queens (Lefferts Boulevard & Liberty Ave.)
Organizations: South Queens Womens March, Caribbean Equality Project
Languages Spoken: Punjabi

 

Date & Time: September 17, 2024, 3 – 7 PM
Location: Flushing YMCA (138-46 Northern Blvd. Queens NY 11355)
Organizations: MinKwon Center for Community Action, Asian Americans for Equality, Korean Chinese American Council, Flushing YMCA, South Asian Council for Social Services, Flushing YMCA
Languages Spoken: Korean, Mandarin, Bangla

For more information about the APA Voice events or to get involved, contact info@apavoice.org

 

Souls to the Polls Voter Registration Drive
Organized by Faith in New York
These non-partisan (and free!) events are in celebration of National Voter Registration Day. These sessions will be an opportunity to register to vote, get help making a voting plan and get information in preparation to vote in the upcoming General Election.
Date and Time: Tuesday, September 17, 2024 8:30 AM-12 PM
Location: Harlem Hospital (Ron H. Brown Building)  46 W. 137th Street NY, NY 10037
To volunteer for this event go to:   https://bit.ly/NVRD1vr91724 

Date and Time: Tuesday, September 17, 2024 1:30 PM-6:30 PM
Location: Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture:  Outdoors, near the entrance of 515 Malcolm X Blvd. NY, NY 10037
To volunteer for this event go to:  bit.ly/GOTVvr10037 

For further info contact:  Marilyn Joseph, Director of Organizing at 929-468-0258

 

Hamilton-Madison House’s “Voter Festival”
Organized by: Hamilton-Madison House’s
This Voter Festival in the Lower East Side will have live music and fresh produce. All are welcome at this event to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with Bachata dancing, music, voter registration, and free goodies.
Date and time: September 17th from 2:00PM – 4:00PM
Location: 50 Madison Street, New York, NY, Gym & outside.
To volunteer for this event: No sign-up needed, just head to 50 Madison Street on 9/17!

 

National Voter Registration Day – Fordham Plaza
Organized by NYC Votes and Hispanic Federation
Help mobilize fellow New Yorkers by registering community members to vote, update their voter registration, & learn about the crucial upcoming elections.
Date and time: September 17th 2:00PM- 6:00PM
Location: Fordham Plaza (1 Fordham Plaza, Bronx, NY 10458)
To Volunteer for this event: https://www.mobilize.us/nycvotes/event/679647/ 

 

The current GoVoteNYC funders are the Altman Foundation, Brooklyn Org, the Charles H. Revson Foundation, The Ford Foundation, The New York Community Trust, New York Foundation, New York Women’s Foundation, Scherman Foundation, Trinity Church Wall Street Philanthropies, and the Unitarian Universalist Veatch Program at Shelter Rock.

The New York Civic Engagement Table (NYCET) supports the other GoVoteNYC grantee partners by providing data and tools support, as well as training to maximize the impact of outreach tactics. NYCET collaborates with a diverse group of social justice and service-based organizations across New York to build power with communities of color, immigrants, and poor and working people to tackle racial and economic inequality in New York. 

NYCET is proud to convene the GoVoteNYC cohort and support organizations in reaching voters across the city,” said New York Civic Engagement Table Interim Executive Director Karla Bradley. “Every one of us can help make our city work for all people no matter their age, race, financial status, gender, or zip code. Voting is one action we can take to achieve this shared vision. This National Voter Registration Day, visit a GoVoteNYC event and register to vote!”  

 

About The New York Community Trust  

As New York’s largest community foundation, The New York Community Trust fosters and engages in enduring and innovative philanthropy, making grants that bring together the diverse, local knowledge and expertise of its team, nonprofits, and partners to help donors fulfill their vision for the causes they love. From education and the arts to health care and the environment, The New York Community Trust seeks to improve every aspect of the cultural and civic life of New York City, Long Island, and Westchester. The Trust celebrates 100 years of impact and looks forward to the next 100 years of improving life for New Yorkers. This is philanthropy for New Yorkers, by New Yorkers. To learn more, visit www.thenytrust.org

 

About GoVoteNYC 

GoVoteNYC is a collaboration of New York City-based donors committed to strengthening democracy through civic engagement. Through pooled funds and aligned giving, GoVoteNYC is providing grants and technical assistance to nonprofit partners working on nonpartisan get-out-the-vote and other civic participation activities. GoVoteNYC is an open resource to other donors and a platform for sharing resources, information, and lessons-learned in the field. To learn more, visit www.govotenyc.org