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The year 2008, with its history-making presidential campagin, was also a historic year for Tides. "Promoting a robust democratic process" is a core value shared by Tides, our partners, grantees, projects, and staff, and in 2008 it was a strong focus of our efforts. Through the Tides Voter Action Fund, the We Are America Alliance, and dozens of other Tides projects, we awarded almost $20 million to civic participation efforts such as voter engagement in low-income communities of color, mobilizing support for progressive ballot initiatives, building state and regional voter organizing capacity, and addressing structural barriers to fair elections in the Gulf South.
Through the Tides Voter Action Fund we granted more than $4 million to support the following strategies: Building the New Electoral Mainstream; Framing and Communicating Progressive Values; Building Local, State and Regional Capacity; and Building Inclusive Democracy.
In 2008, with a goal of registering half a million new voters, members of the We Are America Alliance registered new voters at naturalization ceremonies; raised awareness in Latino, Asian, and other immigrant communities; and provided voter protection at the polls on Election Day. With offices in Washington, D.C. and New York City, the We Are America Alliance brings together some of the leading immigrants-rights groups in the nation—including ACORN, Center for Community Change, Democracia USA, and National Council of La Raza—to coordinate and expand their efforts. Tides provides a neutral home with ready infrastructure so these groups can focus on exponentially scaling their work and impact.
Getting out the vote means getting young people engaged in civic participation. Through its support for projects like 18 in ’08, the Generational Alliance, Wiretap Magazine, and many others, Tides helped bring youth and their issues to the forefront in this historic election year.
The power to change the world lies in the ability of people to come together, share ideas, and work to make their visions a reality. Access to policy makers in the nation’s capital and state capitals around the country is vital to communities whose voices are not regularly heard in policy debates.
Tides Shared Spaces is currently working on two new green nonprofit centers for civic engagement in Sacramento and Washington, DC to give activists and organizations the workspace they need to participate in the vital ongoing work of democracy.
Nonprofit centers, as well as their funders and investors, are stimulating the economy, increasing access to social services, and creating lasting social change in their communities. Many nonprofit centers are also green buildings, which lower operating costs and help the environment. Planting a Seed, a guide from the NonprofitCenters Network,showcases successful nonprofit centers across North America.
