The NAACP is announcing that nonprofits involved in a variety of voter engagement efforts can apply for funding that helps local organizations register voters, increase turnout, and protect against minority disenfranchisement.
WASHINGTON – The NAACP announced Wednesday that nonprofits involved in a variety of voter engagement efforts can apply for funding that helps local organizations register voters, increase turnout and protect against minority disenfranchisement.
The leading civil rights organization said it hopes to raise $15 million for its Building Community Voice Fund. Dominik Whitehead, vice president of campaigns for the NAACP, said it was created as a response to the numerous attacks on voting rights that followed a significant jump in Black voter turnout during the 2020 presidential election.
“We know this election cycle is really crucial and it’s on the shoulders of all Black voters,” he said.
Money from the fund is intended to focus primarily on voter outreach efforts related to local elections, such as those for the school board, city council, sheriff and district attorney, as well as local ballot measures.
It was launched in 2022 to help boost voter outreach efforts related to the district attorney race in Shelby County, Tennessee, which includes Memphis and is more than 50% black. The previous district attorney had a history of disproportionately charging minority youths, Whitehead said.
The fund expanded over the next two years and now provides money to groups in 18 states, including Florida, Texas and the presidential swing states of Georgia, Nevada and Pennsylvania. Within these states, there are also a number of eligible counties that will be considered, most of which have a significant percentage of black voters.
Whitehead said the NAACP chose the states and localities for funding through an analysis that identified gaps in black voter registration and places where black voter turnout could be increased. He said the organization is halfway to reaching its fundraising goal and that nonprofits can apply for the money by June.
