Navigating the 2024 Electoral Funding Landscape
Hey there, changemakers!
2023 was a challenging year for electoral programs across the country. Thankfully, 2024 is already buzzing with opportunities and challenges for nonprofits in the democracy space.
The Ups and Downs of Funding
Remember how 2023 felt a bit like a fundraising drought? Well, you’re not alone.
“Donations to progressive organizations are way down in 2023 across the board,” writes Billy Wimsatt, the founder of Movement Voter Project. “I’ve gotten more than a dozen calls recently from leaders describing desperate situations: painful layoffs, program cuts, and executive directors going without pay or burning out.”
It’s no secret that funding often sees significant fluctuations based on the political calendar. Historically, we've seen that funding tends to dip during odd-numbered years when the public's attention might drift away from the ballot box. This makes essential, sustained work challenging, as organizations in the democratic space must stretch resources and find creative ways to maintain momentum.
Recent years have added another layer of complexity to this pattern. Influenced by global events and market uncertainties, the economic landscape has led to a tightening in philanthropy across the board. According to the ORR group, philanthropic giving dipped 10.4% in 2022.
Despite these challenges, 2024 brings with it a sense of optimism. Based on historical trends alone, political and democracy-focused organizations can expect to see an uptick in opportunities. As the general market conditions improve, philanthropic giving has already started to bounce back, rising 5-6% heading into 2024.
Still, groups across the board are raising the alarm bell that funding in 2024 may not reach necessary thresholds. Organizations should take special care to secure funding for their planned work.
Securing Your Bag
So, how can we best take advantage of the funding opportunities arising in 2024?
Be what’s trending – The electoral landscape is constantly in flux. How can you tailor your programs to align with what funders are most concerned with?
Leverage pooled funds – We can expect a lot of funding to come late in the game. How can we leverage pooled funds to quickly receive and operationalize new funding?
Create a strong funding mix – A strong funding mix is a diversified funding mix. How can we leverage individual giving and unique funding opportunities?
Strategy #1: Be what’s trending
Each year, the changing electoral landscape brings with it new priorities for funders.
First and foremost, it’s important to create programs that serve the needs of your community. Organizations are often on the front lines of issues in their communities. They know better than funders what may move the needle.
While this is all true, it’s important to be aware of funding landscape trends. Tailoring organizational programming to align with these priorities may just be the push you need to tap into funding resources.
Based on conversations with experts, there are a few big problems that democracy funders are expecting to allocate money for in 2024:
Combatting mis-/dis-information: The rise of AI and removal of Twitter’s internal guardrails have contributed to a growing concern of misinformation in 2024. Samir Jain, co-author of a recent Center for Democracy and Technology report on counter-election-disinformation initiatives, said “Next year might be one of the worst times we have seen, and maybe the worst time we have seen, for the spread of election-related mis- and disinformation.”
Capacity building: Numerous funds have listed capacity building as a top priority for 2023 and 2024, including initiatives towards hiring staff, building internal processes to make current staff more effective, or utilizing new tools.
Protecting the safety of individuals: Top of mind for funders is addressing the rise of political violence and bolstering safety and security for organizational staff, the voters they serve, and election workers.
Voter education: The deciding factor in many elections will be first-time voters, including young voters and new Americans. Voter education initiatives focus on equipping new and seasoned voters alike with everything they need to navigate the voting process, such as key dates, where to vote, and what will be on the ballot.
Get-out-the-vote: A topic that is always in vogue. Typically, GOTV funding is tied to a desire to win specific outcomes, especially at the federal level. Page Atcheson, Grant Program Director for Clean and Prosperous America, said “Some funders plan to focus on winning back the house, others are investing in senate races, and many are focused on the presidential.“
Election protection: The rise of voter intimidation and voter roll purges have kept the issue of election protection top of mind for funders.
How can you best leverage these trends? A collaborative fund staffer recommends that groups “focus on how their programs aim to educate voters, turn out voters, or protect their right to vote at the ballot box. Given the rise in voter suppression policies and tactics following the 2020 election, I would also address how programs aim to combat or mitigate the effects of such voter suppression policies and tactics.”
Strategy #2: Leverage Pooled Funds
Funding likes to play hard to get, often showing up late in the game. Despite numerous pleas from organizations and thought leaders, donors often don’t realize the urgency of giving to electoral work until too late in the cycle.
This poses a significant challenge to traditional grant-making since late funding often prevents the strategic building and long-term organizing necessary for an effective campaign.
“We know that there are a lot of donors who will choose to give much later in the cycle,” said Page Atcheson from Clean and Prosperous America (CaPA). “Every cycle, we learn of organizations that need to lay off staff or scale down their programs as election day approaches - at the exact time they should be ramping up and finishing strong.”
However, organizations like CaPA are keen on bridging these gaps, especially for grassroots groups making big impacts at the local level. “We are committed to shepherding this money towards grassroots groups that can effectively deploy those funds to contact more voters,” adds Atcheson.
Our recommendation is to connect with the pooled funds dedicated to this transformational funding strategy. In addition to solving the funding-timing problem, these groups can also reduce the amount of work spent applying for grants, freeing more time for you to focus on making your programs a success.
Check out these pooled funds and grant-giving powerhouses:
Clean and Prosperous America (CaPA) – https://cleanprosperousamerica.org/. (Note: CaPA plans to launch another RFP in early 2024 for voter education and GOTV programs in battleground senate and presidential states. Groups that are interested in applying should contact page@cleanprosperousamerica.org to be notified when the RFP launches.)
Movement Voter Project (MVP) – https://movement.vote/
Rural Democracy Initiative – https://ruraldemocracyinitiative.org/
If funding does come late in the cycle, we recommend having a plan for how to deploy those funds. Hiring, training, and deploying more organizers on a short timeline may be unrealistic. However, running a digital ad campaign or creating a mailer campaign may be possible.
Most tech tools require a long lead time to set up. However, Ballot Builder offers same-day sign-up and go-live with our voter education tools. You can sign up, receive a branded voter guide with information on thousands of candidates, and immediately email it to your voters within the same day.
Strategy #3: Create a strong funding mix
Turning to the community to build a base of individual donors offers a sustainable and impactful way to diversify funding sources.
Although creating a community-powered giving program may seem like an uphill battle, individual donors bring a personal investment to your cause beyond financial support. They are advocates, ambassadors, and believers in your mission. Getting them involved as donors may be the first step in the ladder of engagement. These same folks may become volunteers who ultimately help improve the effectiveness of your GOTV programs.
Unlike large grants with stringent requirements, funds from individual donors often provide more flexibility, allowing nonprofits to respond rapidly to emerging needs or to fund core operations, a challenge with restricted funding.
Here are some tips for building a strong base of donors within your community:
Tell Your Story: To engage individual donors, share your authentic story. Why does your work matter? How does it impact the community? Use narratives, testimonials, and data to make your case compelling and relatable. Focus on the urgency of this election year without taking advantage of donor’s emotions.
Small Events, Big Impact: Build community by hosting small, local events. These can range from informational sessions to candidate meet-and-greets. The key is to create an environment where potential donors can learn about your work, ask questions, and feel a part of something bigger.
Relational Fundraising: Encourage your supporters to fundraise on your behalf. This can be through social media challenges, community runs, or personal appeals. When your existing supporters bring in new donors, your network expands exponentially.
Monthly Giving Programs: Implement a monthly giving program. Even small, regular contributions can add up to a significant amount over time. Make it easy to sign up and continually express gratitude to these committed donors.
Give Donors a Say: This could be as simple as options on donation forms, specific calls to action, or involving them in discussions about your organization's direction. When donors feel heard and see the tangible results of their contributions, their commitment to your cause deepens.
Offer Value: Focus on how your programs offer direct value to your community. Create events that help your community get informed, such as candidate forums, or provide unique technology tools that answer questions about the voting process, such as Ballot Builder.
Wrapping Up
As we navigate 2024's fundraising landscape, let's stay adaptable, connected, and ready to try new tactics or techniques. It's our year to make a difference, and with a bit of strategy, collaboration, and a lot of passion, we'll do just that. Here's to a year of impactful work and the funding to make it happen!
Feel free to leave comments, share tips to the community, and ask questions in the comments below, or by emailing us at hello@branch.chat.