FCCP’s State Infrastructure Funders Table (SIFT) discussed practical pathways to increase civic-engagement impact in 2016 while building toward successful advocacy, voter-engagement and organizing in 2017 and beyond. The coming two years are going to be tough, as any leader of a civic engagement or base-building organization will tell you. Advocacy and voter-engagement capacity will be critical in 2017 and 2018, but retaining that capacity following a presidential election year is a major challenge. Funders will reorganize strategies. Organizations will experience a post-election ‘bust’ in funding. Talented staff will be lost as program funding ends. Communications and digital capacity will decline, and voter-engagement data and lists will be lost to the ages. The great news is that it doesn’t have to be this way!

Our colleagues discussed what we can do now to amplify grantees’ impact. Together we crafted potential solutions to help bridge the post-election bust and retain grantee capacities at a time when that will be critical: throughout the first 100 days of a new administration, during spring legislative sessions, and in the lead up to the state and local elections which will determine the direction of redistricting, democracy reforms, and issue advocacy through 2030.

Moderated by Steven Cole-Schwartz, The Partnership Funds and Renee Fazzari, General Service Foundation

Speakers:

• Esperanza Tervalon-Garrett, Groundswell Fund
• Michelle Tremillo, Texas Organizing Project