Funders' Committee for Civic Participation

Civic participation – the active engagement of people in the decision-making processes that shape their communities and their lives – is critical to a healthy society. In fact, we only realize the full promise of democracy when people participate; when all segments of a community have fair and equal access to institutions of government and meaningful opportunities to voice their opinions about important issues driving the public policy agenda.

Mission

The Funders’ Committee for Civic Participation (FCCP) is an innovative and thought-provoking network that shares an underlying conviction that all people deserve a voice in our democratic process. We serve leaders in the philanthropic community working to further this vision with heightened attention to issues of equity and historically disenfranchised and underrepresented communities. Our members support non-partisan efforts to engage voters, eliminate structural barriers to voting, advance reforms to improve government and electoral systems, and inspire public involvement in civic life.

FCCP provides funders with a community in which to build connections, a stage for showcasing innovations, a forum for strategic dialogue and collaboration, and a resource for civic participation research and tools. We work to build a more effective network of grantmakers who are passionate about realizing our collective vision of a vibrant and inclusive democracy for all.

Values

FCCP has a particular focus on ensuring that traditionally marginalized communities have equal access to participation and decision-making in the democratic process. We value fairness and equal opportunity. We are inclusive and respect every member’s voice. FCCP models transparency and encourages a diversity of opinions. We base our work on sound research and encourage experimentation to prove impact.

Theory of Impact

Member Organizations

History

FCCP sprung from the visionary efforts of a small group of grantmakers that began gathering in the early 80s to discuss how to boost voting among America’s most disenfranchised communities. What began as the “Ad Hoc Funders’ Committee for Voter Registration and Education” soon crystallized into the Funders’ Committee for Civic Participation when the organization was officially founded in 1983.

Since those early days, FCCP has served as a critical catalyst for philanthropy’s growing civic engagement community. Our network advanced effective voter registration efforts in the ‘80s; supported campaign finance reform in the ‘90s; and invested in new voting technologies and election-administration reforms in the 2000s, a time when it also popularized year-round “integrated voter engagement” as a winning strategy for building power and achieving policy impact. In the ‘10s FCCP mobilized funders around the census, redistricting and building state-based civic engagement infrastructure. Today, we serve a mature and diverse community of grantmakers committed to working more strategically together to address the systemic inequities that keep marginalized communities from having a lasting voice in our democracy.

Through our member-driven and field-informed programming, FCCP keeps its network of grantmakers educated, connected and equipped to make smart funding decisions. Always nonpartisan, our signature programs for grantmakers include an annual convening, monthly “First Monday” and other virtual discussions; working groups that focus on range of key issue topics; and member-only meetings. FCCP adapts its programming year-to-year to respond to the needs of its evolving network and the field, election cycles and trends in civic engagement.

Staff

Jocelyn Bissonnette

Director of the Funders Census Initiative

jbissonnette@funderscommittee.orgJocelyn Bissonnette joins FCCP as the Director of the Funders Census Initiative. Read More…

Elizabeth Shapiro

Membership and Development Director

eshapiro@funderscommittee.orgElizabeth Shapiro joins FCCP as Membership and Development Director. She will lead FCCP’s donor cultivation activities and develop member-engagement programs to deepen support for FCCP’s work and civic engagement grantmaking. Read More…

Maya Graham

Program Manager

mgraham@funderscommittee.orgMaya Graham serves as Program Manager at FCCP. Previously, she served as principal at her consultancy centered around social impact and organizational growth strategies, with a special emphasis on democratic development. Read More…

Ashish Sinha

Program Director

asinha@funderscommittee.orgAshish is responsible for the development and implementation of programming to help lead the network’s continued work in civic engagement. His superpower is being compassionate to those who he works with, his community, and to himself. Read More…

Advisory Board

Ethan Frey

Ford Foundation

Ethan Frey is part of the Ford Foundation’s Cities and States team. Read More…

Evan Bacalao

Open Society Foundations

Evan Bacalao is a program officer with the Special Initiatives and Partnerships unit of the Open Society Foundations’ U.S. Read More…

Steven Cole-Schwartz, Co-chair

The Partnership Funds

The Partnership Funds are a funding collaborative that works with grantmakers and state leaders to build independent political power in order to win change in the lives of individuals, families and communities. Read More…

Connie Malloy

The James Irvine Foundation

Connie was appointed portfolio director at The James Irvine Foundation in February 2016 as part of its evolving focus. Read More…

Ilona Prucha

Wellspring Philanthropic Fund

Ilona is a Program Officer at Wellspring Philanthropic Fund, a foundation with offices in Washington, DC and New York, NY. Read More…

Carmen Lopez-Wilson

Thornburg Foundation

Carmen Lopez-Wilson is the Good Government Reforms Policy Officer at the Thornburg Foundation, which seeks to reduce the influence of money in politics. Read More…

Jesse Beason

Northwest Health Foundation

Jesse leads the Northwest Health Foundation in pursuit of its vision of health for everyone in Oregon and Southwest Washington. Read More…

Esperanza Tervalon-Garrett, Co-chair

Dancing Hearts Consulting, LLC

Esperanza Tervalon-Garrett is a queer, Afro-Puerto Rican woman, and a native daughter of Oakland. Read More…

Denise Cardinal

WIN Minnesota

Denise Cardinal is Executive Director of WIN Minnesota and held several positions with progressive candidates, causes and campaigns including Senator Al Franken (D-MN) in his 2014 re-election and the successful 2010 IE effort credited with DFL Governor Mark Dayton’s victory. Read More…

Scott Nielsen

Arabella Advisors

Scott Nielsen joined Arabella Advisors in 2015 as the firm’s first managing director of advocacy, bringing decades of experience designing, executing, and evaluating strategies for achieving policy reform and social change. Read More…

Christine Reeves-Strigaro

The Sapelo Foundation

Christine Reeves Strigaro is the Executive Director of The Sapelo Foundation, a private family foundation in Savannah, GA with a mission to: “promote progressive social change affecting vulnerable populations, rural communities, and the natural environment in the state of Georgia.” By aligning all philanthropic assets, tools, partnerships, and creativity, The Sapelo Foundation catalyzes solutions for systemic problems and lifts up Georgia as a destination for leadership, collaboration, ideas, and solutions. Read More…

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