Issuu

Annual Report 2021

A Trusted Resource in Tumultuous Times

i C i v i cs A nnua l Repo r t 202 1

Dear Friends of icivics, I have never been more optimistic about the potential for civic education in the United States. There is more interest in both expanding and deepening civic education than I have ever seen. More players are investing in the cause and, most importantly, we are seeing policy gains and shifts across the country. Ironically, my optimism stands in contrast with the great tumult of this past year, with civic fractures over the presidential election, COVID response, racial justice, and more testing the strength of our constitutional democracy. In too many cases, divisions have been instigated, promoted rigorously through disinformation, and left unchallenged by decades of disinvestment in quality civic education. this is our clarion call. We need transformative change. iCivics is fully committed to strengthening our constitutional democracy. Our work this year is a testament to that. In 2021, iCivics: 1. Benefited 9M+ students—more than ever before; 2. Expanded and deepened curricular offerings, seeking equitable solutions; 3. Promoted the leadership of youth as civic experts through our Equity in Civics Youth Fellowship; 4. Steered the CivXNow Coalition to advance legislative efforts in support of excellent civic education across the country; and 5. Co-launched the visionary Roadmap to Educating for American Democracy to help move the field toward excellence in civics and history education. But none of this would mean anything without the tenacity of our most meaningful allies: civics and history teachers. Undoubtedly, this year has been among the most challenging for our nation’s teachers, who have braved a cascade of social, political, and public health challenges to ensure our nation’s children and future leaders continue to receive the best possible education to prepare them for their roles in the civic life of this country. We thank these teachers for their dedication, service, and integrity. Kind regards,

Louise Dubé Executive Director

iC ivics Annual Re p o r t 202 1

iCivics Governing Board JUSTICE Sandra Day O’Connor Chair Emeritus Associate Justice (ret.) Supreme Court of the United States

Wendy D. May-Dreyer Chair Partner (ret.) Hartline Dacus Barger Dreyer LLP

Andrea Foggy-Paxton Founder and CEO Foggy-Paxton Consulting

Mary Henry Partner & Managing Director (ret.) Goldman Sachs

Larry Kramer President William & Flora Hewlett Foundation

Thomas Lue General Counsel DeepMind

Laird Malamed Director/General Manager of Operations Oculus, Facebook

Jay O’Connor Advisory Partner Morgan Stanley Expansion Capital

Arnold B. Peinado, III Senior Partner (ret.) Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy

Ann M. Ravel Professor University of California, Berkeley, School of Law

Lindsay Reimers Community Advocate Pritesh Shah Partner Davis Polk & Wardwell, LLP Judge Ann Williams Of Counsel Jones Day

Gerard Robinson Vice President for Education Advanced Study in Culture Foundation

This year, iCivics is thrilled to welcome three new members to our Governing Board: Larry Kramer Andrea Foggy-Paxton Gerard Robinson These respected individuals bring 80 years of collective experience in education, government, philanthropy, legal scholarship, and more.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor Associate Justice Supreme Court of the United States

“ Few issues are more important to the future of our democracy than how we educate the next generation for citizenship. No organization is better positioned than iCivics to affect this positively.”

– Larry Kramer President, William & Flora Hewlett Foundation

i C i v i cs A nnua l Repo r t 202 1

our Strategic plan 2021 marked the first implementation year of our five-year Strategic Plan (2021-26). This ambitious document—built around three core pillars—steers a path for iCivics to grow, diversify, and drive policy wins for better civic education. At the center of it all is equity, as both a process and a desired outcome. Equity ensures iCivics stays accessible to all. It drives key questions: • Does our curriculum speak to—indeed, inspire—all student populations? • How can new policies benefit the most under-resourced areas? • In what ways can we ensure young people from different backgrounds and experiences become equally informed and engaged in civil society?

Invest as the Premier Provider

Catalyze a Movement Shift the national mindset in prioritizing civic education.

Be the main civic education provider of choice, at scale.

• CivXNow

• 9+M Students

Coalition Growth: 170 organizationmembers • Policy Wins in

Reached

Equity

• Broader and Deeper Curriculum

6 States

Evolve for Impact

Build capacity and evidence to support sustainably meaningful civic education. • Launch of Educating for American Democracy (EAD) and its Roadmap • New Training Opportunities for Teachers and Parents

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iC ivics Annual Re p o r t 202 1

• Unique Leadership Fellowship for Youth

urgency Drives us iCivics’ strategy is guided by urgency — it drives us in

In fact, civic education is the ONLY policy

new ways. The research has long been clear on the

Americans agree upon. In a survey conducted

beneﬁts of great K–12 civic education. Applied early

last year by pollster Frank Luntz, over 1,000

on and comprehensively for every student in the

respondents were asked what they felt could heal

United States, civic education is a key solution for

this country’s divides.

the challenges this nation is facing. With great civic

The results were unambiguous. Among the seven

education, young people are more likely to:

possible solutions, civic education for students

• vote;

in K–12 was the #1 choice—and the only one with

• work on community issues;

a majority of support across political affiliation.

• become socially responsible; • gain conﬁdence speaking publicly; and • interact with elected officials.

total

Dem

Rep

57%

56%

Civic education for students in K–12

36%

29%

38%

A year of national service

35%

38%

30%

less money in politics

24%

40%

easier access to voting

19%

11%

25%

Stricter regulation of social media

18%

13%

35%

More participation in religious activities

10%

12%

Ranked-choice voting

“Politics and polarization in the classroom has always been a challenge... but more so now with the current culture in the country. I feel like people skirt difﬁcult conversations in the attempt of appearing neutral, however this can cause more harm than good. We need to teach students how to have healthy conversations that lean toward deliberation rather than debate. We need them to want to know more about all perspectives.” – Michelle Social studies teacher | Florida i C i v i cs A nnua l Repo r t 202 1

2021 At a Glance (Investing as the Premier Provider) This has been one of the toughest years for the

iCivics stands with teachers.

teaching profession: a hotly contested election;

We work tirelessly to adapt to teachers’ reality, to

controversy surrounding what can and should

empower their practice and respond to unforeseen

be discussed inside civics classrooms; and an ongoing pandemic that renders teaching—online, in-person, hybrid—deeply strenuous for even the best educators.

events. We work to help teachers approach tough but unavoidable topics in safe, stimulating, and nonpartisan ways.

148,000

19.6 M

9M 121,000

2021

2020

Active teacher users

26.2 M 7.6 M

2021

Students Reached

2.1 M

16.7 M 1.8 M

21.4 M

202

2021

2020

Game plays

An Election To Remember... During the 2020 election season, iCivics games were played nearly 10 million times—3.8 million more game plays than during the 2016 presidential election.

2021

2020

unique Resource Downloads

2021

2020

Site Visits

These simulations offer young people a truly unique opportunity: to see themselves in these civic roles. As a result, students are more likely to be curious about, understand, and partake in our systems of government.

Our games Cast Your Vote, Win the White House and Executive Command got the most attention. Teachers use these digital innovations to immerse students in the election. The games explore the complexities of the electoral college, the structure and roles of the executive branch, and the many ways to become an informed voter before a ballot is cast. 6

iC ivics Annual Re p o r t 202 1

“Thank you, iCivics. Because of your game, Win the White House, my upper elementary students understand the electoral college and followed election results all day long.” – Jackie Gerstein Elementary education teacher | New Mexico

But metrics are only part of the story. In 2021, iCivics signiﬁcantly expanded its content and professional development opportunities to include: • a new Student Voting election pack; • a webinar series for teachers on how to teach around the election; • a video series for parents/family members on discussing controversial subjects with their kids; • an upgrade to our game Counties Work; and • an expansion of our High School Curriculum library, including new lesson units on the legislative and judicial branches of government.

Raising the next Generation of leaders: equity In Civics Youth Fellowship the Fellows... 37 talented and diverse youths, grades 8-12, spread across 18 states and Washington, D.C.

the goal… To inspire talented youths for civic leadership, pondering matters of equity and civic education in their own communities

Accomplishments… • Student panels • Individual and group media projects • Community campaigns • Nationwide Listening Tour of nearly 5,000 students

“Honestly, being a part of this fellowship kept me going throughout this year, always gave me something to look forward to [...] I learned how to be heard when it comes to a range of political or community issues. I learned where and who to go to. That is something I will take with me through my whole life.” – Clayneashia Jones Graduated Senior–Pennsylvania

i C i v i cs A nnua l Repo r t 202 1

Catalyzing A Movement High-quality civic education is an imperative for

ensuring that every young person gets the civic

iCivics. But even the best resources will not get us

knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed for

there if civics itself isn’t required. This is why, in

informed and authentic civic engagement. In

2018, we founded the CivXNow Coalition.

order to accomplish this, we advocate for better

The Coalition is made up of 170 organization-

policies at the state and federal levels—

members: inﬂuential, nationally scaled, and

and make great civic education a priority.

ideologically diverse. All have committed to

Coalition Strength Across States

State Coalitions are: ■ Mature/Emerging ■ Forming

Direct Support to State Coalitions

States with Policy Wins in 2021

State Policy Currently, 12 states do not require a stand-alone high school civics course and 28 states do not

This bill, which the CivXNow Coalition helped draft,

is fertile ground for new policy achievements.

would authorize $1 billion annually over 5 years to

Our State Policy Task Force—experts and sub-

districts and states, nonproﬁts, and higher educa-

coalitions from 38 states—is the infrastructure

tion institutions. CivXNow has activated a national

we need to advance policy at the state level.

grassroots support campaign with the goal of its

Federal Policy

passage by the end of the 117th Congress in

must also be funded at the federal level. CivXNow is leading a national campaign to

Civics Secures Democracy (CSD) Act.

require service learning—the bare minimum. This

To achieve our state goals, the civics ﬁeld

pass transformational legislation: the bipartisan

iC ivics Annual Re p o r t 202 1

January 2023.

evolving For Impact

“People and educators struggle with difﬁcult conversations. We have not been prepared to handle difﬁcult conversations as a country.” – Anonymous teacher

EAD DESIGN

While CivXNow exists to catalyze a movement and require the teaching of civics through policy, Educating for American Democracy (EAD) offers the guide for just how to teach civics well. In March 2021, we released the EAD Report and accompanying Roadmap and Pedagogy Companion at a National Summit hosted by the Smithsonian Institute and the National Archives Foundation. This unprecedented effort in our ﬁeld convened a diverse group of 300+ scholars and educators. The EAD Roadmap issues deep guidance that states, school districts, and educators can use to transform the teaching of history and civics. Today, EAD is supported by nearly 150 Champion organizations. We share a vision of excellence for our nation’s diverse K-12 student body. We must now implement EAD in real school settings nationwide, bringing its vision to fruition.

“The hand writing ‘We The People’ represents who is writing our history. And it should be a mix [...] This ensures that we account for multiple perspectives of our nation’s past. There are ink stains on this version of our history. We should accept that these will remain permanent for all to see. Telling the truth about this country is not an act of treason. On the contrary, only when our country is credible can citizens learn to love it.” –Casey Kenreich Grade 10, Maryland Winner, EAD Design Contest

i C i v i cs A nnua l Repo r t 202 1

Those Who Make iCivics Possible

We are immensely grateful to our generous circle of donors, without whom iCivics could not exist. A special distinction to Mr. David Rubenstein whose contribution in this space has elevated our cause. Leader (+ $100,000)

$1,000-24,999

Lincoln and Therese Filene Foundation

Annenberg Public Policy Center

Lisa Alumkal and Paul Markovich

Tom Lue

Arthur Rock and Toni Rembe Rock

The Anonymoose Foundation

Sandra and Kenneth Malamed

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Apple Inc.

Wendy May

Council on Foreign Relations

McDermott Will & Emery LLP

David Rubenstein

American Association for Public Opinion Research

Leonard and Judy Lauder

American Library Association

Samuel Mondry-Cohen

The National Endowment for the Humanities

Arizona Community Foundation

Marcelo Mottesi

Ray and Dagmar Dolby Family Fund

Baker McKenzie

Mollie Hale Carter Tuesday Fund

Robert R. McCormick Foundation

Scott A. Barshay

Move the World Foundation

Rockefeller Brothers Fund

Beatrice Snyder Foundation II

William H. Neukom

Silicon Valley Community Foundation

Amanda Bennett

The O’Connor Family

Stephen and Susan Mandel

Lucy Billingsley

O’Melveny & Myers LLP

Texas Public Policy Foundation

Bresky Foundation

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP

Texas Woman’s University

Capitol Square Foundation

Polly and Terry O’Toole

The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation

The Clifford-Bush Family

Alice Z. Pannill

Lawrence Coben

Arnold B. Peinado

$25,000-99,999

Diana and Donald Collet

Penguin Random House

Charles Evans Hughes Memorial Fund

Christina Conover

Victoria Radd Rollins

Clifford Family Foundation

Aldona Z. Wos and Louis DeJoy

Alan Charles Raul

The ECMC Foundation

Evolve Foundation

Ann Ravel

The Farvue Foundation

Fish & Richardson

Younjee Kim and Marc Rindner

Foundation of the International Association of Defense Counsel

Richard Fishman

Oren Root

Andrea Foggy-Paxton

Barbara Russell

Gibson Dunn & Crutcher

Juliet and Lee Merritt Folger

Mary C. Henry and Rajpal Sandhu

JCDRP Family Foundation

Jeff Fort

Selendy & Gay

Koret Foundation

Dale A. Freeman

Pritesh P. Shah

Library of Congress

Paul Funk

Shepard Broad Foundation, Inc.

Rebecca and Laird Malamed

Leslie Greene Bowman

Kathleen Smalley

Park Foundation

Henry E. Niles Foundation

Geralyn and Warren Smith

Ramsay Leatherman Cloud Fund

Hood Law Firm, LLC

Diana Aviv and Sterling Speirn

Ann and Paul Sagan

State Bar of Texas

Robert H. Smith Family Foundation

The Honorable James C. Hormel and Michael P. N. Hormel

Viacom Inc.

HP, Inc.

Macauley Taylor

Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP

Nancy Prahofer and Robert Kessler

Dr. Judith Torney-Purta

William B. Wiener Jr. Foundation

Kirkland & Ellis LLP

Wes and Victoria Bannister Fund

Women’s Economic Future Fund

Larry Kramer

The Honorable Ann Claire Williams

Zegar Family Foundation

Karen and John Launceford

WilmerHale

Joanie Lawler

Susan N. Wilson

Greg Lee

The Wollenberg Foundation

The Meadows Foundation, Inc.

Clayton Stevenson

Legacy Venture 10 |

iC ivics Annual Re p o r t 202 1

*as of June 30, 2021

FY21 Financial Report

Students Reached vs. Expenses* For every $.52 invested, a student learns with iCivics. Students reached

■

■ Expenses (in $) – – Sandra Day O’Connor Growth Fund

.........................................................................................

*Excludes in-kind donations FY17

Revenue and Expenses

FY18

FY19

FY21

FY20

FY21

FY20

Contributions

4,492,078

In-Kind

1,036,930

825,618

Royalties & Contract Income

499,557

142,268

Interest Income & Other Revenue

147,327

73,821

Total Support

6,175,892

6,521,820

Program Expenses

4,751,211 (83.6%)

4,568,197 (81.5%)

Management & General

396,795 (7%)

463,589 (8.3%)

Fundraising

534,282 (9.4%)

575,103 (10.2%)

Total Expenses

5,682,288

Change in Net Assets

3,876,345

Change in Net Assets Excluding Board Designated Funds*

5,480,113

5,606,889 914,931

493,604

255,069

Net Assets, Beginning of Year

4,484,821

3,569,890

Net Assets, End of Year

8,361,166

4,484,821

*Sandra Day O’Connor Growth Fund (board-designated)

3,382,741

1,170,000 i C i v i cs A nnua l Repo r t 202 1

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“ Some of my top scorers on Win the White House. 433 votes is a tough one to beat! The kids have even been emailing me scores in the evening showing me they won the election!”

– Sarah Johnson Social studies teacher Andover, Kansas

“ iCivics is a powerful resource for this time in our history.”

– Joanna Social studies teacher Oklahoma

“ The tools are outstanding and customizable. But it is the way they bring civics educators together – and iCivics facilitates communitybuilding amongst those educators – that really stands out amongst content-providers.”

– Lucas Social studies teacher Atlanta, Georgia

info@icivics.org | 1035 Cambridge Street, Suite 21B | Cambridge, MA 02141 (617) 356-8311 | www.icivics.org |

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