5X5 DOCKET
Electoral Power Building
Summer 2025
Defending Democracy and Mobilizing for the Special Election
Electoral Power Building
Defending Democracy and Mobilizing for the Special Election
In this critical moment for our democracy, the systems that protect our civic voice are under unprecedented strain. Disinformation, voter suppression, and attacks on democratic institutions threaten to undermine participation and equity. The organizations featured in this docket are trusted, high-impact actors working on the frontlines to defend voting rights, strengthen democratic infrastructure and the rule of law, and ensure that all communities can fully participate in our democracy. From mobilizing voters and defending elections to safeguarding data and building media strategies, these are five groups tackling urgent challenges with strategy, scale, and accountability. They offer strategic giving opportunities that directly support the people and organizations defending democracy today, ensuring that resources reach where they can have the greatest impact.
Movement Voter Fund | Billy Wimsatt
Movement Voter Fund (the c3 related to the c4 Movement Voter Project) powers grassroots democracy by channeling funds into over 440 local groups led by and for younger voters and communities of color across battleground states. These groups do more than just turn out unlikely voters through trusted messengers; they organize all year to build power, leadership, and civic voice in underresourced communities. In 2024, Movement Voter Fund launched its Voter Protection & Defend the Election Fund, providing fast, flexible grants to frontline partners like the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, Seeding Sovereignty (Indigenous-led in Arizona), and We the People Flint. These groups respond to urgent threats like voter intimidation, disinformation, and post-election legal chaos to ensure everyone who can, has the chance to vote freely and fairly this election and beyond. They have also curated an excellent docket of promising and effective c3 and c4 organizations that are using new-media strategies to mobilize core constituencies through social media, podcasts, YouTube & Twitch, partnerships with content creators and influencers, and viral content from progressive newsrooms.
States United Democracy Center | Joanna Lydgate
Founded by Joanna Lydgate, former Chief Deputy District Attorney of Massachusetts, and first lesbian First Lady of any state in the U.S., to support the state officials who run and defend elections, States United brings together current and former governors, secretaries of state, attorneys general, and law enforcement leaders to form a firewall for democracy. with a focus on protecting the rule of law and free and fair elections. Since 2020, States United (and its c4) have provided legal, research, policy, and communications support, tools, and guidance for state and local election officials, law enforcement leaders, pro-democracy partners, the press, and the public on election protection, accountability, truth in elections, and preventing political violence. Among their 2025 cases: Representing pro bono a group of former Pennsylvania public officials, States United filed an amicus brief in March of this year that argues that the date requirement on the state’s mail-in ballots can unfairly disenfranchise voters in violation of the Pennsylvania Constitution. The case will be argued before the state Supreme Court in September. States United’s data analysis and surveys have shown that white voters, voters 65+, and overseas U.S. military voters are among the groups that relied most significantly on voting by mail in the 2024 presidential election, and that 93% of another survey’s respondents agreed that election workers from all political parties should be protected from threats and harassment.
The Movement Cooperative (TMC) | Julia Barnes
The Movement Cooperative strengthens progressive democracy by providing shared access to critical voter engagement technology, data, and infrastructure. Since 2018, TMC has helped more than 80 member organizations, including: Black Voters Matter, Voto Latino, MoveOn, and Greenpeace, coordinate and scale year-round civic engagement such as voter registration, outreach, and GOTV campaigns through crucial data. To date, this data was held by NGP VAN, part of a campaign tech
firm acquired by a private equity company in 2023. Layoffs commenced, and by the pivotal summer of 2024, a major data systems failure exposed vulnerabilities that threatened to compromise voter outreach in crucial states until a mega-donor stepped in to shore up the failure. In response, The Movement Cooperative is piloting a next-generation system to secure and streamline voter contact data at-scale. Donor support is urgently needed to safeguard voter data integrity and ensure that progressive campaigns are not vulnerable to being disrupted in this way again. TMC holds a c3 fund at Tides Foundation.
VoteRiders | Lauren Kunis
VoteRiders is the go-to national nonprofit helping voters navigate ever-changing voter ID laws. In 2024, they assisted over 4.2 million with free, personalized support through their Voter ID Helpline (844-338-8743). The organization collaborates with more than 2,000 partner organizations nationwide. Their efforts are particularly focused on states with strict voter ID laws, such as Florida, Georgia, and Wisconsin, where they conduct in-person clinics and community outreach to ensure voters have the correct ID. They also help cover costs for essential documents (birth certificates, Social Security cards, etc.), arrange transportation to DMVs, and offer pro bono legal assistance to remove ID barriers. Recently, they’ve built on-the-ground Voter ID Coalitions in critical states during high-stakes elections and adapted swiftly to new laws like Iowa’s ID requirement for early voting and Virginia’s expanded absentee ballot access – helping protect voter rights and prevent disenfranchisement.
Mi Familia Vota Education Fund | Héctor Sánchez Barba
Mi Familia Vota Education Fund (MVF) builds Latino political power through year-round organizing, civic education, and voter mobilization across key states including Arizona, Nevada, Texas, and Florida. Unlike groups that focus primarily on digital engagement, MFV prioritizes on-the-ground strategies: doorknocking, canvassing in Spanish, and direct outreach to young and infrequent voters often overlooked by parties. In 2024, they launched a $10 million campaign to reach 3.3 million Latinx voters and introduced a bilingual AI chatbot to scale voter education and engagement. They lead legal advocacy to defend Latinx voting rights, including a Supreme Court case safeguarding registered voters against disenfranchisement in Arizona. With field offices in 10 states and a holistic model that connects voting rights to immigration, climate, workers’ rights, and education, MFV ensures Latinx voices are represented at the ballot box and in policy debates shaping their futures.
Note: Liberty Hill will be funding a cycle of grants to LA and state organizations that are mobilizing voter outreach for the November special election for redistricting in California. To contribute to this effort, recommend a gift to Liberty Hill from your DAF, and restrict it to the Liberty Vote! program.