2022 Awards
NATIONAL WINNER – VoteAmerica
VoteAmerica builds technology to simplify political engagement, increase voter turnout, and strengthen American democracy for all eligible voters. Every election, political campaigns & voter turnout groups spend tens of millions of dollars attempting to register individual voters using antiquated 1-to-1 outreach tactics that are expensive, difficult to scale, and inconsistent.
VoteAmerica instead focuses on scaling innovative, modern, 1-to-millions voter outreach solutions, by integrating their tools with the major software and service companies citizens already use to file everyday paperwork.
Whenever someone checks their credit score, files their taxes, changes their home address, or registers for classes, vital information about voter registration, vote-by-mail, early voting, voter ID, and more can be built directly into the platform’s user experience.
In 2020 alone, VoteAmerica registered more than 1 million voters through their strategic partnership integrations. Additionally, more than 4 million Users made use of VoteAmerica tools to check their voter registration status, register to vote, request an absentee or mail ballot, track their ballot after completing and mailing, look up their polling place, and/or find contact info for their local election office. Also, by building voter registration into everyday systems, VoteAmerica reached underserved and often overlooked minority communities, so that our elected officials more fully and accurately represent the voice of the American people.
In its very first year, VoteAmerica was found to be one of the top 10 voter registration & turnout organizations in the nation. They have also proven that their strategies are some of the most cost-effective per voter in the nation
LOCAL WINNER — Voters First Virginia
Voters First Virginia led and supported coalitions that helped 1) pass a constitutional amendment and ballot referendum in Virginia creating the first citizen-led bipartisan redistricting commission in the commonwealth, 2) create a local ranked choice voting pilot, 3) institute various absentee voting improvements, and 4) increase access to and participation in party nominating processes. Incredibly, all of this was accomplished with bipartisan support.
They also helped build a bicameral and bipartisan caucus where members meet on a regular basis to find common ground.
Through its efforts, Voters First Virginia has helped build a more representative and functional government in Virginia that puts voters first, and where leaders embrace problem solving over fueling divisiveness. They are also dedicated to building a team that reflects diverse identities, experiences and perspectives; a culture of working across differences toward common goals; and a workplace where everyone feels included, respected, and heard.
Because of their incredible success, the Voters First Virginia model is now being replicated in Colorado and Arizona.
YOUTH WINNER – Kentucky YMCA Youth Association
The Kentucky YMCA Youth Association operates 35+ programs around the state of Kentucky aimed at engaging teenagers in their local communities to become true changemakers. Their impact reaches 111 of the 120 counties in Kentucky and every year they engage over 10,000 students and their teachers. The root of their work is based in their Student Y program, through which members achieve a greater understanding of public service and policy, build relationships through service with peers, educators, mentors, and service partners, and develop a culture of belonging in their schools, communities, and throughout the Commonwealth of Kentucky. This program sets the standard for what the rest of the organization stands for: providing a space where collaboration among peers and their community members can take place to improve Kentucky communities.
The Kentucky YMCA Youth Association has also fostered a community of inclusion. Their “For All” Commitment states, in part, “We know that the key to effectively empowering young people to reach their full potential, improving individual and community well-being, and inspiring action in our communities is a passionate, experienced and diverse array of staff, volunteers and members who value what everyone brings to the table.”
Finally, the Kentucky YMCA Youth Association gives out thousands of dollars in scholarships each year to ensure that everybody, regardless of financial means, can attend their programming.
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD - Rob Stein
Rob Stein was a true hero of the movement. In the words of a friend, “Rob was a visionary, healer, and unapologetic uniter of unlikely allies in an era defined by cowardice, despair, and division.”
