Healthy Democracy Action Fund
Political Movement Infrastructure Project
A strong, permanent political infrastructure is core to navigating complexity and building community power for the long-term. That greater community influence in politics and policymaking can lead to justice. The HDAF Political Movement Infrastructure Project funds BIPOC-led groups building long-term advocacy and political power.
Building political infrastructure and long-term community power.
As a pro-Black organization, Tides Advocacy is committed to advancing racial justice and collective liberation by growing the political power of Black, Indigenous and people of color-led movements and communities. Representing $1M in 501(c)(4) grants to BIPOC-led groups building long-term advocacy and political power, the Political Movement Infrastructure Project is partnering with 19 organizations across 13 states and regional initiatives that are transforming our movement infrastructure.
HDAF is committed to supporting vibrant, permanent and community-led political infrastructure as core to building BIPOC influence in decision-making spaces. Our grantee partners are centering abolitionist, anti-capitalist and liberatory principles in their visions for movement strengthening. From creating sustainable power within Muslim and BIPOC communities every year in Michigan, to strengthening the political voice of Black communities in Kentucky and Arizona, our grantees are laying the foundations for long-lasting change.
Together we can fortify the movement infrastructure our communities need to propel long-lasting change.
Grantees for Our Inaugural Cycle
We’re thrilled to announce the HDAF partners for the Political Movement Infrastructure Project, representing $1M in 501(c)(4) grants to BIPOC-led groups building long-term advocacy and political power.
Grantee Spotlight - Emgage Action Michigan
A grantee of our Healthy Democracy Action Fund, Emgage Action Michigan educates and mobilizes Muslim American voters to be politically engaged and build their power. Emgage runs voter engagement campaigns, lobbies state and local government, and empowers Muslim communities with the resources and information they need to advocate for their issues, run for office, and elect values-aligned representatives.
In the last year, Emgage’s impactful work to organize and activate their communities garnered historic wins.
“For the first time in history, we had an opportunity to elect the first Muslim American Mayor Abdullah Hammoud in 2021. This win was not only about representation but the story of someone who grew up like us, with the same challenges, and who knew how to serve us,” says Executive Director Nada Al-Hanooti.
“Because it was considered an off year, we had funders tell us there is no money, so we used old t-shirts and spent every single dime on our field engagement work. We knocked on 24,000 doors, and we helped elect the first Muslim American mayor to represent us who will uplift us. So, that was one of the most special moments.”
Emgage Michigan’s organizers speak Arabic and prioritize the diversity of their organizers to be able to reach people of different generations and language fluency from aunties to grandmothers, and naturalized citizens. Moving forward, Emgage aims to win more representation for Muslims in public office, strengthen their infrastructure, and build political power for the communities and families they serve.
Learn more about Emgage’s advocacy work at emgageusa.org/emgage-michigan
Grantee Spotlight - Asian Pacific Islander Political Alliance
The Asian Pacific Islander Political Alliance (API PA) is the first and only statewide political organization by and for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Pennsylvania. Through electoral engagement, policy advocacy and leadership training, API PA is building long-term power for APIs in Pennsylvania and deepening solidarity with other aligned communities of color across the state. With the support from our Healthy Democracy Action Fund, API PA was able to launch culturally competent and linguistically accessible direct voter contact and political persuasion programs.
“Language justice is language access,” says Executive Director Mohan Seshadri. “It’s not just a value of ours or a moral right that our people, as Pennsylvanians and as Americans, deserve to have. It’s also a strategic and tactical necessity when it comes to reaching out to Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.”
In Pennsylvania, 78% of Asians and Pacific Islanders speak a language other than English at home and roughly 1 in 5 of Asian Pacific Islanders speak English less than well or not at all. Being able to meet their language needs is critical to involve more people in political conversations and get them engaged with priority issues, values, and candidates.
Launched in 2020, API PA is a fairly new organization with some great achievements already under their belt. They helped double Asian American turnout and got the highest AAPI turnout in Pennsylvania and U.S history in the 2020 election. Last year, through their statewide c3 coalition table, the AAPI PA Power Caucus, API PA had 1,600 conversations in 15 different languages, asking their communities what they wanted and needed out of state government. Whether it be education, anti-Asian violence and community safety, or climate change and the environment, the Power Caucus has assembled an inclusive issue platform and will support and resource grassroots leaders working on the ground to take action.
To learn more about how API PA is building collective power in Pennsylvania, visit apipennsylvania.org
Grantee Spotlight - Florida Immigration Coalition
Florida Immigration Coalition (FLIC) is a statewide coalition of more than 65 member organizations and over 100 allies working to protect Florida immigrants. One of the grant partners in our Healthy Democracy Action Fund, Florida Immigration Coalition supports organizations that range from LGBTQ advocacy, labor unions, women’s rights, immigrant rights, and faith-based, because immigrants are part of all of these communities.
“The attack on immigrants has gotten to the point that it feels like we are never going to have enough people to help us and support our communities,” says Executive Director Tessa Petit. “In Florida, we have a lot of protection work to do.”
FLIC was founded in 2004; its sister 501c4 organization FLIC Votes was created in 2015 to address the reality that immigration is a political issue that needs a political response. The FLIC team began doing electoral organizing to encourage Black, brown and Latino communities to vote for immigration champions.
Some of the impactful work FLIC has engaged in includes:
Launching a civic engagement continuum plan to support base-building year-round
Growing their capacity with a permanent political director and field director
Canvassing in Miami County in the 2022 electoral season for pro-immigration candidates
Advancing a positive narrative of immigrants in Florida and debunking harmful myths is an essential part of their work, so FLIC is investing in digital strategy and message testing to support a progressive agenda. They are also careful to not treat immigrants as a monolith, recognizing the different countries, languages, and values.
In the next year, FLIC plans to intensify their New American voters campaign to engage the nearly 800,000 legal, permanent residents in Florida by helping them through the naturalization process and registering them to vote once they become U.S. citizens. They are also working on a Driver’s License for All campaign.
To learn more about FLIC, visit floridaimmigrant.org.