Beyond Elections: Investing in Strategic State Alignment

Democracy doesn’t begin or end at the ballot box.

It takes root when people have the voice, choice, and power to shape the decisions that affect their lives — not just during elections, but every day.

That’s the heart of our Resourcing Democracy portfolio—a long-term effort to build lasting power—so communities can stay engaged, organize, and lead long after campaigns end.

Yesterday’s local elections—taking place in towns, counties, and states across the country—reminded us that some of the most meaningful decisions about our future are made closest to home. And with midterm elections now a year away, attention and funding will soon shift toward congressional candidates and campaigns. But building a healthy democracy takes more than winning elections. It requires steady investing in the people, relationships, and organizations that keep communities engaged long after the votes are counted.

That’s why we invest in state and local organizations that work year-round to bring people together to identify problems, develop solutions, and take collective action that improves the daily lives of working people. And it’s why we’re inviting other funders to join us in supporting the conditions for lasting change—rooted in communities, led by lived experience, and designed to outlast any one election cycle.

Building Lasting Power

Across the country, local organizations are working year-round to meet their neighbor’s needs—helping families find housing, supporting immigrant communities, or strengthening local schools. Groups like this—rooted in trust and deep local knowledge of the challenges, opportunities, and people driving change—are the foundation of our Resourcing Democracy strategy.

We’re partnering with leaders in Michigan, Washington, and North Carolina, as well as national networks, to help everyday people come together to shape a fairer future. Our role is simple: to listen, learn, and resource. We don’t set agendas—we invest in our partners’ ability to do so.

Across our priority states, trusted, community-rooted organizations are joining forces around shared goals and long-term priorities through state alignment tables. With multi-year support, they’re strengthening local leadership, identifying challenges, and building the relationships that turn near-term wins into long-term change.

As Megan Hess, Co-Director of We The People Michigan, shared during a recent funder briefing we hosted last month, this kind of deep collaboration is about more than coordination. “It’s about trust,” she said – the kind that allows leaders to move together and deliver shared wins for their communities.

Megan and her co-panelists, Roxana Norouzi, Executive Director of OneAmerica and Jenn Frye, Co-Director of the Carolina Federation, shared why alignment tables are a powerful model for lasting change.

By coordinating across organizations, partners, and coalitions, alignment tables:

• Bring people together across race, class, and experience
• Build trust and foster collaboration across issues and sectors
• Strengthen and sustain strategic partnerships among community-rooted organizations
• Set collective state agendas that deliver tangible results for communities
• Sustain momentum beyond any single election, issue, or policy
• Create the long-term conditions for systems change

Alignment tables ensure that no matter who is in office, communities maintain the power to hold their leaders accountable and shape the future they deserve.

From Election Day to Every Day

Our democracy underpins everything we care about. It is the foundation for strong public schools, safe and stable homes, and real opportunity for every family. Sustaining it requires long-term commitment, not just campaign-season engagement.

By investing in the people and organizations building lasting civic power, we can help ensure our democracy works the way it should—for all of us, every day.

Learn more about our recent Resourcing Democracy grants here.

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