Black Voters Matter Fund

Black Voters Matter Fund
Name	Black Voters Matter Fund
Formation	2017
Founders	LaTosha Brown; Cliff Albright
Type	Nonprofit; 501(c)(4)
Headquarters	Atlanta, Georgia
Region served	Southern United States
Focus	Voter mobilization; civic engagement; policy advocacy

Black Voters Matter Fund is an American nonprofit civic engagement organization founded in 2017 by LaTosha Brown and Cliff Albright. The group focuses on increasing turnout for Black Americans and strengthening voting rights infrastructure, particularly in the Southern United States, while engaging with national civil rights debates involving figures such as John Lewis and institutions like the NAACP. The organization has been active in state-level contests and national campaigns involving actors from the Democratic Party, Republican Party, and civil society actors including the Southern Poverty Law Center.

History

The organization was established in the aftermath of debates surrounding the 2016 United States presidential election, building on grassroots activism linked to movements inspired by events like the protests after the 2014 shooting of Michael Brown and the organizing traditions of the Civil Rights Movement epitomized by leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. and groups like the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. Founders LaTosha Brown and Cliff Albright drew on prior experience with organizations including BlackPAC and collaborations with advocacy networks such as Color of Change and the Working Families Party. Early activities intersected with legal and legislative fights over the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and responses to decisions such as the Shelby County v. Holder Supreme Court ruling.

Mission and Activities

The group's stated mission emphasizes voter registration and turnout, ballot access, and capacity-building for local Black-led organizations in states like Georgia (U.S. state), Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, and Mississippi. Programs have included get-out-the-vote drives, canvassing in partnership with community organizations like the Brave New Voices network, training for local leaders reminiscent of workshops run by institutions such as the Southern Conference Educational Fund, and targeted efforts around federal contests including the United States Senate runoffs. Activities have intersected with policy debates before bodies such as the United States Congress and advocacy coalitions including Fair Fight Action.

Organizational Structure and Leadership

Leadership centers on co-founders LaTosha Brown and Cliff Albright, who have engaged with national figures including Stacey Abrams and Bernie Sanders while operating within a network of partner organizations such as the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and state-level groups like the Georgia Empowerment Coalition. The Fund operates as a 501(c)(4) advocacy entity alongside related entities structured as 501(c)(3) nonprofits and political action organizations, reflecting models similar to organizations like Priorities USA and America Votes. Local field directors and state organizers coordinate with labor groups such as the AFL–CIO and civic institutions like Historically Black Colleges and Universities including Spelman College and Morehouse College.

Political Advocacy and Campaigns

The organization has conducted high-profile campaigns during the 2020 United States presidential election, the 2020–21 United States Senate special election in Georgia, and subsequent state legislative battles over election administration involving actors such as Brian Kemp and Kemp Administration officials. Campaign tactics have included ballot assistance, legal observation in collaboration with groups like Common Cause and Brennan Center for Justice, and protests aligned with broader movements that engaged leaders like Michelle Obama and commentators such as Ta-Nehisi Coates. The Fund has often endorsed or mobilized voters in races contested by candidates from the Democratic Party and has opposed measures supported by figures associated with the Republican Party when those measures affect turnout.

Funding and Financials

Funding sources have included individual donors, major philanthropic foundations with interests in civic engagement similar to the Ford Foundation and Open Society Foundations, and grants coordinated through donor networks akin to those supporting Black-led nonprofits and grassroots infrastructure. As a 501(c)(4), its disclosed financial filings reflect expenditures on advocacy and field operations rather than direct campaign contributions, akin to reporting practices of organizations such as Planned Parenthood Action Fund and EMILY's List. Fiscal transparency discussions have referenced federal and state reporting systems including filings with the Internal Revenue Service and public disclosures tracked by watchdogs like ProPublica and the Center for Public Integrity.

Controversies and Criticism

Critics have scrutinized the organization's relationships with national donors, emphasizing debates comparable to those involving groups like Priorities USA and raising questions about the balance between grassroots autonomy and external funding reminiscent of critiques levied at Avaaz and other transnational advocacy networks. Legal and political opponents have challenged tactics in state electoral disputes similar to controversies surrounding groups like Common GroundUSA and have clashed with state officials such as secretaries of state in Georgia (U.S. state), prompting media coverage in outlets like The New York Times and The Washington Post. Supporters counter that critiques frequently echo long-standing tensions between local organizers and national funders historically seen in episodes involving Community Organizing leaders such as Saul Alinsky-inspired coalitions.

Category:Nonprofit organizations based in Atlanta