Alliance Updates

Updates from the national headquarters at the Alliance for Youth Action

All Youth Organizers Do is Win Read our 2022 Annual Report

Welcome to the new status quo where all youth organizers do is win. We are unveiling our 2022 Annual Report, reflecting on the amazing wins in the Alliance Network, and giving youth organizers their flowers. 

Last year we carried out our work with a vibrant, state-focused lens, and it paid off! We witnessed the power of young people leading the way toward a pro-democracy society, demonstrating what’s possible when they are empowered and supported. With progressive wins across the nation the path forward is clear: When young people have support and resources, we all win.

Join us in celebrating a year of success where youth organizers faced historical odds against them yet continued to build community, strengthen our movement, and transform the electoral landscape. 

Check Out Our 2022 Annual Report

Highlights from Our 2022 Report

One of the Alliance Network’s most significant challenges this year was returning to traditional on-the-ground organizing after adapting to adjusted tactics in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Even while navigating this challenge, the Alliance Network built one of the country’s most effective youth-led civic engagement movements. 

Let’s take a look at 2022 by the numbers. 

Youth Organizing Made Headlines

Starting this year with new leadership, a strategic plan, and a midterm election on the horizon, it was imperative to continue building relationships with the press and media to strengthen the argument that youth organizing is the key to the youth vote. Here are just some of our biggest hits from the press recognizing the Alliance Network’s local youth-led organizing as essential to significant historical moments at the national level:

In January, our sister organization, Alliance for Youth Organizing, collaborated with Civiqs to conduct a nationwide survey of young voters ages 17 to 39 from across the political spectrum. We asked how they feel about the country’s future, what policies the Biden Administration should prioritize, how they plan to engage leading up to the midterm election, and more. TIME highlighted that young people under 40 are increasingly influential with each passing election and would be a decisive electoral force in the midterms.

One of President Biden’s campaign promises was to cancel at least $10,000 of each American’s student debt. More than a year into his presidency, Biden still needed to act on this key promise. This piece from USA Today featured our poll data, quotes from Alliance ED, Dakota Hall, and Rachael Collyer from the Ohio Student Association, who advocate on the issue of student debt and college affordability.

When a draft opinion leaked that the Supreme Court could overturn Roe v. Wade, Executive Directors and senior leaders in the Alliance Network who had been issue organizing around abortion access for years were interviewed by NPR’s Juana Summers about how this would galvanize the youth vote in November.

Alliance Network organizations were featured in this Teen Vogue  piece about how youth-led organizations focus on policy issues, address peoples’ day-to-day needs year-round, and register young people to vote.

Ahead of the 2022 midterms, Dakota Hall joined Gen Z For Change’s Sofia Ongele, climate and racial justice advocate Isra Hirsi, and voting rights activist Charlie Bonner to discuss voting, why getting involved locally is crucial to affect real change, and more with MTV!

Dakota Hall returned to The Young Turks’ program, The Conversation, to discuss the impact young voters had on the midterm elections with Adrienne Lawrence.

Building Strong and Sustainable Organizations

Network Program Retreat – In June, we hosted the Alliance Network Program Retreat in New Mexico to bring together senior staff from the network who are hard at work leading local youth vote efforts. Staff, whose roles primarily focus on on-the-ground electoral and issue organizing in their communities, came together in-person to strengthen their 2022 program plans ahead of election season. Topics ranged from how to set realistic field goals and how to run a digital ad program to how to level up your communications strategy.

Alliance Network Cohort Spaces – The Alliance cohorts provide a space for

communications, program, operations, data, and development peers to build community, work through challenges, learn from one another, and be trained by experts. In 2022, the Alliance hosted more than 30 different cohort events, trainings, and workshops for network staff to attend and learn from. Here are just a few examples of the trainings and sessions offered last year:

  • The Communications Cohort hosted a press and media panel of journalists and producers to teach communications staffers the most effective tactics for pitching stories and building relationships with the press.
  • The Program Cohort discussed upcoming election plans, such as how to keep canvassers safe in the field, assess risk, and support field teams to succeed in meeting their goals.
  • The Development Cohort talked about event planning. Network organizations presented their most successful fundraising events including happy hours, astrology and cocktail workshops, cookie classes, and annual celebrations. Putting the fun in fundraising.
  • The Operations Cohort reviewed and discussed topics such as business insurance, brought in outside legal counsel to go over employment law basics, and worked with our Finance and Development departments to go over budgeting and fundraising.
  • The Data Cohort hosted a VAN Audit workshop where teams from across the network came and worked through a set of record-cleaning and organizing steps on their EveryAction and VAN committees to improve their data infrastructure and have their databases better reflect their organizing.

Monthly Member Competition – At the Alliance, grassroots and sustainable funding is our jam. The network Monthly Member Competition made a return for an eighth year, and of course, the network killed it! This program encourages the growth of monthly donor programs, which results in a sustainable source of funding that organizations can count on. Network organizations gained monthly dollars and unlocked grants from the Alliance for reaching important benchmarks and being standouts in parts of the competition.

11 network organizations participated, here are some of the results: 

  • $37,456.61 total raised per year
  • $3,121.38 monthly dollars
  • 217 new monthly donors recruited
  • $60,000 in Alliance grants awarded

These successes would not have been possible without the efforts of youth organizers, staff, Board members, and a wide range of supporters, partners, and friends. Together, we will continue to build a world in which young people have the power to effect change and create a better future where we can all thrive.

We can’t wait to see what the Alliance Network will accomplish together as we rebuild and revitalize our movement. Thank you for being a part of the Alliance’s success!

Support the Alliance Network through another year of smashing goals and breaking records by donating! This work would not be possible without support from activists across the country like you! Help us organize, build power, and win on the progressive issues our generation cares about most with a donation today. 

Donate

Stay connected with the Alliance Network by joining one of our email lists, and following us on social media. 

How the Alliance Network Fights for Trans Youth

Friday, March 31st is International Transgender Day of Visibility, a day dedicated to celebrating transgender people while also examining the discrimination that trans folks face daily. This year especially, we have seen an influx in anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ bills brought to legislature nationwide. As more of these hateful bills arise, the Alliance Network continues to fight against the attacks on trans youth and their freedoms.

While we know it can be tiring facing off against hate, young people continue to show determination and resilience. To honor the contributions of trans people, and the youth organizers opposing these bills face-to-face with legislators determined to prohibit the rights and freedoms of the trans community, we want to show some extra love to the Alliance Network orgs doing this work in their state legislative sessions this year. 

Trans Advocacy in the Alliance Network

Youth organizers at Minnesota Youth Collective (MNYC) are working to pass HF146 and SF63—otherwise known as the Trans Refuge Bills. These bills would protect trans people and their families from legal repercussions of traveling to Minnesota for gender-affirming care, effectively making Minnesota a refuge state for trans people! 

HF146 and SF63 not only protect those coming to Minnesota, but they will make gender-affirming healthcare accessible and equitable. 

MNYC organizers are working to show that young people in their state want Minnesota to be a place of healing, and a place where anyone can be themselves, safely and authentically. MNYC is submitting a letter of support along with over 1500 petition signatures to the Chief Author in the Minnesota Senate to help shape the conversation and demonstrate the power of Minnesota youth.

Meanwhile, Montana is facing a heavy slate of anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ+ bills this legislative session. Here are just a few of the discriminatory bills Forward Montana organizers are actively opposing:

SB 99– a bill that would prohibit gender-affirming medical care for minors and prevent public employees from supporting a minor’s social transition. 

HB 359–Representative Braxton Mitchell’s bill to ban minors from attending drag shows. 

HB 361, a bill that would allow students to misgender and dead-name other students with no disciplinary repercussions.

In early February, Izzy Milch, Forward Montana’s Senior Advocacy Manager, live-tweeted the hearing for HB 359 which included testimony from Chloe, one of Forward Montana’s organizers!

Back in January Forward Montana gathered volunteers who made over 300 calls and sent nearly 1,000 texts urging Montanans to voice their opposition to this bill and other anti-trans legislation.

You can find a full breakdown of updates on queer & trans rights in the Montana legislative session on Forward Montana’s blog, “What The Helena”.

This month, New Hampshire Youth Movement (NHYM) has opposed some of the most harmful bills for trans youth they’ve seen hit the State House this year. 

If passed, HB 10 would allow parents to object to a broad range of LGBTQ+ materials in public schools, and require teachers to immediately notify parents or guardians if their child desires to use new pronouns or a new name in class. 

HB 619 would ban gender-affirming care for minors, ban teaching of gender identity in public schools, and would re-legalize conversion therapy by changing its legal definition.

HB 417– this bill would designate gender affirming care for minors as “abuse” under New Hampshire state law. 

SB 272 would force schools into a surveillance and reporting role–it requires teachers to notify parents or guardians if their child joins a club, sees a counselor, or modifies their gender expression. 

In response to these bills, NHYM and partners gathered over 200 people on Tuesday, March 7th, at the New Hampshire State House to support trans lives while various House and Senate committees heard several anti-trans bills.

Over in the Kansas legislature, Loud Light is opposing a couple of anti-trans bills in addition to a trans sports ban. 

HB 2238, while vetoed by the Kansas Governor, will still go to one last vote to sustain the veto. If passed, this bill will prohibit transgender girls in K-12 schools and colleges from playing sports. In early March, Loud Light organizer Donnavan Dillon testified on his experiences competing with athletes across the gender identity spectrum, opposing the trans sports ban.

HB 2263, another bill Loud Light is actively opposing, would allow individuals who receive gender-affirming health care to sue the physician who provided the care and revoke medical licenses of physicians who provide medically necessary, life-saving care to Kansas youth.

SB 180 – Legally defines “biological sex” in terms related to the ability to procreate, and excludes transgender and intersex individuals from the ability to access sex-segregated spaces such as bathrooms, domestic violence shelters, rape crisis centers and more.

Loud Light organizers are continuing the fight to allow trans youth in Kansas the freedom to be who they are by hosting statewide virtual phone banks to protect trans rights with their community partners. 

Other Alliance Network orgs working on transgender and LGBTQ+ issues in their legislative sessions are Engage Miami and Virginia Student Power Network.

Engage Miami just sent some of their team down to Tallahassee to participate in their Dade Days event which allows young people in Miami-Dade county to meet and bring their needs directly to their state’s decision-makers. This week they attended hearings, spoke with legislators, and worked with partners to fight for equity in education, reproductive rights, gun safety, voting rights, renter protections, and protection of trans and queer youth.

Virginia Student Power Network (VSPN) also did some trans advocacy work before the Virginia legislative session wrapped up in February. VSPN strongly opposed HB1387, which would amend a section of the Code of Virginia that would prevent transgender student athletes in K-12 schools and higher education institutions from participating in team sports based on their gender identity.

If you’re looking for ways to support Alliance Network organizations doing trans advocacy this year, see what Minnesota Youth Collective, Forward Montana, New Hampshire Youth Movement, Loud Light, Engage Miami, and Virginia Student Power Network are up to on social media!

Young People Fight to be Student Debt-Free in 2023

Student debt is once again proving to be a hot-button issue for young people in this country. This week the US Supreme Court began hearing arguments on Biden’s blocked federal student loan forgiveness plan.

If you’re just now catching up on the latest in federal student debt forgiveness, here’s a quick refresher on what’s happening: 

  • On Wednesday, August 24th, 2022, President Biden announced his plans for canceling student debt. The program included $20,000 of federal student loan forgiveness for Pell Grant recipients and $10,000 for non-recipients. 
  • The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit (led by six Republican-led states) has issued an injunction that is currently blocking the student loan forgiveness program from being carried out. Many applicants who have already been approved still have yet to see a dollar of forgiveness through Biden’s plan. 
  • In response to this injunction, the student loan payment pause will extend until the U.S. Department of Education is permitted to implement the debt relief program or the litigation is resolved–payments will restart 60 days later. Suppose the debt relief program has not been implemented and the litigation has not been resolved by June 30th. In that case, payments will resume 60 days after that. 

For any questions you may have, or actions you can take now, check out these resources from our friends and allies at Student Debt Crisis Center and the Student Borrower Protection Center.

People’s Rally for Student Debt Cancellation

On Tuesday, February 28th, hundreds of student debt activists from across the country gathered outside the United States Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. The Alliance team joined around 30 students from Ohio Student Association at the Supreme Court to rally in support of Biden’s plan to cancel up to $20K in federal student loan debt.

Check out highlights from the rally on the Alliance Twitter!

While we continue fighting for debt relief, we must remember the real stories of individuals behind the $1.7 trillion of student loan debt held by borrowers in this country.

We spoke with two student organizers with Ohio Student Association at the rally in front of the Supreme Court to understand what debt relief would mean to them. Hear what they had to say over on the Alliance Instagram.

Watch on Instagram

Student Debt Work in the Alliance Network

Student loan borrowers hold $1.7 trillion in student loan debt in this country. This is a student debt crisis. While we continue fighting for debt relief, we must remember that the fight does not end here. We need a massive reset and sweeping reform to ensure our young people are not buried under unconquerable debt that holds them back simply because they chose to seek higher education. This means transforming the student loan program to mitigate future student debt and making public colleges and universities free and accessible to all students. 

Advocating for education debt relief has been a pillar of Alliance Affiliate, Ohio Student Association’s work since day one. Some of their recent efforts include a roundtable with Sherrod Brown where members shared their student debt stories, and traveling to DC to take on roles in the “Pick Up the Pen, Joe!” protest in the spring of 2022! 

In addition to their work around debt relief, OSA has been advocating to help build a vehicle for people impacted by the crumbling public education system so they can get the power to transform that system to fit their needs. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, they petitioned and won a refund of housing and meal plan costs for the Spring 2020 semester for their Central State University chapter and an extra $1,000 from the CARES Act. Some of their other education work includes working with Honesty for Ohio Education to hold testimony workshops that empower young people to advocate for a fair and honest presentation of history and concepts in school in the state legislature. 

Stay up-to-date with the rest of the Alliance Network’s fight for economic justice by joining our email list! Select your Alliance Squad today to receive email updates tailored to the issues you care about the most. 

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How Three Alliance Network Orgs Are Engaging in the Legislative Session

Young people turned out in big numbers across the country for the midterm elections. Now, youth organizers in the Alliance Network plan to finish the job by holding elected officials accountable to young people. 

Alliance Network organizers are deep into their legislative sessions, and we’re excited to share what they’ve been up to! We asked Alliance staff members to share what legislative work in the network they’re most excited about Here is what they had to say…

Virginia Student Power Network

With the state of Virginia’s legislative session wrapping up this week, we are highlighting Virginia Student Power Network’s (VSPN) work to push back against state legislation that could potentially be harmful to students and young people across the state. 

VSPN is strongly opposing HB1387, which would amend a section of the Code of Virginia that would prevent transgender student athletes in K-12 schools and higher education institutions from participating in team sports based on their gender identity. 

VSPN is also working to protect students and prevent law enforcement from having a presence in schools. SB920 would create a new classification of armed law enforcement in elementary and secondary schools in Virginia called “School Protection Officers.” 

Youth organizers at VSPN are also working to shut down a bill that would create more opportunities for law enforcement officers to interact with drivers by lifting the state’s ban on pretextual stops–which would allow police to stop drivers for things like a missing light on their license plate or driving with a brake light out. Harmful legislation like this gives police more power and creates more opportunities for people to interact with law enforcement.

Despite the amount of defensive work happening this session, VSPN has so much to be proud of! They’ve successfully fought back on anti-abortion legislation in their state, and are fighting hard in support of SB1523, a bill that would offer a pathway for those incarcerated with marijuana-related crimes to be resentenced or have their sentence vacated.

Virginia Student Power Network is persistent on wrapping this legislative session up on a high note as they continue to stand up for students and young people in their state this legislative session and beyond!

Virginia Student Power Network

Chicago Votes

Chicago Votes is advocating for voters impacted by the legal system under their initiative Unlock Civics. This program breaks down the barriers set up by the legal system to prevent these folks from participating in our democracy. 

In 2019, Chicago Votes successfully advocated for legislation that requires county jails and election officials to ensure citizens who are in jail awaiting trial can cast their ballot during elections, and ensures those released from custody are provided voter registration and voting rights information. Recently, the Chicago Votes team dropped off thousands of municipal voter guides at the Cook County Jail.

Chicago Votes also helped pass legislation that requires every person leaving the prison system receive civic education classes. In 2021, this program was expanded to require that the Department of Juvenile Justice provide a civics education workshop to youth leaving the system.

Photo from Chicago Votes on Twitter

This year, Chicago Votes is fighting to restore voting rights to people currently in the prison system. Since 2020, they’ve been advocating for the “Voting in Prison” bill which would restore voting rights to people incarcerated in Illinois, post conviction. If passed, this would make Illinois the first state to restore voting rights to people in prison, making it one of just a few places in the US that allow incarcerated citizens to vote. Chicago Votes is working for this bill to pass this year to give roughly 35,000 more people in Illinois the power to vote in time for the 2024 elections.

The Washington Bus

The Washington Bus has been advocating for issues important to young people at the state and local levels for over a decade! And, this year, youth organizers at Washington Bus are taking their democracy work to the next level.

Youth organizers are pushing for pro-voter policies like removing the driver’s license requirement to register online, and advocating to be the first in the country to enfranchise 16 and 17-year-olds to vote in state races. 

At the local level, Seattle voters get to use Democracy Vouchers to direct public financing to candidates they support. This year, WA Bus is advocating to expand this program to statewide races, allowing all voters to have a say in where their money goes!

Washington Bus also advocates for ranked choice voting for presidential primaries, which would give voters a better opportunity to choose candidates who best represent their values. Washington Bus is working to reimagine a democracy that is more innovative, accessible, and equitable for their community! All of these policies are possible when young people have a seat at the table. 

The Washington Bus

The Work on the Inside

The Alliance staff provides youth organizers and senior leadership staff in the network with the opportunity to build community with other Alliance Network staffers in our cohort spaces. To kick off the year, we gathered the Communications Cohort, Data Cohort, and the Program Cohort to talk about navigating their legislative sessions. Attendees shared how they’re navigating the legislative session, teams completed a narrative building exercise, and we shared resources for rapid-response work and data tracking!

Stay tuned for more updates from us on the work happening across the network and behind-the-scenes at the Alliance. Want to receive these updates via email? Join the Alliance Allies list today and get the inside scoop on how we’re supporting our network this year through strategic planning and capacity building. 

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Black History Black Futures

Happy Black History Month, or as we like to call it, Black Futures Month!

Young Black people have always been at the forefront of social change in our nation. And the Black youth leaders in the Alliance Network are no different. From expanding voting access, to protecting abortion access, to fighting for economic justice in their communities, the young Black leaders in our network are paving the way to a brighter future every single day.

To celebrate Black history and Black futures, we asked Black leaders in the Alliance Network to share with us who inspires them and what legacy they want to leave behind for future generations. 

Take a look at what they all had to say 👇🏽

Karanja Matory, Mississippi Votes

Who is a Black youth organizer in history that inspired you?

Kwame Ture, formerly known as Stokley Carmichael is someone that has inspired me. He is important for anyone to know for the contributions he’s made to the black power movement.

What do you want to be your legacy? How is the work you’re doing now building to that legacy?

For my legacy, I just want to be able to add to the work that’s already been done and make a better Mississippi. The work I’m doing now is setting me up to help lead and develop the next group of young folks that’ll be able to add to what I envision which is change and more progressive mindset people to be on the forefront for  Mississippi. 

Jay Beck, MOVE Texas

Who is a Black youth organizer in history that inspired you?

Amariyanna “Mari” Copeny, also known as Little Miss Flint, inspires me. It is inspiring to see how powerfully Amariyanna organizes her community in the face of systemic challenges designed to disproportionately threaten black communities and the promise of black joy.

What do you want to be your legacy? How is the work you’re doing now building to that legacy?

I want my legacy to be having fostered connection through kindness, understanding, and humor. I’m working towards my legacy by inspiring actions rooted in solidarity and continuing to lead with joy in the face of challenges and hardships.

Carmel Pryor, Alliance for Youth Action

Who is a Black youth organizer in history that inspired you?

My Grandma Lucy’s activism back in the day inspired me to do what I do now. From marching on Washington with Dr. King to local organizing in Cleveland, Ohio, my grandma’s stories of fighting back against racism during the Civil Rights Movement instilled in me the importance of seeking justice and striving to be seen as “one of the helpers.” 

What do you want to be your legacy? How is the work you’re doing now building to that legacy?

I believe in the power of art, media, and technology to be a catalyst in tackling the social injustice issues of our time. And I want my legacy to reflect the creativity and skills I use in communications and artmaking to move Black people, particularly queer Black youth, towards liberation. 

Briyana Joseph, Engage Miami

Who is a Black youth organizer in history that inspired you?

John Lewis is a Black youth organizer in history that has inspired me beyond measure. During my first year organizing with Engage Miami, I read “March” a three-book graphic-novel series that’s basically a memoir of his life. Learning about his role in the Civil Rights Movement,  the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), and the impact of young activists in the movement taught me so much about youth’s power. The lessons I learned from reading “March” grounded me and continue to drive me as I do this work and a bonus was, I got to meet him!

What do you want to be your legacy? How is the work you’re doing now building to that legacy?

When I become an ancestor I hope people say, “Bri, was for the community and she wasn’t afraid to get in good trouble.”  The work I’m doing now to build that legacy looks like having conversations with young people on college campuses to register them to vote, inform them about their local elections, and help them develop their knowledge, skills, and confidence around local civics so that they can organize their communities around the issues they care about. Outside of working with Engage Miami, I am on the board of an organization that is fighting for housing justice in Miami-Dade County and South Florida, which is the issue most near and dear to my heart.

Lyla Brown, Forward Montana

Who is a Black youth organizer in history that inspired you?

Brea Baker inspires me, and she is the voice I needed while I was growing up. She is still organizing and is a writer, who speaks about the current world that we live in, and her words are so meaningful to me. It is incredible to see other young people out doing the work and using her voice for us.

What do you want to be your legacy? How is the work you’re doing now building to that legacy?

I hope that when people think of me, they think of someone that would show up no matter what with warmth, intention, and care. I want to live in a world where Black women are not expected to show up and be ready to fight every day of their lives, but in a world that values the softness and strength that we bring with us every day.

Eliana Reed, Alliance for Youth Action

Who is a Black youth organizer in history that inspired you?

Angela Davis is the first person that comes to mind. I had the opportunity to see her speak on my college campus when I was 20, and hearing from her really impacted me. It made me so incredibly proud to be Black, especially being on a PWI campus, and I realized that even someone like me could join the fight to better the quality of life for our community.

What do you want to be your legacy? How is the work you’re doing now building to that legacy?

I do this work because I want a world where everyone knows how easy it is to be a piece of the puzzle that is changemaking. Whether your action is small or big, it takes all of us to make the change we want to see, and the longer I’ve been doing this work the more I’ve seen people actually believe that. I want people to remember me as a friend, a sister, a daughter, or a colleague who was a piece of the puzzle that made our world better.

Young People – We Get the Job Done

Earlier this week, President Biden addressed the nation with a second State of the Union speech since taking office in 2020. If you missed out on the speech, the Alliance team reacted on social media all evening long with our SOTU BINGO and live tweets. Catch up on our social channels now!

During this year’s State of the Union address, Biden celebrated creating new jobs, passing a slate of bipartisan legislation, and seeing falling inflation rates. Among other things, Biden also promised to veto any abortion bans passed by Congress, highlighted the importance of fighting to keep our democracy strong, and shared plans to rebuild America’s middle class. But the biggest takeaway from the President’s address was that America has the tools to be better, we just need to finish the job.

It’s a tale as old as time. Youth organizers have always been the backbone of progress in this country, and 2023 is already shaping up to be a big year for change at the local and state levels. The Alliance Network isn’t sleeping on this opportunity, we’re here to finish the job. 

On the heels of President Biden’s State of the Union address, we wanted to share a glimpse of what issue organizing will look like on the ground in a big year for legislation and state budgeting. Here’s how Alliance youth organizers are creating progressive people power at the local and state levels to get the job done and change their communities.

Jump To…

Democracy & Voting Rights

Reproductive Rights & Abortion Access

Economic Justice

Engaging in State Budgets

Democracy & Voting Rights

Mississippi Votes

Mississippi Votes and their partners are working to pass legislation that would reinstate the ballot initiative process with more detailed language around the number of congressional districts, and number of signatures required to petition an initiative. 

They’re also working on passing legislation that would allow for Electronic Absentee Voting for college students. This would give students the accessibility to cast their vote on laptops or computers, essentially creating the space to vote anywhere on campus with internet access. 

Detroit Action 

Organizers at Detroit Action are working to identify a number of upgrades to Michigan’s automatic voter registration law, created by PTV18. Some of these upgrades include pre-registration of 16-year-olds via Automatic Voter Registration (AVR), tribal AVR that would allow Michigan’s American Indian nations to opt-in collectively to a process for AVR of their citizens, and upgrades to the DMV process to maximize registration rates among eligible voters. 

Loud Light

Over in Kansas, Loud Light has grown into the lead advocate on voting rights in their state. This year, they’re leading coalition calls, creating talking points, lobbying for and against bills, and organizing testimonies at the Legislature. 

Loud Light is also continuing with lawsuits against voter suppression bills. This year, they plan to push back against a bill that would remove the ability for students to use student IDs to vote.

MOVE Texas

In 2021, Texans faced a power-hungry state leadership more focused on limiting the freedom to vote than working to be accountable to the people. In 2023, MOVE Texas is calling on the Texas Legislature to Get Sh*t Done and will organize young Texans to apply the pressure for electeds to pass policies that reflect their values and fight against policies that violate them.

The Washington Bus

Washington has a fresh slate of voting rights legislation this session that our friends at The Washington Bus are fighting for. SB 5208 would make online voter registration accessible to people without drivers licenses, SB 5112 contains several enhancements to the state’s automatic voter registration won in 2018. HB 1755 would expand the Democracy Voucher Program to allow everyday people to have political power by strengthening their voice and providing every eligible Washingtonian with vouchers to give to the candidate(s) of their choice in their district. 

Reproductive Rights & Abortion Access

New Era Colorado

In 2023, the New Era Colorado team will be engaging their base young people and campus leaders to build youth advocacy power around their The Brazen Project work that includes introducing legislation to regulate anti-abortion centers and their deceptive practices including false advertising.

Economic Justice

Next Up

Next Up is a part of the 2023 Fair Shot for All coalition, a group working to champion an agenda that prioritizes racial, gender, and economic justice during the 2023 Oregon State Legislative Session. Their priorities include Indigenous language justice, reproductive & gender justice, and creating stable homes for Oregon families. 

Minnesota Youth Collective

Youth organizers in Minnesota are working on housing policy on the state level this year. Minnesota Youth Collective is working in coalition to draft a policy around a statewide tenant bill of rights. They’re also working to strengthen the St. Paul rent control efforts as the city government continues to try and weaken them.

Engaging in State Budgets

2023 is a budget year for many of our network states. Here’s how some Alliance organizers plan on engaging with their state’s budget process:

Leaders Igniting Transformation 

Black and Brown youth organizers in Wisconsin will be engaging with the state budget process to ensure they have a voice in the decision making, especially around higher education funding. LIT also plans on hosting another Lobby Day in connection to the budget process to support equitable funding for k-12 public schools and affordability and accessibility of higher education.

Engage Miami

Engage Miami is building power with the Young People Policy Priorities Platform, kicking off this month! This is a budgetary campaign that will have a big focus on reimagining libraries in Miami.

Ohio Student Association 

Ohio youth organizers have a huge slate of higher education-related priorities for this year’s state budget process including restructuring the Ohio College Opportunity Grant so it can be used for expenses beyond tuition and fees, stopping schools from withholding transcripts to leverage payment of fees, and getting the Ohio Attorney General out of the business of collecting student debt.

New Hampshire Youth Movement

This year, New Hampshire Youth Movement will mobilize members to advocate for a progressive state budget. The state’s original abortion ban was passed through the last state budget so youth involvement in this year’s budget will be critical for protecting abortion access and other progressive policies.

NHYM is also focusing on growing their base to educate young people about the legislative process and mobilizing them to civically engage by supporting or opposing bills via sign-ins, testimonies, and outreach to elected officials. 

Stay connected with the Alliance because we’ve got plenty more to come in areas like affordable housing, LGBTQ+ advocacy, climate justice, marijuana decriminalization, ending policing in schools, Indigenous and tribal advocacy, and restorative justice. Stay connected with the Alliance via email by using this form to choose your Alliance Squad. And, of course, make sure you’re following us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!

2023 State of the Union: The Issues Young People Want Biden to Address

It’s that time of the year again! President Biden will address the nation on Tuesday, February 7th at 9pm ET with his second State of the Union speech. If you’re viewing live, join the Alliance Team for a bit of fun with our State of the Union BINGO!

We’ll also be live-reacting over on Twitter all evening so don’t miss out! Be sure to follow the Alliance on all of our social channels.

The youth vote was essential to many progressive wins we saw in the midterms, so we’ll be tuning in to ensure that President Biden is aligned with the issues and values we voted for in 2022. While we have seen some success thus far into Biden’s term, a lot still needs to be addressed before we head back into another general election year. Tonight, young voters will be eagerly waiting to hear Biden’s vision for addressing issues important to us as we enter the second half of his presidential term. 

Here are some of the issues Alliance Network youth organizers work on 365 days a year that  we hope Biden will address tonight: 

  • Voting rights
  • Abortion access
  • Economic justice
  • Restorative justice
  • Policing
  • Student debt
  • Climate action

Don’t forget to tune into the Alliance’s digital platforms later this week for a more in-depth look into the Alliance Network’s local organizing work across the country this year.

✨We see greatness in our future…

Happy New Year, Alliance Fam! 

We are kicking off 2023 by taking a glimpse into our future here at the Alliance. We have so much in store for our youth organizers all across the network.

At the Alliance, we don’t believe in off-years. This year, Alliance Network Organizations are diving deep into their work at the local level. Now is the time to connect with and civically engage more young people, and hold the officials elected last year accountable now that they’re in office. 

Take a glimpse into what some of your favorite Alliance programs are going to look like this year!

This Year We’re Manifesting…

Strengthening Democracy 

This year, the Alliance Network is dedicated to protecting young people’s access to the ballot box. We are diving deep into fighting for voting rights at the local and state level and launching a new democracy cohort pilot program.

The Alliance Network engages young people in democracy reform advocacy that varies across the network. The issues our network organize around include fair redistricting, expanding Vote By Mail (VBM), voting rights restoration, lowering the voting age, defending against anti-voter legislation, defending and expanding access to vote for college students, educating voters on recent changes, and election protection. 

While many Alliance Network organizations have won on these issues, there’s still plenty of work to be done across the network to ensure young people can thrive in a democracy that is done right. This year we’re calling on all the artists in our network to shine a light on how they’re advancing democracy in the communities through our first-ever Democracy Done Right zine!

Our new Advocacy Director, Kayla Rivera, will take the lead on a new democracy cohort pilot program that will support six network organizations- Chicago Votes, Forward Montana, New Era Colorado, Detroit Action, Engage Miami, and Mississippi Votes- in launching or advancing a democracy advocacy program. Within this program, the Alliance will provide capacity-building services to the cohort around organizing training, materials, and templates related to advocacy work, ongoing strategic consultation, campaign development support, and financial resources (as we can raise).

Who is able to access the ballot and how in 2024 will be determined in state legislative chambers across the country in 2023, and the Alliance is stepping up to ensure everyone is involved in our Democracy.

Want to learn more about how youth organizers are fighting to protect our democracy? Sign up to stay updated on the latest in democracy from the Alliance.

Learn More About How the Alliance Network is Protecting & Defending Democracy

Investing in Political Homes for Young People

A major element of the work we do at the Alliance is supporting the grassroots organizations that make up the Alliance Network. We believe that investing in organizations led by young people will pave the way for a brighter future of leaders from the next generation. Doing this work as a young organizational leader isn’t easy, so the Alliance provides capacity building support from every angle to make sure young leaders in the network can flourish.

This year, we’re also excited to host an in-person network-wide conference to continue building the skills young leaders need to build youth power in their states! If you like seeing how we build youth power across the network, join the Alliance Allies email list! This year we’re sharing more exclusive updates via email on our Strategic Roadmap, and giving you more insight into our capacity building work happening behind-the-scenes.

Become an Alliance Ally

Hear From the Network

We asked youth organizers in the Alliance Network what they are excited about this year. From passing progressive policies to reaching more young people, our network has some big plans for 2023. Check out what they said on our Instagram!

As always, we’re so grateful to have you along with us on this journey to grow the progressive power of young people across the country. We know that by investing in powerful young leaders and strengthening the capacity of their organizations, we’re changing our communities for the better. Here’s to building the most progressive and diverse leadership America has ever seen!

Our year, Wrapped.

In case you missed it, the Alliance did a lot of awesome work this year! Here is a recap of everything that made this a year to remember.

Young people made the difference this year, and we can’t lose momentum. Growing the progressive people-power in our communities is a year-round job, and now is not the time to sit back. Join us to #PowerProgress for the future! Now through the end of 2022, your donation will be matched by our friends at Democratizing Philanthropy Project! 

I Want my Donation Matched

Jump To…

Fueling Civic Engagement

  • Civics Holidays
  • Democracy Done Right Week of Action
  • Youth FTW
  • Democracy Debut
  • 2022 Midterm Elections

Tackling Student Debt Crisis

  • Dreams Not Debt Week of Action
  • Student Debt Rally at the Dept. of Education
  • Biden’s Student Debt Announcement

Deepening Network Engagement

  • Youth Organizer Spotlights
  • Network Program Retreat
  • Monthly Membership Competition
  • Embed Program

Making Headlines

  • Polling
  • Top Press Hits

Fueling Civic Engagement

Civic Holidays

Before starting the holiday season, let’s take a look back at our favorite holidays: the Civic Holidays. Nobody does civic celebrations like the Alliance Network. From National Voter Registration Day to Election Hero Day, Alliance organizers turned up and turned out various events, digital campaigns, and educational programs to get more young people ready to vote in this year’s midterms.

Read More

Democracy Done Right Week of Action

Young people turn out to vote in record numbers despite attempts to silence their voices because they believe in a Democracy Done Right. This campaign is all about creating a reality where more people participate in our democracy, and have protected, easy access to the ballot. This year, we amplified Democracy Done Right through a week of voter rights actions.

Take Action
Read More

Youth For the Win: A Livestream Event

On September 21st, we gathered young movement leaders from across the network for panel discussions on the powerful role the Gen-Z and Millennial voting bloc would play in this year’s midterm elections. We were joined by activist Tiffany Dena Loftin, indie pop band The Aces, and journalist Paola Ramos along with live performances from DJ Saint Cedes and DJ Searchlight.

Read More

Democracy Debut

With more than 8 million people turning 18 since the 2020 election, we wanted to roll out the red carpet for new voters casting their ballots for the first time in this year’s midterm elections! In October we launched Democracy Debut, a new campaign dedicated to celebrating first-time voters. Since then, we’ve collected stories from five young voters on what’s driving them to the polls this year.

Submit Your Story
Read More

2022 Midterm Elections

The Alliance Network flexed the power of the youth vote in this year’s election. Young people turned out (again) in record numbers, second only to the historic turnout of the 2018 midterms. Needless to say, we are celebrating a lot of wins from across the Alliance Network into the new year. 

Read More

Tackling the Student Debt Crisis

Dreams Not Debt Week of Action 

This year, we spent a week dreaming of what life could be without the weight of the student debt crisis. In early April, we took a series of actions to put pressure on President Biden to follow through on his campaign promise to cancel student debt. 

Join our Dreams Not Debt Week of Action
Read More
Take Action with Dreams Not Debt

Student Debt Rally at the Dept. of Education

During the Dreams Not Debt Week of Action, we joined several partners on the streets of Washington, D.C. to rally for student debt cancellation outside of the Department of Education. We were also joined by youth organizers from the Alliance Network representing Virginia Student Power Network and Ohio Student Association. 

Read More

Biden’s Student Debt Announcement

Thanks to the work of student debt advocates, many of them in the Alliance Network, on Wednesday, August 24th, President Biden made his announcement on his plans for canceling student debt. This decision is the biggest step a president has ever taken to address the student debt crisis. Over the past year, we have attended rallies, signed petitions, shared our student debt stories, and even met with the Biden Administration. Organizing works! 🎉

Read More

Deepening Network Engagement

Youth Organizer Spotlights

This year, we wanted to focus our lens on the individual stories that make up the Alliance Network’s organizing power. We launched a new digital storytelling project to highlight different leaders from across the network and their connections to the communities they organize in.

Read More

Network Program Retreat

In late June, we hosted the 2022 Alliance Network Program Retreat in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico to bring together senior staff from the network who are hard at work leading local youth vote efforts. Staff whose roles primarily focus on on-the-ground electoral and issue organizing in their communities came together in-person to strengthen their 2022 program plans ahead of election season. 

Monthly Donor Competition 

From July 25th-31st, we continued our tradition to grow our network of grassroots giving with the eighth annual Monthly Donor Competition. This year, we had eleven organizations go head-to-head in a nationwide match to grow their monthly donor program, unlocking matching grants from the Alliance in return.

Read More

Embed Program

In the last two weeks of October, the Alliance staff worked across the country to get out the youth vote. From Montana to North Carolina, we joined forces with Alliance Network orgs to host events, knock on doors, and engage with voters ahead of the midterm elections.

Read More

Making Headlines

Polling

In collaboration with Civiqs, we surveyed young voters in two different polls this year. At the top of the year, our sister organization, Alliance for Youth Organizing, asked young folks how they feel about the country’s future, what policies the Biden Administration should prioritize, how they plan to engage this year leading up to the midterm election, and more. In August, we polled young voters in battleground states on the top policy priorities and issues driving them to the polls this November, their feelings about politicians and government institutions, and their opinions about the 2022 midterms.

Read About Young People on the State of the Nation
Read About Young Voters in Battleground States on the Midterm Elections

And after all of our work this year, we made a splash in the press! Check out some of our biggest press hits from 2022:

We are incredibly grateful to have you support us through all of these amazing moments from this last year. From everyone across the Alliance Network, we thank you! Let’s close out the year with a period of radical rest and recharge, and get ready to take on the excitement and challenges of the new year.

Onward!

We won in the midterms, let’s keep moving towards a Democracy Done Right

Young people have continued to turn out in record numbers despite attempts to silence young voters’ voices because we believe in a Democracy Done Right where America’s voting system is strengthened and democracy is protected. 

Join the Democracy Done Right campaign today by adding your name to our petition! We are calling on elected leaders to support us in creating a modern voting system that works for everyone. 

This means:

✅Voter registration made easy by automatically registering every citizen, and keeping their registration up-to-date via agencies like the DMV.

✅Every voting citizen can freely choose an option to vote that works for them.

✅No citizen should ever lose their right to vote.

Help Protect Our Democracy

Democracy on the Ballot

The Alliance Network saw the incredible power of the youth vote in this year’s midterms first-hand. Just this week, Rev. Raphael Warnock won re-election to the US Senate thanks to Black women-led organizations like New Georgia Project and Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda who helped to turn out a record number of young voters, particularly Black youth. And with help from the Alliance! We ran a call program that made approximately 800,000 calls to young Georgians after early voting ended to remind them of the stakes of the runoff election, and to help them make a plan to vote for Warnock.

And sure enough, young voters in Georgia emerged to be a critical demographic in the runoff election.

According to data from the Georgia Secretary of State’s office, voters under 30 cast around 156,000 early ballots in the runoff. More than 91,000 Gen Z voters aged 18 to 24 cast their ballots in-person or by absentee ballot. With young voters overwhelmingly supporting Warnock, the results of the Georgia runoff reflect how young people will continue to respond to candidates who focused on issues important to them like climate change, abortion rights, and student debt relief.

As young people continue to be fierce defenders of our democracy, here are some of the voting rights wins we are celebrating from the local youth organizing that got out the youth vote in this year’s midterm elections:

Detroit Action helped Michigan voters pass Proposal 2, a constitutional amendment to establish early voting, preempt efforts to enact more stricter voter ID rules, and expand access to absentee voting. With battles over election administration remaining prominent in American politics, this amendment was a huge win for voting rights in Michigan, giving voters an opportunity to weigh in directly on future election rules.

Thanks to grassroots organizing in Colorado, youth voter turnout in a midterm election hit historic highs this year. New Era Colorado’s base turned out at 60%, second only to the historic highs of the 2018 midterm. High turnout led to a bevy of victories down the ballot such as passing key ballot measures around housing, and free healthy school meals.

Earlier this year, Forward Montana fought hard in the courts this year for Election-Day registration and won! This led to many more young Montanans utilizing this opportunity to cast their ballot on Election Day.

Next Up saw big wins in Portland this year after young voters won the Portland Charter Reform which will allow for more voice and choice in elections, and geographic representation.

The work doesn’t stop at the midterms. When our youth are civically engaged from a young age, they become lifetime voters. Through our newest campaign, Democracy Debut, we are engaging with first-time voters to hear their stories on what issues are driving them to the polls this November and beyond. Here’s what they had to say 👇🏽

Did you or someone you know vote for the first time in this year’s midterms? Let’s celebrate with you! Submit your story and tell the world how you made your Democracy Debut!

Share Your Story

A democracy done right is all about ensuring citizens have easy, safe access to the ballot box in a way that best fits their needs. Our democracy will face new challenges in 2023, the voting rights wins, driven by the network’s grassroots organizing in 2022, show that their communities want reform that will make a democracy done right a reality for everyone.

Join the movement today to help us continue defending our democracy into the new year. 

Our vote is our power, let’s defend it together.