The Fight for Our Future Starts Now
With democracy under attack and civil rights on the line, 2026 may be our last, best chance to reclaim power and prevent irreparable damage that a constitutional convention could bring. To meet this moment, we are leading a coordinated national strategy to engage and mobilize young people at scale.
Through our grantmaking strategy, we’re making a $10 million investment to supercharge youth civic engagement, advocacy, and organizing power. Over the 2025-2026 cycle, we will fund targeted voter mobilization, persuasion efforts, and ballot measures in high-impact elections up and down the ballot. To strengthen this work, we’re also launching a centralized Research & Communications Hub to equip our Network and partners with data-driven insights, persuasive messaging, and digital content. This resource will provide actionable recommendations to shape field programs, outreach strategy, and campaign design, ensuring young people are not only participating in 2026 but driving the outcomes of securing progressive victories.
Why It Matters
Addressing the oversight
Young voters continue to be marginalized across political campaigns, with their needs and aspirations frequently overlooked. This neglect has left a critical gap in the progressive movement, one that must be urgently addressed to unlock the full power of the youth vote. Young people are positioned to shape the outcomes of key federal and state elections. But mobilizing them requires more than ads and slogans—it demands sustained, authentic engagement that reflects their lived experiences, values, and vision for the future.
redefining engagement
Mobilizing young voters requires more than one-time outreach or election-year hype. It demands sustained investment in the people, infrastructure, and strategies that build long-term power. Our grantmaking strategy recognizes that engagement must go deeper than registration and turnout; it must create real connection, build trust, and reflect the issues young people care about most.
Our Strategy
To build lasting progressive power, our strategy focuses on targeted, coordinated efforts that connect grassroots organizing with data-driven insights and cultural relevance. We aim not only to win elections, but also to secure transformative policy victories and strengthen youth-led infrastructure across the country. By combining rigorous research, aligned political planning, and innovative media engagement, we empower young voters and organizers to shape the political landscape now and for the future.
Key elements of our 2025-2026 funding strategy include:
- Creating and executing aligned political plans across our Network to reclaim governing power and win back democracy.
- Expanding education, mobilization, and persuasion efforts around critical elections in 2025, to build momentum for 2026 U.S. Senate, Congressional, Gubernatorial, Secretary of State, and Attorney General races.
- Launching a research and communications information center with strategic polling, data-driven insights, and persuasive messaging to energize young voters in these high-stakes elections.
- Investing in youth electoral infrastructure and strengthening progressive youth organizing in emerging states to deepen long-term impact and electoral successes.
- Growing progressive media engagement by supporting content creators across niche communities–such as gaming, fitness, and finance–to build enthusiasm for progressive issues.
If you are a donor with the capacity to contribute 501(c)(4) funds and are interested in supporting our grantmaking efforts, we encourage you to contact us at development@allianceforyouthaction.org. We are eager to discuss your investment strategy and goals in further detail and explore how your contribution can significantly impact our grantmaking efforts.
Note: We do not accept unsolicited proposals.