Posted on January 17, 2024 by Katherine Fox.

How your Wealth can Support Democracy in 2024:

Getting Out The Vote

What are get out the vote efforts?

“Get out the vote” (GOTV) efforts encompass a diverse array of direct voter outreach intended to increase voter registration and turnout. GOTV efforts can be undertaken on a partisan basis by political candidates or political parties or by non-profits without a partisan affiliation.

GOTV efforts often focus on groups that are historically underrepresented in voting, including young adults and BIPOC communities. 

Get out the vote efforts may include traditional strategies such as canvassing, distributing leaflets, direct mail, phone calls, and online or social media outreach.

Modern strategies include leveraging the power of celebrities and athletes, as well as social media influencers, to encourage voter registration in younger demographics and meet newly-eligible voters where they are: on college campuses and at concerts, festivals, and community events. 

Why are get out the vote efforts important?

GOTV efforts are often designed to provide information about voting, help voters create a plan to vote, and build a sense of social pressure to vote.

Even in states that don’t actively work to restrict voting (more on that next week), America has failed to come up with a nationwide system to facilitate voter engagement and registration.

In the absence of such a system, the responsibility to educate and inform voters of their rights, their options, and the obligation of voting falls to the network of organizations engaging in get out the vote efforts. This work is especially critical for historically disenfranchised groups. . 

Successful get out the vote efforts have had a significant impact in American politics in recent years.

This impact includes a hugely successful grassroots campaign to mobilize Black voters in Georgia, which flipped the state blue for President Biden - the first time Georgia had gone for a Democratic presidential candidate since 1992. 

Get out the vote efforts also led to the narrow victory of Democratic senators in Georgia’s 2021 and 2022 runoff elections, elections which secured Democratic control of the Senate. Other get out the vote campaigns are working to replicate success in Georgia across the United States.

How your Wealth can Support Democracy in 2024:

Getting Out The Vote

How can I support organizations working to get out the vote?

If you want to support  get out the vote organizations in 2024, there are three types of organizations to which you can give: 501(c)(3) Public Charities, 501(c)(4) Social Welfare Organizations, and Political Action Committees (PAC). The difference between these organizations is the nature of their work.

What is nonpartisan work?

All c3 groups’ work (and ~60% of c4 groups’ work) must be strictly nonpartisan. This powerful work includes voter education, engagement, and turnout. It can also include issue advocacy and advocacy for or against ballot initiatives. However, it never promotes a particular political party or candidate, either directly or indirectly.

What is partisan work?

Partisan work reflects the proportion of funds an entity can use to support partisan or political activity, such as explicitly endorsing candidates for office, or commenting on candidates for office. Partisan work often heats up as elections approach, and it is critical for some groups to have enough partisan political funding to compete and win.

There is no right or wrong answer about giving to a 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), or PAC. The choice depends on what your goals are, if you would like your donation to be tax deductible, and if you are giving from a Donor Advised Fund, which cannot make contributions to 501(c)(4)s or PACs. Contributions from our family’s Donor Advised Fund all go to 501(c)(3) organizations so we focus our personal giving on 501(c)(4)s and PACs during national election years.

Learn more about get out the vote organizations 

When We All Vote is a national, nonpartisan initiative on a mission to change the culture around voting and to increase participation in each and every election by helping to close the race and age gap. Created by Michelle Obama, When We All Vote brings together individuals, institutions, brands, and organizations to register new voters across the country and advance civic education for the entire family and voters of every age to build an informed and engaged electorate for today and generations to come. When We All Vote is a 501(c)(3) organization. 

In 1990, music executives founded Rock The Vote in response to the censorship of hip-hop and rap artists. Their first partnership, with MTV, promoted the message that “Censorship is Un-American” and activated millions of young people across the country to exercise their rights and represent their interests. For over thirty years, Rock The Vote has continuously adapted to the changing landscapes of media, technology and culture to breakthrough and empower each new generation. Rock The Vote is a 501(c)(3) organization. 

Movement Voter Project (MVP) targets swing states, close races, and geographies that will be competitive over the long term. MVP invests up and down the ballot, from the presidency to local school boards, in order to build progressive power and durable majorities at every level of government. MVP is a 501(c)(4) organization with an affiliated 501(c)(3), the Movement Voter Fund, and PAC, Movement Voter PAC. 

Launched by Stacy Abrams after the 2018 election, Fair Fight promotes fair elections around the country, encourages voter participation in elections, and educates voters about elections and their voting rights. Fair Fight Action brings awareness to the public on election reform, advocates for election reform at all levels, and engages in other voter education programs and communications. Fair Fight is a 501(c)(4) organization.

Let’s take the next step together

If you want to increase the impact your wealth creates, you don’t have to do it alone. Figuring out which organizations to support and at what level to support them can be a difficult task, and the opportunities to engage don’t end when the election is over. If you need more help, reach out to Katherine Fox, CFP® and CAP®, a financial planner for inheritors to learn how Sunnybranch can help you build a plan to grow the charitable and political impact of your inherited wealth.