Organizing across generations for civil rights 

Many of us working to strengthen civil rights see recent court rulings overturning affirmative action and campaigns to limit diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and ban books as undermining this country’s vision of pluralism and equal opportunity. 

In this climate, advocates are working to sustain movements that build on the social progress achieved by previous generations. Yet long-established organizations often struggle to lead and reinvigorate multigenerational stakeholders—activists, board members, funders, and coalition partners—while keeping up with changing contexts. 

As People For the American Way Foundation wrestles with these same questions, we’ll share insights from some recent successes. 

Three elements of success for multigenerational organizing

1. Respect what every generation has to offer

Young activists bring idealism, energy, and fresh perspectives, while elders offer wisdom, resources, and networks. The power of multigenerational organizing lies in combining these strengths. For example, last year, we faced a campaign that sought to restrict what schools can teach—by appealing to mothers. We countered with a Grandparents for Truth campaign that tapped into the deep affection and responsibility grandparents have for their grandchildren. We offered our longtime supporters a meaningful way to take community action by gathering information, writing letters, speaking at public events, and recruiting like-minded individuals. We brought folks together for rallies and family-friendly community teach-ins. 

The result? Grandparents for Truth chapters have sprung up across the country. Our young organizers equip the grandparents with toolkits and sustain the effort through recurring virtual trainings.  

When designing campaigns, nonprofits should ask: Do we have diverse demographic cohorts advocating for the cause? How can we enable those who were not previously engaged to see themselves in the broader movement? How can the campaigns best meet their needs? In our case, we found a desire for peer support, community bonding, and empowerment. 

2. Show young people there are many levers of social change

Beyond street protests and social media activism, it’s important to show young people they can participate in governance by representing their constituents and giving voice to new ideas. That’s what the members of our 1,600-strong Young Elected Officials (YEO) Network do. Since many have shared how they can feel isolated as glass ceiling-breakers in their hometowns, we bring them together to gain training and powerful connections.  

Wlnsvey Campos made history twice–first as the youngest woman to be elected to the Oregon House of Representatives and then as the youngest person ever to serve in its State Senate. She says “the peer learning opportunity was invaluable.” It was also practical. When she learned another state senator in the Network had introduced renter protections in her state of Minnesota, Campos closely monitored the progress of that bill to assess the possibility of replicating it for her constituents.  

And Andres Castillo-Quintana, a first-generation Peruvian immigrant who won a council seat at age 25 in Bedford Hills, New York, said, “I feel less alone in the challenges that I’ve been facing as a young elected.”   

3. Use data to inform multigenerational organizing strategies

Many nonprofits involved in get-out-the-vote (GOTV) efforts don’t test the effectiveness of their messaging, but they should. Testing can help refine plans, especially when scaling from a pilot to a national level, demonstrating the impact of those investments and benefiting the entire sector.  

For example, in our Defend the Black Vote campaign, we invested in a randomized controlled study to test the efficacy of a 15-state GOTV campaign that reached 1.7 million infrequent Black male voters age 18-60 during the midterms. The campaign sought to influence millions of Black men to cast a ballot, but more importantly, understand what strategies influence voting behavior most.

We learned that “social pressure” messages were more effective than “collective power” messages. Social pressure messages emphasized that whether or not a person votes are a matter of public record and urged them to follow the social norm of voting, whereas “collective power” messages focused on how their voice—as part of the Black community—matters. We also learned that automated methods, which cost significantly less, were just as effective as messages sent by human organizers. And we saw a statistically meaningful increase in voter turnout for each $250 spent. The pilot confirmed our hypothesis that texting could influence population-level behavior change. Given the millions of dollars spent on GOTV efforts, we shared those learnings with the field so more civic engagement nonprofits  can avoid wasting limited resources. The data will inform how we’ll communicate this election season on a greater scale.  

What we’ve learned 

From grandparents to young adults, civil rights nonprofits have many strategies at their disposal to energize and equip ordinary citizens to join their movements. We’ve found that relying on principles of inclusion, peer support, and data-informed campaign design is critical as we work toward a vibrant multiracial, multigenerational democracy. 

Photo credit: People For the American Way Foundation