The COVID-19 pandemic has generated widespread suffering around the globe. In the U.S. alone, tens of thousands have died and more than 36.5 million have lost their jobs since March. Families across the country have urgent material needs. Everyday people are stepping up by donating food and making masks for essential workers; they're also giving money to help undocumented immigrants, domestic workers, and other people who have lost their jobs.
At the same time, the crisis has demonstrated that the government — at the federal and local level — is the only actor capable of meeting the needs of society as a whole. Nonprofit organizations can be part of the solution, but without continued, large-scale government action, we simply cannot confront the public health and economic disasters that COVID-19 and the climate crisis represent. Right now, the immoral actions of the Trump administration and Congressional Republicans are contributing to tens of thousands of preventable deaths and directing resources toward wealthy corporations instead of a people's bailout that would help working people, health-care providers, and local governments.
Here's the truth: Unless we defeat Trump and the GOP in November, the situation is going to get much worse for millions of people in this country, especially in our most vulnerable communities. If, like me, you're fortunate enough to have kept your job and health care, consider donating your stimulus check from the government to grassroots organizations that are doing work around the 2020 election to build a society that ensures every human being has what they need to thrive.
For the last decade, I've been fortunate enough to work with local organizations across the country. Some work directly on elections, others do vital non-partisan civic-engagement work. Many are well-known in the states where they work, but little known in comparison to larger progressive organizations whose email lists you may already be on. If you live in these states, consider getting involved and volunteering with one of these organizations. Or, by donating directly to these groups, you can send money to folks who are on the frontlines of their communities, talking to their friends and neighbors every day. Unlike political candidates, you can rest assured that win or lose in November, they'll continue working in those communities after the election ends.
Key organizations in presidential swing states
Donald Trump won Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania with razor-thin margins in 2016. This year, these three states will again be pivotal for determining the outcome of the presidential election. Here are key organizations to support in each state:
Citizen Action Wisconsin is a statewide organization with more than 42,000 individual members and a presence in all major districts.
Michigan United and its sister organization, Michigan People's Campaign, are multiracial grassroots organizations with chapters in several Michigan cities. We the People Michigan is a multiracial organization advocating for a member-created people's agenda.
Pennsylvania Stands Up is a multiracial organization with nine chapters in some of the most consequential districts in 2020.
Florida, Arizona, and North Carolina are three more states that are widely agreed to be crucial presidential battlegrounds in 2020. Arizona and North Carolina have notable Senate races too. Here are key organizations to support in these states:
New Florida Majority organizes marginalized communities to build an inclusive, equitable, and just democracy for all. (You can find an op-ed in the New York Times from their director, Andrea Cristina Mercado, here.)
Living United for Change in Arizona (LUCHA) does incredible organizing work with the Latino community in Arizona. (LUCHA's co-directors, Alejandra Gomez and Tomás Robles Jr., also have a recent op-ed in the Times.)
Down Home North Carolina is an organization that primarily organizes working people in small towns.
There are several other states to pay attention to in this election cycle, including Georgia, Texas, Maine, Minnesota, and New Hampshire. Here are groups to support in those states:
New Georgia Project Action Fund increases the civic participation of underrepresented and underserved communities of color.
Workers Defense Project and Texas Organizing Project are two powerful grassroots organizing efforts in Texas.
Maine People's Alliance is one of the most powerful people's organizations in the country, with a huge per capita membership among Mainers.
Faith in Minnesota and Take Action Minnesota are two fantastic multiracial organizations that work in both the Twin Cities and greater Minnesota.
Rights and Democracy New Hampshire is doing great work in a state that Hillary Clinton won by a tiny margin in 2016, which may be in play again in 2020.
These are just some of the many state-based organizations doing valuable work ahead of the election. To find others, check out this great list from the Movement Voter Project.
Key constituency organizations and networks
In addition to these local organizations, consider supporting national organizations that work with key constituencies either online or through networks of local organizations.
Native Organizers Alliance (NOA) is a non-partisan organization that works in a number of states where the Native vote will play a pivotal role in determining the outcome of the presidential election and several Senate races. Native Americans have consistently been subject to some of the most intense voter disenfranchisement efforts in the country, and NOA has been at the forefront of organizing Indigenous people to exercise their democratic rights.
Mijente is a network of Latinx and Chicanx organizers working to #FueraTrump in 2020.
Color of Change is the nation's largest online racial justice organization, doing crucial work to engage and mobilize black voters.
Justice Is Global is a coalition of organizations building popular support for rewriting the rules of the global economy. In the U.S., they work with a number of the organization's listed above to provide training and enable local organizations to think about the global dimensions of their campaigns.
18 Million Rising and AAPI's for Civic Empowerment are two organizations working to build the power and leadership of Asian Americans.
People's Action is a national community-organizing network that supports many of the local organizations above with training, campaign support, and other resources, particularly when it comes to reaching voters in small towns and rural communities.
Supermajority is an organizing effort dedicated to mobilizing women of all backgrounds, races, and ages to reach out to other women.
Finally, because we know that the Republicans will stop at nothing to prevent people from exercising their right to vote, consider giving to organizations like Stacey Abrams's Fair Fight, which is working to protect voting rights for all.
The 2020 election is going to be a big one. The well-being of millions of people in this country is on the line. And because of the outsized role the U.S. plays in world politics, what happens here in November will impact the lives of many others around the globe too.
If you have resources, please consider donating your stimulus check to one of the organizations listed above or another group that is doing important political work. If all of us work together, we can build a government that directs resources and support to those who need it most now as we build toward a future that works for all of us.
Correction: This article initially misspelled the first names of Alejandra Gomez and Tomás Robles Jr., and had an incorrect title for AAPI's for Civic Empowerment.
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