Katz Amsterdam Charitable Trust Distributes $3.275 Million to Empower Voter Access Initiatives in Communities of Color
Grants will enhance efforts to increase voter registration and education, bolstering civic engagement across targeted communities
DENVER (May 7, 2024) – The Katz Amsterdam Charitable Trust today announced $3.275 million in civic engagement grants to 23 different nonprofit organizations that focus on increasing voter access in communities of color, with an emphasis on voter registration and education in Arizona, Nevada and North Carolina.
This marks the ninth year that Katz Amsterdam has awarded grants, cumulatively totaling over $60 million. These grants have supported initiatives not only in civic engagement to foster a multiracial democracy, but have also previously focused on enhancing community-driven behavioral health services for communities of color and promoting reproductive justice.
“We are dedicated to supporting organizations that work to eliminate racial disparities in voter participation, advancing us towards a multiracial and inclusive democracy,” said Rob Katz, co-founder of the Foundation. “Our civic engagement grants aim to boost voter turnout, empowering communities and countering the deliberate voter suppression tactics that threaten the stability of our democracy.”
Rob Katz, former CEO and current executive chairperson of the board of Vail Resorts, and his wife, Elana Amsterdam, New York Times bestselling author and founder of Elana’s Pantry, launched the Katz Amsterdam Charitable Trust in 2017 and the Katz Amsterdam Foundation in 2018 to be a catalyst for eliminating inequities, increasing access to opportunity and improving outcomes for all.
The 2024 civic engagement grants were awarded to organizations in three states as well as national nonprofits, including:
Arizona – 2024
One Arizona $150,000
Brings together partners to strategize, share resources, build progressive infrastructure and support civic engagement goals.
Arizona Native Vote $125,000
Increases voter registration and civic engagement by educating rural and tribal communities about voter registration, elections, government and voting rights.
Arizona Center for Empowerment $250,000
Builds sustainable voter registration, voter education and mutual aid programs for Latine and BIPOC communities.
Black Phoenix Organizing Collective $50,000
Builds Black power through political education and leadership development, policy advocacy and civic engagement strategies that create strong, independent and self-reliant communities.
Arizona Donor Alliance $100,000
Funds strategic efforts to promote civic participation among underserved communities in Arizona.
Arizona Coalition for Change $150,000
Increases voter registration and civic engagement in the Black community by registering voters, engaging youth leaders and protecting election administration.
North Carolina – 2024
Blueprint North Carolina $150,000
Convenes state organizations to provide training and resource sharing to advocate for their communities and advance equity and social justice.
Southern Coalition for Social Justice $200,000
Supports marginalized communities in fighting for their right to responsive representation by protecting free and fair elections.
North Carolina Asian Americans Together $200,000
Fosters community among Asian Americans and allies in North Carolina through civic engagement, leadership development, grassroots mobilization and political participation.
We Are Down Home $200,000
Impacts community change by increasing voter registration in rural communities of color and addressing disinformation and voter disenfranchisement.
Nevada – 2024
Silver State Voices $150,000
Creates a more robust democracy by increasing civic participation, fostering collaboration among diverse entities, and employing new tools and technology to equalize access and representation.
Asian Community Development Council $150,000
Promotes and champions Asian American and Pacific Islander populations in Nevada with an emphasis on civic engagement.
Make It Work NV $150,000
Shifts the landscape of the Black community through advocacy and education to support the long-term health and vitality of Black families.
Make The Road $200,000
Increases voter participation within communities of color in Nevada.
Nevada Alliance $100,000
Funds strategic efforts to promote civic participation among underserved communities in Nevada.
National
Voter Formation Project $125,000
Increases participation in elections using innovative and data-driven digital communications strategies to engage, register and mobilize new and infrequent voters of color.
The Partnership Fund $100,000
Supports civic engagement through enhancing resiliency and self-determination in communities of color.
Entertain Impact $100,000
Elevates civic engagement through voter registration of previously disenfranchised populations.
Movement Voter Project $125,000
Builds progressive power at all levels of government by strengthening the best and most promising local community-based organizations in key states, with a focus on youth and communities of color.
Equis Institute $100,000
Builds Latine political power by expanding the electorate and strengthening infrastructure through voter engagement.
State Leadership Project $100,000
Incentivizes meaningful, long-term investment in structures, organizations, and leaders in states across the country, with a focus on election protection, combatting misinformation and voter education.
All Voting Is Local $100,000
Remove discriminatory barriers to voting by tackling problems before they silence voters on Election Day.
Hometown Project $100,000
To close the voter participation gap by using trusted messengers to increase down-ballot civic engagement on issues that matter most to communities.
About the Katz Amsterdam Foundation
The Katz Amsterdam Foundation strives to be a catalyst for eliminating barriers to health, increasing access to opportunity, and improving outcomes for all. The Foundation believes that everyone benefits from living in healthy and cohesive communities, but access to these benefits is unequal. The Foundation works in partnership with communities to advance just and equitable approaches to accessing mental, behavioral and reproductive health care and protect civil rights by increasing civic engagement and participation in a multiracial democracy. The Foundation does this work by addressing systemic injustice, racial and social disparities in mental health, reproductive health and civic engagement. Its priority is to support community-driven work that meaningfully improves the lives of individuals and the social well-being of our communities. For more information, visit www.katzamsterdam.org.
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