Hosted on July 17th, 2024
In this webinar, colleagues from Democracy Fund and the Rx Foundation talk about their experiences working more intentionally at the intersection of health and democracy, including practical strategies they have used to navigate the complex landscapes of healthcare, policy, and civic engagement. Designed for funders and practitioners alike, we consider: why health and democracy funders should build relationships and see each other as allies and colleagues; why and how to shift funding beyond programmatic work to include systems change, capacity-building, and ecosystems; and why and how to fund multi-issue organizations, with specific examples of organizations funded by both Rx and Democracy Fund.
Funding Multi-Issue Strategies to Advance Health & Democracy
from Rx Foundation’s Power is a Social Determinant of Health series
Session description: Health, including healthcare delivery and health policy, and Democracy, including civic engagement and electoral participation, have traditionally occupied different lanes within philanthropy. Spaces for cross-issue or multi-issue strategy and collaboration among funders remain limited. However, we must recognize how governing institutions impact the conditions for change in healthcare, health policy, and the social and economic drivers of health outcomes and equity. In equal measure, it’s imperative to recognize that full civic participation is limited when people struggle to meet basic health and safety needs.
In this session, Democracy Fund and the Rx Foundation will talk about different experiences working more intentionally at the intersection of health and democracy. Discover the frameworks that help guide the work of these two very different foundations and the practical strategies they have used to navigate the complex landscapes of healthcare, policy, and civic engagement. The discussion will include:
*WHY health and democracy funders should build relationships and see each other as allies and colleagues;
*WHY and HOW to shift funding beyond programmatic work to include systems change, capacity-building, and ecosystems.
*WHY and HOW to fund multi-issue organizations, with specific examples of organizations funded by both Rx and Democracy Fund
Practitioners, researchers, and other allies are invited to join this conversation to expand their knowledge of the health and democracy funding landscape, and consider how they may contribute to bridging these two silos for greater collaboration towards a healthier and more democratic society.
Watch the Recording
Notable Quotes
Session Resources
Funders’ Committee for Civic Participation
The Funders’ Committee for Civic Participation (FCCP) is an innovative and thought-provoking network that shares an underlying conviction that all people deserve a voice in the democratic process.
Bolder Advocacy
Bolder Advocacy is building grassroots power by equipping nonprofits with the tools, training, and resources to advance their missions through policy advocacy.
They have robust resources, trainings, and TA support on how philanthropy can legally fund advocacy, organizing, and civic engagement efforts.
Rx Foundation
Over the years, we’ve learned from a lot of our peers and colleagues within philanthropy and the field of advocacy, community organizing, and civic engagement. We’ve compiled a list of health justice readings that have been touchpoints for our own learnings.
Democracy Resource Hub
The Commons Library exists to make social movements smarter and stronger.
They are an online library for the change makers of the world and for those interested in social change, activism, advocacy and justice.
Their Democracy Hub has a wide range of nonviolent tools and resources for anti-authoritarian and pro-democracy organizing.
Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement
PACE is a philanthropic laboratory for funders seeking to maximize their impact on democracy and civic life in America.
PACE is launching the Democracy Futures Project, an initiative to develop the capacity of philanthropies to think long-term about American democracy. It is an 18-month collaborative effort to equip democracy funders with tools, resources, and skills to be more “future-ready.”
Additionally, they have several valuable resources, including:
- Civic Engagement Primer: The Civic Engagement Primer helps funders answer questions like: What is civic engagement? How does it relate to my work, and how might I get started? The tool is intended for funders of all experience levels, and is accompanied by three PDF resources, illustrating important definitions and the spectrum of activities that fall under the umbrella of civic engagement.
- Democracy Primer: The Democracy Primer is designed to explore the question “What is Democracy?”. Articulating the distinction between democracy as both a practice and a system, the resource charts a list of civic practices across 5 elements of healthy democracies, accompanied by a glossary to illustrate each of its terms.
Field in Focus: The State of Pro-Democracy Institutional Philanthropy
Developed by Democracy Fund, this report sheds new light on the state and direction of the democracy funding landscape.
It describes:
- Field Magnitude and Growth — estimates of the size, scope, and directionality of democracy-related philanthropic funding.
- Field Focal Areas — insights on major focal areas for funding today, how that has changed over time, and where additional funding may be needed in the future.
- New Actors and Infrastructure — lessons on the experiences of newer funders and the evolving field of funding intermediaries.
- Looking Ahead — outstanding questions for future research and opportunities to strengthen the funding field.
Session Highlights
Speakers
Lindsay Daniels (she/her)
Lindsay Daniels is the Senior Director of the Elections & Voting Program at Democracy Fund, an independent foundation working to achieve an inclusive, multi-racial democracy that is open, just, resilient, and trustworthy. Lindsay oversees the Elections & Voting Program’s work to create a more equitable and accessible election system and empower communities to defend voting rights when they are threatened. She launched the Program’s new five-year strategy in early 2023 and directs grantmaking in the Program’s core initiatives, Voting Power and Resilient Elections.
Lindsay is a skilled advocate with 20 years of non-profit experience in policy analysis, capacity-building, issue campaigns, and electoral organizing. Prior to the Democracy Fund, she managed Economic Policy at UnidosUS (formerly National Council of La Raza), the nation’s largest Latino civil rights and advocacy organization. She developed and led UnidosUS’ state and federal policy agenda to advance Hispanic economic mobility in the areas of employment, housing, banking, consumer protection and retirement security. Previously, Lindsay also served as a Field Strategist for Civic Engagement at UnidosUS, where she trained and supported community groups in building non-partisan U.S. citizenship, voter registration and Get-Out-The-Vote programs.
Between her positions at UnidosUS, Lindsay owned a consulting business focused on campaign strategy for non-profit clients including the Leadership Conference Education Fund and Mi Familia Vota. She also ran a multi-county voter mobilization campaign for the 2009 Virginia gubernatorial election, focused on increasing AAPI and Latino voter turnout.
Lindsay is the author of nearly a dozen reports on Hispanic economic opportunity and civic participation, including Banking in Color: New Findings in Financial Access for Low- and Moderate-Income Communities and Puertas Cerradas: Housing Barriers for Hispanics. She holds an MBA from the Georgetown McDonough School of Business and a B.A. in Speech Communication and Spanish from Augustana College-Rock Island, and she originally hails from Iowa.
Aija Nemer-Aanerud (they/them)
Aija Nemer-Aanerud started organizing as a student leader with the People’s Action Institute affiliate The People’s Lobby in Chicago, Illinois. They went on to co-found and direct Student Action, People’s Action’s constituency development project that organized and developed the power of college students and young people and built powerful local chapters on campuses across the country, fighting for Free College for All. Aija has 12 years of organizing experience, and they currently work directing the Health Care for All campaign, working with member groups to develop winning strategies that advance our goal of winning tangible victories for the communities we represent.
Ebony West (she/her)
Ebony West is a Senior Program Associate at Democracy Fund, an independent foundation that champions the leaders at the forefront of defending American democracy and challenges our political system to be more open and just. In her role, she supports two of the Election & Voting Program’s initiatives: Voting Power, where she supports groups building civic power in communities of color across the South, and Resilient Elections, where she supports organizations focused on strengthening our election infrastructure, ensuring it can withstand attacks and that all voters’ voices are heard.
Before joining Democracy Fund, Ebony was a Program Associate at Triangle Community Foundation in NC, where she supported the Community Development program and the Sudden and Urgent Needs Fund for the Foundation. She also oversaw community and nonprofit research for the Foundation and developed community learning and convening opportunities. Finally, she brings previous experience in civic engagement, grassroots organizing, coalition building, and campaigns working on equitable elections, access to higher education, LGBTQ+ rights, and economic and reproductive justice.
Ebony graduated from East Carolina University with a B.A. in Political Science and a B.S. in Communications. She also holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Jennie Riley (she/her)
Jennie Riley is Executive Director of the Rx Foundation, where she led a transformation of mission and philanthropic practice to advance health justice throughout the United States. Jennie is a graduate of Smith College, and The Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy.
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