“All the ills of democracy can be cured by more democracy.” ― Al Smith

We are headed into one of the most significant elections in U.S. history. While much attention is focused on the presidential race, control of both chambers of Congress, 11 Governorships, and over 6,000 state legislative seats are also up for grabs.

Although this is indeed an important election season, the work of ensuring a healthy democracy must extend into 2021 and beyond, regardless of the outcome of the election. Battery Powered believes that even in these divisive times, there are common goals that people on all sides can work toward together.

In 2018, Battery Powered’s theme on Healthy Democracy asked, What does it look like when all people are empowered to participate in our democracy? We focused on civic education, the Census, redistricting, voter engagement, and money in politics. These topics were prescient and we saw record-level turnout in the 2018 midterm elections, new efforts to encourage participation in the census, and seven states adopting more independent redistricting processes. A follow-up portfolio focused on empowering people to participate in our democracy is timely.

Our Healthy Democracy Grantees from 2018 are having tremendous impact. Read about their progress here.

Our Approach

We want to emphasize two overriding concepts for our approach to this theme:

First, this work can and should be non-partisan. The basic pillars of our democracy have historically been upheld by all facets of the political spectrum. Parties may disagree on particulars, but belief in the tenants of our democracy -- such as, one person, one vote; freedom of speech; and separation of powers -- are widespread and bi-partisan.

Second, this work should be people centered. That is, a democracy that is “of the people, by the people and for the people” where people, not politicians, are at the center.

Our Focus

In focusing our theme, we identified three areas vital for empowering people to participate. We will continue the work from our 2018 theme in areas where our funding is particularly well timed for impact (such as redistricting and voter engagement) while also tackling new areas, most significantly the media.


PEOPLE & THE POLLS. The 2020 elections may set voter turnout records. But even in high turnout elections, a voter gap persists. We aim to close voter turnout gaps in 2020 by funding organizations that engage under-represented communities not only in electoral work but also on issues that matter in these communities year-round. We also want to ensure when voter turnout soars, that our election system is prepared for it.	PROCESS & POLICY. We can empower people to vote, but they need the underlying policies and processes to support their voices being heard, such as pro-voter reforms. Similarly, coming on the heels of the U.S. Census, our funding can support citizen involvement in states newly implementing independent redistricting and support reform efforts in other states as well.	PRESS. The collapse of independent media has caused major shifts in journalism’s business model. Many Americans no longer have access to local journalism. A "loss of local news leads to lower civic participation, lower voter turnout in elections, fewer people running for local office, and less oversight of those in power." Philanthropy has a role to play in supporting healthy ecosystems for local news.

We recognize that in focusing, we leave behind many worthy issues, for example fair courts, money in politics, among others. These are issues that Battery Powered could take up as a new theme in the coming years.