A message from CMF President and CEO Kyle Caldwell.

“The Founding Fathers maintained that the success of the fragile American democracy would depend on the competency of its citizens.” - Center on Education Policy

Early voting is underway, and on Tuesday, November 5, many more Americans will go to the polls, which will mark the end of the 2024 election cycle. Michigan is a key state in this year’s election, already the numbers are showing high voter turnout rates. Still there are concerns about ensuring all eligible voters have access to the polls. Elections are where Michigan voters share their hopes and expectations for the future so it is important that all eligible voters can exercise their right to vote.  

Our sector has traditionally played an important role in helping the voting public understand their rights and ways to participate in our elections by providing information on how to vote and on the issues most important to our Michigan communities. There are concerns about misinformation circulating especially as it negatively impacts historically underrepresented populations with limited access to credible information sources. Our community of philanthropy can help.

Research shows that nonprofits and their funder partners are part of one of the remaining institutions with higher trust levels, that may be able to provide credible information.  

Providing nonpartisan information on voting is one clear way to meet our sector’s mission to society and live into our equity imperative. In this edition of The Download, we are providing a robust list of curated resources to help CMF members:
•    Promote voting and other civic engagement opportunities.
•    Explore data, discussion guides and other tools that help bridge divides and dampen polarization.
•    Celebrate and share learning opportunities that highlight our sectors’ efforts to support a healthy democracy.

CMF will continue to provide these resources and stories in ongoing communications as part of our commitment to serving as your leadership organization. Our approach will remain staunchly nonpartisan. We will center equity generally and racial equity imperatively. We will help you promote the health of our communities and ensure our republic remains grounded in core democratic values. 

Thank you for your ongoing leadership,
Kyle Caldwell
President & CEO
CMF

Election and Voting Resources for You

The 2024 general election will be held on Tuesday, November 5. We’re sharing key voting dates, information on early and absentee voting, upcoming virtual conversations pre- and post-election, an in-person opportunity to discuss how funders can support our democracy, and resources around the democracy landscape, how you can prepare for the election and more. 

Key Voting Dates

• You can register to vote at any time up to 8 pm on Election Day, November 5, at your city or township clerk’s office.
• Now – November 3: Early voting is underway statewide!
• 5 pm on November 1: Your township or city clerk must receive online or mail requests for an absentee ballot.
• 8 pm on Election Day: Your completed absentee ballot must be received by your city or township clerk. You can submit it by mail or by hand-delivering it to your clerk’s office or their secure drop box.

We invite you to explore the Michigan Voter Information Center for information on how to register to vote on Election Day, early voting, absentee voting, confirming your voting information, voting in person and more.

The Secretary of State recently launched a new online dashboard where voters can access data on early and absentee voting. The dashboard provides data on the percentage of active registered voters who cast an early voting ballot or returned an absentee ballot, the number of absentee ballots returned, and the number of ballots cast during early voting.

Resources & Toolkits

Explore Nonprofit VOTE’s permissible election activities for 501(c)(3) organizations and other resources.

The 2024 Elections and Beyond: Fortifying Ourselves, Our Organizations, and Our Ecosystems toolkit from the Building Movement Project offers a series of frameworks and accompanying worksheets for individuals, organizations and networks to clarify values and identify roles, respond quickly to unfolding events and fortify individual and organizational well-being.

Democracy Fund’s report Field in Focus: The State of Pro-Democracy Institutional Philanthropy explores the state and direction of the democracy funding landscape.

A national partner in our sector, Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement’s (PACE) Civic Language Perceptions Project seeks to understand people’s perceptions of the language associated with civic engagement and democracy work. As we continue conversations from the CMF 52nd Annual Conference on the importance of embracing differences and bridging divides across race, socioeconomics, gender, faith and other identities, this resource provides insights about the power of words to connect and divide us from people different than ourselves.

PACE’s new report Master the Art of 'Talking Bridgey' to Unite Diverse Audiences explores:

• Which civic terms have the strongest “bridgeyness” potential.
• How to understand and leverage the signals different words send.
• Techniques for encouraging deeper, more meaningful dialogue.
• Strategies for prioritizing connection over self-expression in high-stakes moments.

Upcoming Virtual and In-Person Events

On November 4, PolicyLink is hosting a pre-election virtual conversation with Michael McAfee, CEO of PolicyLink and Ashleigh Gardere, president of PolicyLink. Together, attendees will ground themselves in their long-term vision of governing for a nation that works for all.

Join the Michigan Nonprofit Association and CMF in Detroit on November 20 for the 2024 Civic & Community Engagement Summit. This gathering builds on critical conversations we are having in the charitable sector about the importance of centering community voices and ensuring a healthy democracy where all can participate. The summit will offer a platform for those dedicated to civic engagement to collaborate, foster supportive relationships and exchange valuable insights.