Our Work in 2018
The Shared Roots Donor Alliance held our inaugural regional event in Manhattan in September. Many thanks to our keynote speaker Jason Kander, to Danny Meyer for hosting us at one of his restaurants and to the host committee that included Councilman Brad Lander, Nancy Meyer, Marjona Jones, Autumn Dornfeld and Rachel Storch-Akrongold.
In our inaugural year we were able to invest in critical voter outreach in urban and rural areas, helping to educate and turn out thousands of voters for policies that will create long term change and impact hundreds of thousands of people across the state. With input from Missouri activists who sit on our board, Shared Roots provided funding to 6 organizations to help enhance their existing voter engagement programs to reach more voters before the November election.
Here is how these grassroots used our funding in 2018 to turn out the voters needed to raise the minimum wage, create transparency in State government, and make redistricting more equitable:
ACTION ST. LOUIS
With support from Shared Roots, Action STL hosted two #WokeVoterSTL Brunches to educate 300 Black Millennial voters on the issues on the ballot and a Text-a-thon to remind 22,000 Black voters to get to the polls.
HEARTLAND ACTION
Shared Roots Donor Alliance helped Heartland Action (Metropolitan Congregations United) contact 3,500 members of local congregations and their surrounding communities during weekly services, BBQs, and food pantries to educate them on progressive initiatives on the ballot.
JOBS WITH JUSTICE VOTER ACTION
Shared Roots helped Jobs with Justice Action Fund expand their door-to-door outreach to rural communities in St. Joseph and Southeast, MO.
MISSOURI FAITH VOICES IMPACT
Funding from Shared Roots was used to recruit 50 volunteers from 10 congregations to join Missouri Faith Voices Impact their voter engagement contact voters about progressive initiatives on the ballot.
MISSOURI RURAL CRISIS CENTER
With support from Shared Roots, MRCC reached voters through mail and made phone calls to rural voters encouraging them to vote to raise the minimum wage and get money out of politics.
ORGANIZATION FOR BLACK STRUGGLE
Using funding from Shared Roots, OBS held ward meetings and a street town hall in North St. Louis City and County to ask voters to pledge to vote in November.
2019 AND BEYOND
Organizing voters during elections is just one of the many ways these organizations engage their communities during the year. Along with other organizations in the state they are fighting for the livelihoods of low-wage workers and family farmers, engaging in visionary campaigns for comprehensive criminal justice reform and funding for local communities, and standing up for progressive values and policies in the state capitol. Their work is 365 days a year and so is our support.