Democracy & Policy

Investing in a new paradigm of multiracial democracy.

About

Achieving racial equity and sustaining a viable democracy go hand in hand. NCG defines democracy as the processes, systems, and structures for historically marginalized and underrepresented community members to participate in a political system that fulfills the promise of an equitable multiracial society. As a region, Northern California can model a viable democracy, ensuring that people of color and other communities fully engage in the democratic process.

NCG's Approach

NCG is building on three approaches to make this condition a reality.

Deepen Analysis: NCG believes investing in democracy is an investment in the success of thriving and resourced communities. While there are foundations leading the way in funding this way, the majority of foundations have yet to change their grantmaking. To support this, NCG is sharing learnings, resources, and wisdom from movement groups so we can deepen the consciousness of democracy investments.
Sharpen Practice: NCG believes that philanthropy must shift how and what it funds to support the lifecycle of democracy. By doing this philanthropy can give movement groups the freedom needed to lead the way. To support this, NCG is identifying and promoting tools for foundations interested in funding this way. Our newest Community of Practice, the c(4) Learning Community brings teams of foundations together to understand the art and craft of c(4) and aligned c(3) investments to build power for movement groups.
Mobilize Progressive Investments: NCG believes progressive local and statewide policy investments in California are key to transforming power structures. By investing in movement groups working to strengthen democracy, philanthropy can build on the wisdom of local communities and invest in confidence. To support this NCG amplifies intersectional policies and voices that are creating a functional democracy.

How to Engage

NCG creates and supports programming, communications, and organizing efforts that support the life cycle of a functional democracy, from equitable access to fair elections to governance to policy implementation, holding decision-makers accountable with emphasis on investing in movement builders to strengthen these systems. We recognize policy is a powerful tool to advance equitable change and believe philanthropy has a vital role to invest in power-building organizations.

As ever, this work cannot progress alone. NCG relies on a number of informal and formal partnerships to play its part effectively, including a formal partnership with One4Democracy that intentionally works to increase direct investment in the democracy ecosystem with an eye to increasing both individual and institutional giving to movement groups in the region.

Democracy Hub

There are countless reasons to be alarmed, and that’s precisely why now more than ever, we need to exercise our imagination toward the possibility of a different society rooted in our values around racial equity and economic and social justice. It’s why we should act now, urgently and locally. All of us working in philanthropy have the privilege and responsibility to mobilize resources towards the movement leaders protecting the decades of progress and building an inclusive multiracial democracy for the future.

The shifting political landscape and intensifying rhetoric makes it harder and harder not to imagine the worst. We have already seen the Supreme Court overturn decades of precedent, paving the way for more legislative attacks on LGBTQ people, reproductive rights, and the unhoused, the dismantling of key government agencies, and increased government corruption. Nationally, immigrants continue to be used as political scapegoats and face the threats of mass deportations, and the death and destruction happening in Gaza, funded by our tax dollars, seems to have no end in sight. In California, and our region, we face a continuing housing and homelessness crisis, as well as threats to local democracy from corporate actors.

We must heed the call to action by:

Learning about and fund the movement ecosystem of organizations engaged in an active and prolific struggle for social change. Grassroots community-based organizations, civic and advocacy groups, labor unions, faith communities, and other institutions representing and growing the leadership of low-income BIPOC, workers, youth, and families are instrumental in achieving and defending social progress on a myriad of issues.
Exploring the intersections of democracy and your institution's grantmaking priorities. Whether you’re concerned about housing and homelessness, healthcare, education, economic stability, food security, immigrant rights, LGBTQ issues, youth development, climate disaster and resilience, or arts and culture, there is no issue that does not intersect with democracy and power. Whatever the issue is, it’s important to ask who is making decisions, who is excluded, and who is impacted by those decisions? Who has which resources and how are resources being allocated? In exploring these questions, it eventually becomes clear that direct organizing, engagement and collective action by those most impacted by inequities in these systems is required to transform them.
Practicing deep relationship-building with your grantees and partners. Philanthropy is situated uniquely within this landscape, certainly as stakeholders, but also as actors and ideally, as partners and allies to strategists, organizers and leaders of movements for social, racial and economic justice who are forging a strategic path forward amidst many adversities. The first step in our allyship as funders is listening to what our community partners (your grantees) are facing, learning about their strategies to overcome obstacles and build power, and mobilizing adequate resources for them to be able to carry out their plan to win.

Key Dates & Deadlines

There have been many changes over the last several years to California’s elections administration, including the implementation of universal vote-by-mail.

October 7, 2024: Local elections offices across the state started mailing ballots to all registered California voters.
October 8, 2024: Ballot drop off locations opened.
October 26, 2024: Early in-person voting centers in all Voters Choice Act counties open.
October 21, 2024: The last day to register for the election.
November 5, 2024: ELECTION DAY! Vote-by-mail ballots must be postmarked on or before November 5th.
November 12, 2024: Vote-by-mail ballots must be received.

For more information, please visit the California Secretary of State Elections and Voter Information page.

Ballot Guides

Nonpartisan Ballot Information

To find out what’s on the ballot in your local community, you can find your nonpartisan, personalized voter guide here.
To learn more about the context, implications, proponents and opponents of the 10 statewide ballot propositions, and what’s at stake this election season, please check out Cal Matters 2024 Voter Guide.

NCG Member and Community Positions & Perspectives: We’re excited to highlight the work of NCG members and movement partners to shed light on the impacts of proposed statewide ballot measures.

San Francisco Foundation: Check out the San Francisco Foundation’s 2024 SFF Elections Guide, with their analysis and recommendations on a few key state and local measures in East Palo Alto, San Francisco, Fairfax, Larkspur, and San Anselmo.
United Way of the Bay Area: United Way Bay Area’s 2024 Greater Bay Area Voter Guide explains their recommendations through the lens of their public policy agenda and community programs and covers several statewide propositions and local measures across Alameda, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties.
Courage California: Statewide democracy and power building organizations have also issued ballot measure guides. Here are a couple of organizations we want to lift up: Courage California unites and equips Californians to hold leaders accountable and take courageous action for change. Here’s their blog post “explainer,” and recommendations on the ten state measures.
PowerCA Action: PowerCA Action advances a progressive agenda for justice and equity for all Californians by engaging, mobilizing and building the leadership of young voters of color and their families. They’ve produced this graphic guide to the 2024 statewide ballot measures.