Blue yard sign with white letters posted on a lawn, reads VOTE VOTE Please VOTE.
Blue yard sign with white letters posted on a lawn, reads VOTE VOTE Please VOTE. Credit: Frank Lewis / Signal Cleveland

Cleveland VOTES’ 2023 annual report, titled “Defending Our Democracy,” was designed in the bright, bold colors and imagery of classic comic books. In an introductory letter, Executive Director Erika Anthony explained why.

“Fostering a social fabric that embraces the voices of those historically and systematically silenced requires grit and tenacity (and maybe a few superpowers),” Anthony said. “Even when there is a loss or things don’t seem to be going our way, we press forward.”

In that spirit, the voter engagement and civic education organization is now accepting applications for another round of grants from its Equitable Civic Engagement Fund. The ECEF supports nonprofit organizations committed to educating, connecting and empowering voting-age residents in Greater Cleveland.

The grants are not limited to organizations that focus only on voter engagement.

“We seek organizations that are committed to democracy building, racial equity, and participatory practices,” according to the annual report. “Ultimately, we seek to shift power while catalyzing innovation and inclusive strategies to strengthen the social fabric of our community.”

In 2023, Cleveland VOTES distributed 24 grants of between $2,000 and $8,000, to organizations such as Greater Cleveland Congregations, Council on American-Islamic Relations (Ohio), Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless and The Buckeye Flame. These grants supported a wide range of initiatives, including:

• Producing educational voting materials in languages other than English

• Hosting voter engagement pop-up events

• Organizing educational civic programming for local youth

• Holding a candidate forum about LGBTQ+ issues

• Training young adults to register voters

• Providing voting information at a wage theft clinic

There are three categories of grants: Capacity Building; Activate + Mobilize; and Educate + Connect. They are explained in detail on the application page.

Applications are due May 10. Cleveland VOTES will host four, one-hour technical assistance sessions for interested organizations, on April 25 (5:30 p.m.), April 30 (6 p.m.), May 7 (12 p.m.) and May 9 (9 a.m.) These sessions are free, but registration is required.For more information, email Cleveland VOTES at [email protected].

Associate Editor and Director of the Editors’ Bureau (he/him)
Important stories are hiding everywhere, and my favorite part of journalism has always been the collaboration, working with colleagues to find the patterns in the information we’re constantly gathering. I don’t care whose name appears in the byline; the work is its own reward. As Batman said to Commissioner Gordon in “The Dark Knight,” “I’m whatever Gotham needs me to be.”