July 2016
To:
Interested Parties
From: Austin Belali, Director, Youth Engagement Fund/Youth Engagement Action Fund
Re:
Winning Investment Strategy for Youth Voter Mobilization in 2016
_____________________________________________________________________
With the 2016 elections on the horizon, a growing number of progressive donors recognize
the importance of targeted outreach to and engagement of the millennials. In 2016, there
are 10 states where youth turnout could be a decisive factor in the outcome of the
presidential race. Youth participation in the primaries has been surprisingly even when
compared to 2008. However, there has been little enthusiasm among younger voters for the
Presidential front-runners of either party according to exit polling.1
Debt, unemployment (or underemployment), globalization, and rising housing prices all
contribute to depressed incomes and economic prospects for millions of young people,
resulting in unprecedented inequality between generations. A young person in the United
States between the ages of 25 and 29 is poorer than their equivalent generation 10, 20, and
even 30 years ago2 and Americans under the age of 30 are now poorer than most retired
people. This is first time in history that the incomes of young adults have fallen so far when
compared with the rest of society. And perhaps most tellingly, these measures of inequality
are exacerbated when race is included in the analysis.
Ten States Where
Youth Turnout Could
Be Decisive in 2016:
Iowa
New Hampshire
Pennsylvania
Ohio
Colorado
Wisconsin
Virginia
Florida
North Carolina
Nevada
Source: Center for
Information and Research
on Civic Learning &
Engagement (CIRCLE)
Research indicates that younger voters are more likely to be motivated by issues than candidate choice.3 Given
the lack of enthusiasm younger voters are displaying toward the front-runners, an issue-driven focus connected to
frustrations about inequality is likely the key to maximizing youth voter turnout in the general election.
We must be more creative, more thoughtful, and more strategic in our youth engagement work and we cannot
assume that the ‘tried and true’ kinds of civic participation messaging will have the desired outcomes. This is
where the YEF can play a critical role. The fund provides high-impact investment opportunities for donors who
understand the political power and potential that lies with millennials but may need information about which
organizations to support and how to prioritize limited resources.
WHAT THE YOUTH ENGAGEMENT FUND PROVIDES
Targeted support for youth-led organizations informed by the latest evidence can drive millennial turnout in the
states where young people are most likely to impact the outcome of the 2016 presidential and senate races.
1
Kiesa, Abby. "Record-Breaking Youth Turnout Continues; Clinton and Trump Still Lagging with Young Voters." THE CENTER
FOR INFORMATION & RESEARCH ON CIVIC LEARNING AND ENGAGEMENT. March 16, 2016. Accessed March 16, 2016.
http://civicyouth.org/.
2
Barr, Caelanin, and Shiv Malik. "Revealed: The 30-year Economic Betrayal Dragging Down Generation Y’s Income." Guardian
Online. March 7, 2016. Accessed March 7, 2016. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/mar/07/revealed-30-yeareconomic-betrayal-dragging-down-generation-y-income.
3
Kiesa, Abby. "How Do Young People Decide Who to Vote For?" THE CENTER FOR INFORMATION & RESEARCH ON CIVIC
LEARNING AND ENGAGEMENT. July 20, 2015. Accessed July 20, 2015. http://civicyouth.org/how-do-young-people-decidewho-to-vote-for/.
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In the coming months, the YEF will:



Coordinate $30 million in IE spending for millennial turnout
Provide capacity-building and technical assistance to take youth voter engagement programs to the next
level; and
Optimize targeted funding in priority states where you are electorally significant.
The YEF has prepared a menu of high-impact, youth-focused organizations with core capacities to drive turnout in
the 2016 presidential election. YEF uses a highly data-driven approach and base our recommendations on the
Youth Electoral Significance Index, which provides data on states where youth are poised to have a
disproportionately high electoral impact on the presidential race in 2016.
The index was the result of research commissioned by the YEF earlier this cycle through our work with CIRCLE, the
leading source of research on youth civic and political engagement, and the results are quite compelling. NPR
posted a story about the Index on their main Facebook page, where the story has been shared 6,995 times to
date.4
Using this data, along with research about messaging, organizing, and mobilizing youth the YEF is able to fill gaps
and provide capacity-building and technical assistance to organizations developing their programs.
STRATEGIES
The YEF’s strategies to turnout millennial voters ages 18-29 is aligned with the Democracy Alliance’s 2020 State
Funds, State Voices and America Votes.

National Mobilization and Turnout: support groups with a track record of working across multiple states
to drive youth voter turnout and persuasion programming in key places.

State/Local Mobilization and Turnout: support groups with a track record of working in a single
state/locality to drive youth voter turnout and persuasion programming in key places.

Electoralizing the Movement: support groups working to change the issue framing of the 2016 election
through direct action and other forms of media-driven organizing.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR INVESTMENT
There is tremendous opportunity for small grants that can have exceptional impact on the ground this coming
cycle. Building on the above three strategies, the YEF has created a menu of investment recommendations for the
first $625,000 worth of spending between now and June. The YEF is currently coordinating with other entities to
develop a plan for an additional $2.5 million in investments.
The national and state anchor organizations the Fund recommends do not cover the full scope of vibrant youth
engagement efforts around the election. So we have included a small tactical pool of resources to support efforts
such as Black Lives Matter, the fossil fuel divestment movement, and the Dreamers where their efforts align with
the target states.
4
"The 10 States Where Millennials Could Sway The Election." National Public Radio. February 24, 2016. Accessed February
24, 2016. http://www.npr.org/2016/02/24/462948346/the-10-states-where-millennials-could-sway-the-election.
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SUCCESS TO DATE
Last year, the YEF helped to build civic engagement capacity among newer social-justice oriented groups in key
states. For example, the YEF gave a grant to the Southern Vision Alliance (SVA) for a holistic year-round
engagement program to build lasting infrastructure for Integrated Voter Engagement and link relevant issuebased campaigns with GOTV goals. The YEF made a $50,000.00 investment which resulted in an additional statewide campus organizer for voter outreach efforts across North Carolina.
In addition, the YEF has supported high-performing national voter registration and turnout group like the Bus
Federation. This kind of support at both the local and national level has resulted in early funding for groups to
start identifying, recruiting, registering and educating younger voters about the election. As referenced above, we
commissioned the Youth Electoral Significance Index to provide data-driven metrics to inform our investment
strategy.
Finally, in 2016, the YEF convened more than 29 youth-serving organizations and 50 organizational leaders at the
AFL-CIO last November. The table will reconvene in 2016. The group participated in a discussion around the
landscape and opportunities to engage millennials in the 2016 elections. This conversation was about building
coalitions and aligning our work to improve youth involvement in the 2016 elections. The YEF identified the core
capacities of youth-focused organizations in key states for 2016.
About the YEF Director
Austin Belali comes to philanthropy from community and labor
organizing at the intersections of working-class issues and issues
facing young people of color. He currently serves on the board of
CASA, a low-income immigrant membership organization. In 2014,
Austin successfully led an effort at SEIU to build the core civic
engagement capacities of youth-focused organizations in swing
states.
YEF ADVISORY BOARD
Allison Barlow, Wallace Global Fund
Anne Summers, Brico Fund
Alethia Jones, 1199UHE
Cuong Hoang, Mott Philanthropic
Frank Smith, Democracy Alliance
Ian Simmons (Chair), Foundation for Civic Leadership
and DA Partner
Julie Kohler, Democracy Alliance
Keesha Gaskins, Rockefeller Brothers Fund
Bill Vandenberg, Open Society Foundations
Brett Cooper, National Education Association
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Austin Belali
[email protected]
202-412-3014
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