The State Voices network is a multiracial, multiethnic and multicultural community of advocates, activists and organizers committed to building people power to transform the lives of our communities — especially those who experience oppression. We believe that a healthy democracy is one in which everyone is engaged, represented, listened to and supported regardless of race, gender, immigration status, sexuality, ability, religion, or class.

Our network of nonpartisan state coalitions, called “tables,” works with hundreds of grassroots organizations to break down barriers to civic participation and to bring underrepresented and marginalized populations?and their issues?to the center of public discourse. State Voices tables connect these groups to one another and to organizations from different sectors, creating multicultural, multi-issue coalitions that can leverage their collective power to transform our democracy. You can read more about this work here. Additionally, through our Tools for All program, we provide participating organizations with access to data and technology to help them engage more effectively with their communities and with one another. Many of our partners are grassroots organizations that represent marginalized communities. Our mission commits us in particular to building the strength of leaders and organizations from these communities and giving them an equal voice within our coalitions. In this way, we seek to model the equity we wish to see in our democracy.

State Voices strengthens democracy through the grassroots organizations that sit at our tables. We guide and oversee collaborative programs, provide access to data and technology tools, and support our tables through our capacity building programs. Democracy State Voices fights for our democracy by bolstering its foundational elements. Our democracy work focuses on three key areas: civic access, civic engagement, and civic representation. Tools For All Through our Tools For All program, State Voices provides 501(c)(3) organizations in all 50 states and the District of Columbia with access to data and technology tools that help them more effectively engage with their communities and one another. Capacity Building State Voices strengthens grassroots organizations and their leaders through rigorous, data-driven planning and support.

At State Voices, we are committed to promoting equity, particularly racial equity and gender equity. We strive to practice this commitment in all our work—from our offices to the field, from our programs to our theory of change. Our democracy must represent the interests of all of us. There must be civic leaders of all backgrounds, from all walks of life, to truly have a political system that works for the greater good. We believe that centering the leadership, experiences, voice, and votes of Black people, Indigenous people, and other people of color (BIPOC), women, low-income and young people is the path to power and a thriving democracy. We are pro-TLGBQIA+, pro-BIPOC, pro-immigrant justice and pro-disability justice. We center the needs of currently and formerly incarcerated people, low income, underemployed, and working-class people across the country in cities, suburbs, and rural communities. We believe that a healthy democracy is one in which everyone is engaged, represented, listened to, and supported regardless of race, gender, immigration status, sexuality, ability, religion, or class. We are committed to challenging ourselves—and the institutions around us—to ensure no one is left behind in our fight for a better world.

Since our founding in 2008, we have grown to an affiliated network of 23 permanent state Tables, recorded banner years for 501c3 civic engagement involving over 900 nonprofit organizations, and collectively saved the movement over $200 million in technology access costs and fees.