Today the Democratic National Committee is announcing a $150,000 grant to the Democratic Party of Wisconsin to help with base community organizing ahead of the 2018 midterm elections. Specifically, this investment will be used to increase organizing capacity in communities of color, including African American, Latino, and Hmong communities in Milwaukee and Dane Counties, as well as outreach to Native American communities around the state.
Combining traditional boots-on-the-ground organizing with innovative digital and technological tools, these investments will support the DNC’s IWillVote initiative, which aims to reach 50 million voters by Election Day. This new investment is in addition to the $100,000 already awarded to the Democratic Party of Wisconsin through the State Party Innovation Fund.
Most recently, the DNC announced a multimillion-dollar investment, which includes a nationwide cell-phone acquisition, a complete overhaul of the party’s data for voter-registration targeting and further data investments for the party’s voter-protection efforts. As part of the DNC’s IWillVote program, the DNC plans to launch a six-figure digital ad buy across the country to encourage Americans — with a focus on sporadic voters, especially those who dropped off in 2014 from 2012 — to commit to vote this November.
“The new DNC has been working tirelessly to support our state parties, motivate voters to get to the polls, and organize around issues that matter for country’s future,” said DNC Chair Tom Perez. “We are investing in our base communities and putting organizers on the ground across the country because we know that’s the only way we’ll win. This investment will help ensure that Democrats are talking to voters in every community, and make sure that activists and candidates have the new tools and resources they need to succeed. The DNC is proud to partner with our state parties to expand our engagement in all communities and support Democratic candidates running up and down the ticket.”
“Wisconsin Democrats are committed to fighting for working families and ensuring we make the necessary investments to move our state forward. We’ve seen the lengths Scott Walker will go to deny Wisconsinites their right to vote, and our work to reach out to our young voters and communities of color to ensure that their voices and concerns are heard at the polls is more important than ever,” said DPW Chair Martha Laning. “The recent elections have shown us that Wisconsin voters are rejecting the Republican agenda and they’re hungry for Democratic leaders who share their values. Wisconsin Dems are focused on talking to people across the state about solutions that will improve their lives, like new investments in our public schools, ensuring clean drinking water, fixing our roads and reducing health care costs. We’re lucky to have a champion like Chair Perez and the collaborative help of the DNC, which shares our commitment to mobilizing voters in every corner of Wisconsin and electing Democrats up and down the ticket in November.”
To date, the DNC has awarded 41 states and territories with grants through the State Party Innovation Fund. This is in addition to the $10,000-a-month investment that state parties receive through our Every ZIP Code Counts program.
