09/24/2018
Latino Foundation of San Antonio Supports Voter Turnout in San Antonio -- Grant for MOVE Texas to Host “Party at the Polls”
SAN ANTONIO (Sep. 25, 2018) – The Latino Foundation of San Antonio has granted $7,500 to MOVE Texas for hosting two “Party at the Polls” events on Election Day (November 6, 2018) for historically low-voting neighborhoods in west San Antonio. MOVE Texas is a grassroots, nonpartisan nonprofit organization that engages youth communities through civic education and leadership development.
“MOVE Texas has pioneered site-based mobilization in Texas,” said Ramon Contreras, Board Member with the Latino Foundation of San Antonio. “Our fund is investing in this organization because it has proven to register more Latinx voters and increase Latinx turnout in targeted communities,” said Mr. Contreras. Over the last five years, MOVE’s youth organizers and volunteers have registered over 30,000 new voters and helped increase voter turnout in the 2017 San Antonio municipal election by 300%.
MOVE Texas organizers will knock on every door in the two precincts they are targeting during the month of September, attempting to register new voters before the October 7, 2018 deadline. They will distribute bilingual flyers for their Party at the Polls to invite local residents to participate in these events. On Election Day, MOVE Texas will host two separate parties for each target precinct. Each event will feature food, games, music, and nonpartisan voter information.
“We appreciate the Latino Foundation of San Antonio’s grant supporting our voter turnout work, and we anticipate great results,” said Drew Galloway, Executive Director of MOVE Texas. “Through a partnership with Columbia University, we will be collecting data to analyze the effects of our efforts, comparing voter turnout to the 2014 midterm election,” said Mr. Galloway. For the 2016 Presidential Election, MOVE Texas’ mobilization events increased voter turnout by 6% in two target precincts.
New voters often have a range of anxieties about casting their first ballot from voter registration to voter ID to election day regulations. New voters of all ages need to be provided civic education and a safe space to ask questions about the voting process. These outreach efforts inspire confidence in new voters to cast their ballot and participate in our democracy.
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The mission of the Latino Foundation of San Antonio (Latino Foundation) is to enhance Latino economic, cultural, civic and philanthropic leadership that reflects the population of the Latino community in San Antonio. The organization, a community outreach fund of the San Antonio Area Foundation, was founded in 2007 as the South Texas Hispanic Fund and changed its name in 2018. The Latino Foundation works to increase the representation of Latinos at the board and C-suite level of private corporations, grantmaking to nonprofit organizations that celebrate the cultural art of the Latino community, training the next generation of Latinos for civic engagement and leadership, and strengthening Latino involvement in philanthropy. For more information, visit
http://saafdn.org/Impact/EngagingDiverseCommunities/LatinoFoundationofSanAntonio.aspx.
MOVE Texas is a grassroots, nonpartisan nonprofit organization building power in underrepresented youth communities through civic education, leadership development, and issue advocacy. Founded in 2013 by young people for young people, MOVE -- an acronym for Mobilize - Organize - Vote - Empower -- started as a student organization on the campus of The University of Texas at San Antonio. Over the last five years, MOVE’s youth organizers, fellows, interns, and volunteers have registered over 30,000 new young voters and helped increase youth turnout in the 2017 San Antonio municipal election by 300%. In 2018, MOVE Texas expanded to Laredo, Seguin, San Marcos, and Austin. For more information, visit https://movesanantonio.org/.
The San Antonio Area Foundation has served as the sole, designated community foundation for the San Antonio area for over half a century, growing to become one of the Top 20 foundations in the nation based on asset size. The Area Foundation helps donors achieve their charitable goals, managing more than 500 charitable funds approaching $1 billion in assets. Coordinating efforts with numerous area nonprofits, the Area Foundation serves as a collaborative leader, connecting donors to address key community issues and investing in our future. Since 1964, over $400 million for scholarships and grants have been awarded to enhance the quality of life in our region. Learn more about your community foundation at saafdn.org.
The South Texas Hispanic Fund of the San Antonio Area Foundation builds and strengthens the Hispanic community's involvement in philanthropy.
