The Andrew Goodman Foundation (AGF), a New Jersey based national 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to increase student voter participation and access to the ballot box, will embark on a major expansion of its signature Andrew Goodman Vote Everywhere (VE) program with the goal of doubling its reach to 2.5 million college and university students ahead of the 2020 elections. The VE program partners with colleges and universities across the nation to provide resources, visibility, and mentoring to a network of student leaders who work to increase civic participation among their peers through voter registration, long-term voter engagement, and public policy. Currently, AGF partners with 60 campuses reaching over 1 million college and university students. Through the expansion, the organization will grow its campus network to 140 institutions including more Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) and Community Colleges.

“The 2020 elections are pivotal for our nation. Many of the critical issues facing our country will have the biggest impact on our youth, which is why it is crucial that their voices are heard at the ballot box,” explained David Goodman, President of The Andrew Goodman Foundation. “While our expansion strategy is focused on reaching a diverse array of students all over the country, we are especially focused on students from Southern and Midwestern states, in particular states where students have been historically disenfranchised. To this end, our goal is to substantially grow our presence in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wisconsin. With our expansion, over 50% of students attending Andrew Goodman Vote Everywhere Campuses will be in the South.”

“Our movement to increase student voting and improve political equity is about to get bigger and stronger. As evidenced in 2018, young Americans are voting in record numbers and becoming a powerful force, and our campus partners are leading the way. Since 2014, Andrew Goodman Vote Everywhere Campuses have increased their voter turnout rates by as much as 23% according to data from the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE) conducted by Tufts University. This new expansion strategy will allow us to build on our successes and realize the promise that the youth vote holds for strengthening our democracy—in 2020 and beyond,” added Karena Cronin, Program Director of The Andrew Goodman Foundation.

As part of the expansion effort, AGF is launching new levels of engagement within its Andrew Goodman Vote Everywhere Network. The new campuses will be invited to join the organization at the Member, Partner, or Leader engagement levels and each will receive varying degrees of financial support, advisory services, access to AGF’s online student voting portal (my.VoteEverywhere), training, branded giveaways, and other civic and voter engagement resources. These new pathways of engagement will enable increased peer-to-peer learning and training that will help The Andrew Goodman Foundation achieve its goal of increasing student voter participation in the 2020 elections and beyond.

About The Andrew Goodman Foundation

The Andrew Goodman Foundation’s mission is to make young voices and votes a powerful force in democracy by training the next generation of leaders, engaging young voters, and challenging restrictive voter suppression laws. The Foundation’s Vote Everywhere program partners with America’s colleges and universities to provide resources, visibility, and mentoring to a national network of student leaders who involve their peers in participatory democracy through long-term voter engagement, public policy, and social justice initiatives. The organization is named after Andrew Goodman, a 20-year old Freedom Summer volunteer, and champion of equality and voting rights who was murdered by the KKK in 1964 while registering African Americans to vote in Mississippi.