ABOUT US:
Through year-round nonpartisan education, leadership development, advocacy, and deep collaboration, we create pathways for meaningful local civic participation — informing, connecting and activating you to be the ones.
OUR MISSION:
Be The Ones is a nonpartisan grassroots organization building healthier communities, a more equitable democracy, and expanding power by removing barriers to local civic participation across South Carolina.
WHAT WE DO:
Our work is rooted in and built with community.
To remove barriers to local civic participation, we first have to understand them.
So we go to the source. We ask. We listen. And we keep listening.
Grounded in lived experience, we co-create solutions that increase civic understanding, motivate engagement, and cultivate a culture of accessible, inclusive, sustainable — and joyful — participation.
We blend relational organizing and movement-building with creativity, imagination, storytelling, art, music, food, and culture as core civic methods that cultivate agency — helping people see themselves as active shapers of their communities — while creating a strong sense of place and possibility.
We foster curiosity, joy, and experimentation — piloting and testing tools, tactics, and creative civic experiments to discover what truly moves people to show up and build lasting people-power.
THREE STRATEGIES. TWO PROGRAMS. ONE MISSION
CORE STRATEGIES:
Be The Ones expands participation, shifts systems, and builds shared power by removing barriers to local civic lifeL:
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PARTICIPATION
Creating clear, supported pathways for people to show up with the information, relationships, and confidence needed to engage
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SYSTEMS CHANGE
Making civic systems more transparent, accessible, and accountable, and equipping communities to shape the policies and decisions that affect their lives
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POWER
Growing leadership, relationships, and collective capacity so communities can act and lead together — not just once, but over time
CORE PROGRAMS:
Our strategies come to life through two connected programs:
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YOUNG LEADERS PROGRAM
Developing and investing in the rising generation of civic leaders
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CIVIC LEARNING & PARTICIPATION PROGRAM
Strengthening civic knowledge, systems & infrastructure that make participation possible
OUR APPROACH:
What we do matters. How we do it is what sets us apart.
Be The Ones uses creativity, imagination, and culture as core civic methods — inviting people into civic life and making complex systems more accessible and understandable. We create spaces where participation feels social, connected, and celebrated.
For us, civic engagement isn’t transactional. It’s relational. It’s cultural. It’s deeply human.
We treat imagination as strategy, creativity as a tool, and co-creation as a form of power.
We center joy because joy builds trust. Joy builds belonging. Joy builds staying power.
Joy isn’t extra — it’s foundational. It’s fuel. It’s resistance.
THE RESULT:
Communities across South Carolina are strong, resilient & thriving because our systems and structures are built to support equitable access to resources and opportunities. Justice for all is achieved.
17 year-old from Colleton County, SC
“Thank you for coming and talking about voting. No one has ever asked me if I want to vote and why before. I feel like my voice meant something.”
Our Story:
How It Started…
Be The Ones began in 2020 as a volunteer effort born out of two conversations. Beth didn’t see the importance of voting or why she should participate. Anne kept hearing “local elections matter,” but couldn’t figure out why a coroner race was worthy of attention or where to find information on wtf the coroner does. We asked: “what could happen if we tried to help people by providing information they needed to participate, connected the dots to issues they care about, uplifted lived experiences…and built a community that had some fun?”
How It’s Going…
Be The Ones has engaged in thousands of conversations to identify civic pain points, listen to lived experiences and determine what folks really need in order to participate. We’ve engaged with the civically curious, civically engaged, and civically disinterested. We’ve run unique experiments, launched programs that have flopped and ones that’ve brought new voices into civic spaces. We’ve activated 500,000+ across the Southeast and we’re just getting started.
Will you join us in being the ones?
OUR IMPACT:
OUR PURPOSE:
We believe informed and engaged citizens are our greatest assets for solving the most critical problems in our communities.
Yet our current political and social systems were built to include, privilege, and prioritize certain groups — resulting in inequitable representation and policies that disadvantage and harm.
It doesn’t have to be this way.
Be The Ones understands the importance and urgency of voting, especially at the local level). But healthy communities and advancing racial & social justice requires more than showing up every 4 years. To achieve our mission and actualize our vision, we must address the root causes created and perpetuated by systemic racism, white supremacy, and patriarchy.
That means participating within our systems while also working to change them.
We’re committed to informing, connecting, and activating communities to reimagine, dismantle, and rebuild our political, economic and social structures that shape our lives — and to shift power to where it belongs.
We are committed to being the ones.
LEADERSHIP TEAM:
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Cate Mayer (she/her)
Founder & Executive Director
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Anna Long (they/them)
Program Director
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Dylan Gunnels (he/him)
Advocacy & Community Organizing Director
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Munir Meghjani (he/him)
Southeast Partnerships Director
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This Could Be You
We’re expanding our team soon! Interested in learning more? Email us: hello@betheones.org.
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This Could Be You
We’re expanding our internship programs and would love to learn more about you! Email us: hello@betheones.org
We also have the privilege and honor to work with a team of folks - from talented designers to technology geniuses and community organizers - that allow us to fulfill our mission.
LOCAL CHAMPIONS COUNCIL FOUNDING MEMBERS:
Kyle Brantley
Jessica Casagrande
Eduardo Curry
Samuel Grant
Lucas Jackson
Adrienne Lett
Davis McNeill
Madison Price
Haley Sabados
Champions Council Members Announced Soon!
MEMBERSHIPS & PARTNERSHIPS:
SC VOTING RIGHTS COALITION
SC HEALTHY FAMILIES COALITION
COMMUNITY ACCOUNTABLE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT COHORT
GET INVOLVED:
Join us in being the ones who shape the communities and democracy we want to be a part of.
