To each of you that chose to
BE THE ONES
in your communities this year,
THANK YOU.

Join us in taking a moment to celebrate, together.

Over the course of 4 months, we:

  • Reached 43,000 through our Vote Local Campaign

  • Worked alongside 38 local partners

  • Spanning 30 states

  • Hosted 5 in person and virtual events

  • Prioritized investing $11,000 directly back into local communities

And, we’re just getting started.

We’re grateful and honored to be in this moment together; working to engage, inform and activate our communities across the country so they’re ready and prepared to participate in local civic activities - from the ballot box to the pesky pothole down the street.

Join us in supporting our work to continue creating and expanding opportunities in
2023 and beyond.

Why Be The Ones

State and local elected officials and governments shape our lives. They make decisions impacting everything from kids’ education, closing the racial wealth gap, expanding healthcare, and voter access.

And, yet:

  • 80% of eligible voters don’t vote in local elections

  • 4 in 10 say not knowing the role of Secretary of State or State Attorney General prevents them from participating in civic activities

  • 33% admit to guessing at random when voting on down-ballot races 

  • 36% say they have left the bottom portion of their ballot blank when voting

Be The Ones creates opportunities for community driven conversations and learning by providing factual & relevant information on local government, issues like reproductive justice, education, criminal justice, and voting access that meets folks where they are, and leads to sustainable, ongoing and community centered local civic participation.

  • 550,000 +

    Number of state and local elected officials across the country.

  • 96 %

    Of all government officials are elected locally.

  • $3 Trillion

    The amount of local government spending state and local officials control the annually.

  • "I didn't realize how much my vote mattered until one of my local races was decided by just 16 votes. My vote meant we were going to have better school programs for my son and his classmates."

    -Brendan, North Carolina

  • "Mis padres y mi familia votan, pero sólo porque paso muchas horas ayudándoles a entender por qué su voto es importante. No sólo dedico tiempo a ayudarles antes de las elecciones, sino que tengo que dedicar muchas horas a encontrar la información para compartirla con ellos - y casi no existe información sobre los cargos de nuestra ciudad que pueda encontrar para ayudar a entender lo que hacen estas personas."

    -Kimberly, Florida

  • "I always hear "vote local," "local elections matter" - but what does that mean? Where is the information helping me understand why local elections matter and how these people impact my life. If I knew more I would probably care more."

    -Alyson, New York

Who We Are

Be The Ones is a nonpartisan organization revolutionizing local civic participation through accessible, creative (and fun!) education and mobilization campaigns.

We’re writing a new playbook for local civic engagement by building a first-of-its-kind hub to help constituents understand the who, what, and why of local government and lead community engagement efforts to connect the dots to issues important to them and empower action.

Knowledge is power. When we provide information that’s easy to understand, engaging, and relatable, constituents become actively invested in the future of their communities.

Together, we’re shaping the communities and democracy we want to be a part of.

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Support Our Work

Your financial investment allows us to build our programs, reach more folks across the country, and support the ones powering this work. Thank you for investing in Be The Ones.