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 the Southeast.

550,000 +

Number of state and local elected officials across the country.
99 %

Of all government officials are elected locally.
$3 Trillion

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

WHY LOCAL:

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 registered voters do not
vote in local elections

4in10

say not knowing the role of Secretary of State prevents them from participating

58%

decrease in local civic meeting attendance over last 20 years

BE THE ONES:

We cannot meaningfully improve peoples lives and communities without addressing the civic information and participation health crisis.

This is where Be The Ones comes in.

Civic participation is an essential component of a healthy democracy and well-functioning society. But, it’s hard to participate if you don’t know when elections are, elected leaders’ jobs & how their decisions impact issues we care about. How can you advocate for better outcomes if you don’t know how systems work. It’s impossible to run for office if you don’t know what you’re running for?

We work to identify and close local civic information and participation gaps.

Our programs aim to inform, connect, and activate so you can participate - from the ballot box to fixing that pesky pothole.

While we believe every person deserves access to information & opportunities, our programs are designed to expand power among systemically excluded communities.

LEARN MORE

To each of you that chose to BE THE ONES in your communities in 2023, THANK YOU.

OUR IMPACT

"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
"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
"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