PHILADELPHIA – MAY 11, 2022 – The Committee of Seventy announced that it will receive grants totaling $850,000 from two foundations that will support its mission to strengthen democracy by building trust in the election process in Pennsylvania.
The William Penn Foundation’s award of $800,000 – the largest single grant ever received by the Committee of Seventy – will help increase Seventy’s reach statewide as a trusted source of nonpartisan, nonpolitical information by expanding its successful WeVote program, supporting election officials, and promoting civics education for students and first-time voters.
“The 2020 election and its aftermath demonstrated how crucial election administrators and civic leadership organizations are to the survival of our democracy,” said Al Schmidt, president and CEO of Committee of Seventy. “With all eyes on Pennsylvania’s upcoming elections, this funding is a strong show of support for the role that the Committee of Seventy will play in strengthening our democracy through meaningful voter education and engagement, and supporting PA election administrators.”
The Committee of Seventy is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that has supported and promoted election integrity and government ethics for more than a century. This grant will fund a significant portion of its work through the next two years.
“This is an investment in the health of our democracy,” said Shawn McCaney, Executive Director of the William Penn Foundation. “It’s more important than ever to cultivate informed and responsible citizenship, and to show support for those who are working to improve civic life for all Pennsylvanians.”
The Texas-based Rapoport Foundation also awarded a $50,000 grant to support Seventy’s work. The Rapoport Foundation funds efforts to make government more responsive and to encourage citizen engagement and civic participation.
About the Committee of Seventy
The Committee of Seventy is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that has promoted, supported and facilitated government ethics and election integrity for more than a century. We believe that elections should be more free, more fair, more safe and more secure. We want every eligible voter to vote, to be informed when they vote, and to vote with confidence.
For more information, find us at: https://live-c70.pantheonsite.io/
About the William Penn Foundation
Founded in 1945 by Otto and Phoebe Haas, the William Penn Foundation’s mission is to improve education for children from low-income families, ensure a sustainable environment, and foster creative communities to enhance civic life and advance philanthropy in the Greater Philadelphia region. The foundation underwrites efforts to build evidence, expand service, improve quality, encourage collaboration, transform systems, or change policy to yield transformational and sustainable improvements.
For more information, go to https://williampennfoundation.org/
About the Rapoport Foundation
Established in 1986, the Bernard & Audre Rapoport Foundation has dedicated over $80 million in grants to improve the social fabric of life. The foundation seeks innovative solutions to intractable and persistent problems by supporting innovation in democracy and civic participation, as well as in education, arts and culture, health, community building and social services.
For more information, go to https://www.rapoportfdn.org/
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Allison Steele
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