Feel Good Friday - U.S. Vote Foundation

Election Day is November 3, just 11 days away, so this week I'm featuring U.S. Vote Foundation.

Founded in 2005 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, the mission of U.S. Vote Foundation (US Vote) is "Every Citizen is a Voter." The goal is open access to voter information so every citizen can easily take part in democracy. It began as Overseas Vote, helping Americans abroad cast ballots, and now serves domestic, overseas and military voters alike.

Voting rules differ across all 50 states and more than 7,900 local election offices, resulting in many people who want to vote feeling unsure how, where or when to do it.

US Vote's free, nonpartisan website clears up that confusion. The Am I Registered? tool sends you straight to your official state lookup. The site also produces state-specific absentee ballot request forms and lists your local election office and key dates and deadlines. The Voter Journey Map turns your situation into a personalized how-to-vote checklist and the Voter Help Desk answers individual voting questions. Overseas Vote offers the same help to citizens abroad and military families.

US Vote has had a big impact. In 2024, 5.6 million voters were welcomed on its websites, nearly double the number in 2020! Through five presidential elections, US Vote and Overseas Vote have helped tens of millions of voters figure out the how, where and when of voting. Its civic data is also licensed to more than 50 organizations, including the League of Women Voters and the U.S. Postal Service.

With Election Day close, here's how US Vote can help. If you're voting by mail, check the Ballot Return Options chart for your state, then track your ballot with Where's My Ballot?. If you're heading to the polls, use the Polling Place Finder and review your state's voter ID rules.

Sharing these tools with a friend who has questions is one way you can support US Vote, and there are many others. You can make a donation, become a monthly Foundation Member, and amplify their message on social media. Follow US Vote on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or YouTube and share their voter tools with your network.

Happy voting!

Feel Good Friday - Esperanza United

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a time to support survivors and the advocates standing beside them, which is why I'm featuring Esperanza United.

Founded in 1982 and headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota, the mission of Esperanza United (formerly Casa de Esperanza) is "to mobilize Latinas and Latin@ communities to end gender-based violence." Their vision is "for Latinas, their families, and communities throughout the world to recognize gender-based violence and act to end it by creating communities rooted in honor and respect." The @ in Latin@ is intentional, recognizing the contributions of the entire community.

It all began as an emergency shelter created by a small group of persevering Latinas. Today, Esperanza United's family advocacy in the Twin Cities includes emergency shelter, community-based advocacy, and a 24/7 bilingual crisis line, meeting survivors where they are.

One in three women in the United States experiences domestic violence in their lifetime. That rate is similar across most groups, but the solutions are not, which is why Esperanza United grounds its work in the Latina Advocacy Framework to help Latin@ survivors gain greater safety, connectedness, and self-sufficiency.

On the prevention side, Fuerza Unida Amig@s brings youth, women, men, and gender non-conforming folks together for leadership training and community action projects. Their national campaign, Decimos NO MÁS, gives parents a toolkit for talking with their children about healthy relationships. Esperanza United also provides training, research, and policy advocacy for organizations nationwide.

In fiscal year 2025, Esperanza United delivered 43 trainings that reached nearly 3,500 people, brought culturally relevant approaches to advocates and communities across 20 states and Puerto Rico, and disbursed nearly $12 million in multi-year grants to 30 culturally specific organizations! You can read the full impact report here.

Making a donation is one way you can support Esperanza United, you can also amplify their message on social media. Follow Esperanza United on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or YouTube and share stories of their work.

Finally, if you or anyone you know needs help, or wants to chat with an advocate, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.

Standing with survivors this Domestic Violence Awareness Month. 

Feel Good Friday - Indigenous Environmental Network

This Monday is Indigenous Peoples' Day, a day to honor the histories, cultures, and contributions of Indigenous peoples, so this week I'm spotlighting Indigenous Environmental Network.

Founded in 1990 and headquartered in Bemidji, Minnesota, Indigenous Environmental Network (IEN) is an alliance of Indigenous peoples, with a mission “to Protect the Sacredness of Earth Mother from contamination & exploitation by Respecting and Adhering to Indigenous Knowledge and Natural Law.”

IEN grew out of a 1990 gathering of tribal grassroots youth and Indigenous leaders who were confronting environmental assaults on their lands, resulting in a network that now supports Indigenous communities on climate, energy and environmental justice issues across North America and beyond. Today, IEN builds the capacity of Indigenous communities and tribal governments to protect sacred sites, land, water and air through organizing campaigns, direct actions and public awareness.

IEN's site features the 2026 Banking on Climate Chaos  report on fossil fuel financing. Indigenous Just Transition offers a framework for moving toward an ecologically sustainable economy rooted in Indigenous sovereignty and knowledge.

IEN is also putting those ideas into practice at its Teaching Garden. In June, students from the University of Minnesota and Leech Lake Tribal College wove floating mats from willow and cattails to help restore water quality in Lake Irvine and protect its wild rice, a lake the state lists as impaired. Later this year, the students will return to measure how much pollution the mats have removed. At the garden's annual Roots, Shoots & Seeds Celebration in May, IEN gave away more than 300 seedlings and over 200 seed packets from its Community Seed Library! In early June, staff also visited the Anishinaabe Agriculture Institute, where they toured a horse-powered hemp farm breeding northern-adapted hemp varieties.

If you like what IEN is doing there are many ways you can support them. Making a donation helps fund their work, and you can also give by check, stock transfer or legacy gift. Amplify their message on social media by following IEN on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn, and subscribing to their YouTube channel to share their work with your network.

Wishing you a meaningful Indigenous Peoples' Day!