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Civic Engagement

The John Merck Fund's Civic Engagement Program was eliminated at the end of 2009. See below for a recent history of grants made in that program.

2008 Grants

Civic Engagement

Center for Civic Participation	$100,000
To support State Voices, which supports and connects the efforts of nonpartisan state-based civic and voter engagement networks to improve their coordination and communication, engage underrepresented citizens, and establish collective action around common issue agendas.

Center for Community Change	$100,000
To promote civic participation on the part of underrepresented constituencies, and to increase the number of low-income people who vote and become fully engaged in American democracy.

Engage Maine	$150,000
To build an integrated, permanent progressive infrastructure comprised of research, new tools for common use, issue framing and message discipline, and policy and leadership development programs that are of sufficient scale and ability to influence policy outcomes in Maine.

Fair Elections Legal Network	$75,000
To build an integrated, permanent progressive infrastructure comprised of research, new tools for common use, issue framing and message discipline, and policy and leadership development programs that are of sufficient scale and ability to influence policy outcomes in Maine.

HeadCount, Inc.	$50,000
To register over 100,000 youth voters at music events and concerts across the country and build their commitment to civic engagement.

League of Conservation Voters Education Fund	$100,000
To increase civic participation among citizens motivated by environmental issues by promoting early voting and absentee voting programs.

Minnesota Council of Nonprofits	$100,000
To build the capacity of America's nonprofit sector to participate in civic engagement, and to increase participation by traditionally underrepresented constituencies.

National Student Campaign for Voter Registration	$75,000
To support Student PIRGs' New Voters Project, which will increase civic engagement among young people in 2008 and in the years to come through nonpartisan voter registration and mobilization drives.

New Organizing Institute	$100,000
To help civic engagement and other progressive groups take advantage of the latest advances in Internet and other new technologies.

Project Vote	$100,000
To help register low-income voters for the November elections and engage, educate and mobilize new and infrequent voters through nonpartisan get-out-the-vote strategies.

See 2007 Grants

See 2006 Grants

See 2005 Grants