There are only three states with a law restricting former felons’ right to vote, and in Florida, the problem is at its worst. In 2017, Tides Advocacy partnered with the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition to get the Voting Restoration Amendment (Amendment 4) on the ballot. They are now inspiring a movement of thousands locally and nationally.

Lead Locally joined Tides Advocacy in 2016 to engage and organize around local elections that don’t get very much attention or resources in areas where pollution impacts will be disproportionately felt by low-income communities and communities of color. Their community organizing is stopping fossil fuel projects before they get started. “No one else offers the kind and level of support that Tides Advocacy does around c4 and electoral work.”

The environmental movement has historically been white-led and is only now starting to address racial justice in its work. Tides Advocacy provided multi-year seed funding, strategic support, and fiscal sponsorship to create CEJA Action, which works with community-based environmental justice groups to increase their electoral power. CEJA Action is now a strong presence in Sacramento, taking positions on state measures and helping elect environmental justice champions into office.