Fair Count is an Atlanta-based voter mobilization organization founded in 2000 by former Georgia state legislator and Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams ¹ and Ronald W. Walters, Endowed Chair for Race and Black Politics at Howard University. ²

Fair Count’s president as of 2024 is Jeanine Abrams McLean, the sister of Stacey Abrams. ^{3 4 5}

Background

Fair Count Inc was established in 2000 under the name Third Sector Development Inc by Stacey Abrams, ¹ a former Democratic gubernatorial candidate for governor of Georgia, and Ronald W. Walters, Endowed Chair for Race and Black Politics at Howard University. ² The organization later changed its name to Fair Count in 2019. Abrams served as President/CEO of the group until 2019, ⁶ where she succeeded by her sister, Jeanine Abrams McLean to serve as president. ^{4 7} Rebecca DeHart was appointed as Fair Count’s CEO in 2019. ¹ She accepted the Democratic Party of Georgia’s interim executive director position in 2022 but retained her position with Fair Count at the time. ^{8 9}

In 2020, Fair Count began an initiative to assist with the counting of the 2020 Census. It provided internet portals in rural areas and mobilized local nonprofits and community centers such as churchers to facilitate participation. ³

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Fair Count handed out 273,000 masks and promoted mRNA vaccines for members of the community. It also disseminated packets of “A Community Toolkit for Addressing Health Misinformation” in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). ^{3 10 4}

Activities

Fair Count organizes voter registration and get-out-the-vote (GOTV) drives as well as local events advocating for changes to vote redistricting. The group works with the local chapters of several organizations to manage these activities including the NAACP, Common Cause, and the Lower Muscogee Creek Tribe. ^{3 4}

Fair Count uses a “Faith App” to provide church leaders a platform to inform church members of civic engagement opportunities in their local communities. Fair Count has previously distributed mapping technology for redistricting advocacy and research on organizing techniques. ^{3 4}

Funding

According to its 2020 tax filings, Fair Count’s revenue primarily comes from grants and contributions. ¹ Several of its donors from 2020 include $1,110,330 from Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund, $1,000,000 in grants from Open Society Foundations, $90,000 from the Southern Poverty Law Center and $253,700 from Silicon Valley Community Foundation (SVCF). ^{11 12}

That same year in 2020, Fair Count’s tax filings saw the group provide roughly $65,000 in grants for food distribution during organizing, $155,000 for get-out-the-vote organizers, $125,000 in general operating support, and $70,000 for “COVID 19 testing and flu vaccination with census mobilization efforts.” ¹¹

People

Jeanine Abrams McLean is the president of Fair Count as of 2024 and the sister of former Democratic gubernatorial candidate for Georgia governor Stacey Abrams. ⁵ McLean received a bachelor’s degree from Duke University and a doctorate from University of Texas. As a post-doctoral fellow, she researched control of antibiotic resistance. ¹³ She sits on the boards of the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy and the Project on Government Oversight (POGO).^{14 15}

Rebecca DeHart is the CEO of Fair Count as of 2024. Serving in the position since 2019, DeHart was previously the executive director of the Democratic Party of Georgia and is the interim executive director as of September 2024. ^{8 9}

1. ProPublica. Fair Count Inc 2020 Form 990. Accessed April 14, 2023. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/582421574/202141679349301364/full
2. Pitofsky, Marina. “Stacey Abrams appointed to Howard University chair, focused on race, Black politics.” USA Today. April 5, 2023. Accessed April 15, 2023. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/stacey-abrams-appointed-to-howard-university-chair-focused-on-race-black-politics/ar-AA19woY0
3. Fair Count Inc. About Us. Accessed: April 12, 2023. https://www.faircount.org/about-us/
4. Fair Count Inc. 2021 Annual Report. Accessed: April 13, 2023. https://www.faircount.org/about-us/
5. Worman, Chris. “Jeanine Abrams McLean: Scientist-Turned-Community Organizer on Why Broadband Strengthens Democracy.” Connect Humanity, August 14, 2024. https://connecthumanity.fund/jeanine-abrams-mclean-scientist-turned-community-organizer-on-why-broadband-strengthens-democracy/.
6. Internal Revenue Service. Fair Count Inc. Third Sector Development Inc. Copies of Returns. Accessed April 14, 2023. https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/details/
7. Dickson, Ofori Siaw. “Stacey Abrams siblings: meet Andrea, Leslie, Richard, Walter, and Jeanine.” Ghanafuo.com. February 8, 2022. Accessed April 14, 2023. https://ghanafuo.com/stacey-abrams-siblings-meet-andrea-leslie-richard-walter-and-jeanine/
8. Georgia Democrats. “Democratic Party of Georgia Announces Interim Director.” News from the Party. June 1, 2022. Accessed April 14, 2022. https://www.georgiademocrat.org/democratic-party-of-georgia-announces-interim-executive-director/
9. LinkedIn. Rebecca DeHart. Accessed April 16, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccadehart?challengeId=AQEwptpt6In69gAAAYeKqAwzUqAAQOzGfSEplbVYz6_NUF7Xgdoxasmg6hnNnjjqoUuX7Wvm67N3eNDptTDUlCE0x1mjreXY2w&submissionId=a59e1ca2-7a73-5617-9a4e-22bee5dc411a&challengeSource=AgHvFE0k_Ma0ywAAAYeKqFHqJ4xetzECkGS2h7Sza8nYoshbLa3B9jRNK7pekLA&challegeType=AgEpALZZcH7hZwAAAYeKqFHuBUJH15sNWG1L80AnrqpDG8CS6rv11w8&memberId=AgHe4mTrrnnkigAAAYeKqFHxYhBkMAiMy4LmXfdwDU5MsXw&recognizeDevice=AgEw-qg0HJsgQgAAAYeKqFH0-3HZ82Cj1U7MLddKCehN2MV6NWQl
10. Fair Count Inc. 2020 Annual Report. Accessed: April 13, 2023. https://www.faircount.org/about-us/
11. Cause IQ. Fair Count. Accessed April 14, 2023. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/third-sector-development,582421574
12. Sonnenberg, Rhonda. “Vote your Voice: In Georgia, Grant Will Mobilize and Educate Asian Americans About New Voter Suppression Law.” Southern Poverty Law Center. September 12, 2022. Accessed April 16, 2023. https://www.splcenter.org/news/2022/09/12/georgia-grant-educates-asian-americans-about-voter-suppression
13. United States Census Bureau Newsroom Bios. Dr. Jeanine Abrams McLean. Accessed April 15, 2023. https://www.census.gov/newsroom/bios/jeanine-abrams-mclean.html
14. National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy. The Chorus Foundation’s Farhad Ebrahimi and Fair Count’s Dr. Jeanine Abrams McLean Join NCRP Board. Accessed April 16, 2023. https://www.ncrp.org/news/civic-engagement-and-climate-justice-movement-leaders-join-ncrp-board
15. Project on Government Oversight. Dr. Jeanine Abrams McClean. Accessed April 16, 2023. https://www.pogo.org/about/people/jeanine-abrams-mclean