The Ohio Organizing Collaborative (OOC) is an Ohio-based group that advocates for left-of-center policies. ¹ The group’s sister nonprofit, the Ohio Organizing Campaign, is an advocacy and civic engagement group focused on voter registration and get-out-the-vote campaigns. ² OOC claims to work with labor unions, religious communities, and student organizations for grassroots organizing efforts and advancing policy goals. ¹

Background

The Ohio Organizing Collaborative (OOC) is a policy-oriented group that advocates for left-of-center policies in Ohio, including bail reform and drug policy reform. ¹ OOC claims that it is “building a broad-based movement to end the criminalization of poverty.” ³ The group focuses particularly on “young people, low income people, and Black people,” in its organizing efforts, and partners with other left-of-center groups to advocate legislation. ⁴

OOC’s sister group, the Ohio Organizing Campaign, focuses on registering and mobilizing voters of the same demographics; the Ohio Organizing Campaign claims to operate independently while still being aligned in mission with its founding group, OOC. ^{5 2}

OOC claims it looks at policies and communications through a “Race-Class Narrative framework.” In 2019, the Foundation to Promote Open Society gave $400,000 to OOC to promote its “racial/class narrative work.” ^{1 6}

Activities

The Ohio Organizing Collaborative claims its primary areas of policy include criminal justice reform, education access, and expanding voting rights. ⁷

Instances of OOC’s work on criminal justice include advocating for the Ohio Fair Hiring Act in 2015, which was passed; the legislation banned questions on “all public job applications” that asked about the applicant’s criminal background. ³ In 2021, OOC and Building Freedom Ohio advocated for Issue 24 in Cleveland, which was passed; this legislation “established a new Community Police Commission in Cleveland, with sweeping powers to enact police discipline.” ³

In 2024, OOC helped build “the coalition behind the Ohio Voters Bill of Rights.” The coalition included the “Ohio Chapter of the NAACP, the Ohio Unity Coalition, and the A. Philip Randolph Institute.” ⁸

Members and Partners

The Ohio Organizing Collaborative founded a social welfare and advocacy sister-group, the Ohio Organizing Campaign, which states its work includes “registering and mobilizing hundreds of thousands of Ohio voters…Black voters, young voters, and working-class voters anchored in Ohio’s urban centers.” ^{2 9}

Members of OOC include the AMOS Project, Building Freedom Ohio, The CEO Project, the Ohio Student Association, and the Ohio Baptist State Convention. ¹⁰

Partners of OOC include Faith in Action, the Center for Community Change, the Center for Popular Democracy, the Alliance for Youth Action, Policy Matters Ohio, We Make the Future, and the Ohio Justice and Policy Center. ¹⁰

Previously, members of OOC’s coalition included various labor organizations, including District 4 of the Communications Workers of America, the Farm Labor Organizing Committee, the Iron Workers District Councils of Northern and Southern Ohio, and Service Employees International Union Local 1. ¹¹

Funding

In 2022, the Ohio Organizing Collaborative’s revenue totaled $6,315,094. Its expenses were $5,539,263, and its assets totaled $6,902,750. ¹²

The OCC has received over $750,00 from the Ford Foundation, a large left-of-center grantmaking organization. ¹³

The Foundation to Promote Open Society has given over $2 million to OOC, including a $400,000 in 2019 earmarked for advancing “the Grantee’s racial/class narrative work.” ¹⁴ The Open Society Action Fund, previously the Open Society Policy Center, is an advocacy and social welfare group and part of the Open Society Foundations that has given over $2.5 million to the Ohio Organizing Campaign, a sister organization of OCC. ¹⁵

In 2022, OCC received over $1 million from Arabella Advisors-linked nonprofits including $800,000 from the Telescope Fund and $296,ooo from the New Venture Fund. ^{16 17} In 2020, OCC received $125,000 from Windward Fund; in 2018, it received $25,000 from the Hopewell Fund. ^{18 19}

In 2023, OCC received $300,000 from the Tides Foundation, $300,000 from Wellspring Fund, and $257,835 from the Alliance for Youth Organizing. ^{20 21 22} In 2022, OCC received $300,000 from NEO Philanthropy and $125,000 from the Marguerite Casey Foundation. ^{23 24} In 2021, the Voter Registration Project gave $100,000 to the OCC. ²⁵ In 2020 Faith in Action gave $51,800 to OCC. [mnote]  In 2019, OCC received $25,000 from the Whitman Institute. ²⁶ In 2018, OCC received $70,000 from the Solidago Foundation. ²⁷ In 2016, OCC received $100,000 from the National Employment Law Project. ²⁸

Support from labor organizations include the Ohio state affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers, which gave $15,000 to OCC in 2021. ²⁹ In 2016, OCC received 10,000 from the Communications Workers of America. ³⁰ In 2015, OCC received 25,000 from the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union. ³¹ In 2010, OCC received $10,000 from Service Employees International Union Local 1. ³²

Leadership

Molly Shack is the executive director of the Ohio Organizing Collaborative. Shack was a co-founder of the Ohio Student Association, a partner of the OCC and part of the Alliance for Youth Organizing. ^{33 34}

Prentiss Haney is the strategic director of OCC. Before joining OCC, Haney was the executive director of the Ohio Student Association. Previously he worked for Organizing for America and co-founded the Midwest Culture Lab in 2017. ³⁵

1. Our Story.” Ohio Organizing Collaborative. Accessed December 16, 2024. https://www.ohorganizing.org/aboutus.
2. “Who We Are.” Ohio Organizing Campaign. Accessed December 16, 2024. https://www.ohioorganizingcampaign.org/who-we-are.
3. “Criminal Justice Reform and Police Accountability.” Ohio Organizing Collaborative. Accessed December 16, 2024. https://www.ohorganizing.org/criminal-justice-reform-community-safety
4. “Our Theory of Change.” Ohio Organizing Collaborative. Accessed December 16, 2024. https://www.ohorganizing.org/theory-of-change
5. “OOC 2024 FALL PRE-ELECTION UPDATE.” Ohio Organizing Collaborative. Accessed December 16, 2024. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ccc679c071c0200014381f8/t/6712ab09157abd0324e4c962/1729276696252/2024+OOC+Q3+Report+FINAL.pdf.
6. “Open Society Foundations – Awarded Grants, Scholarships, and Fellowships.” Open Society Foundations – Awarded Grants, Scholarships, and Fellowships – Open Society Foundations. Accessed December 16, 2024. https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/grants/past?grant_id=OR2019-63643.
7.  Our Wins.” Ohio Organizing Collaborative. Accessed December 16, 2024. https://www.ohorganizing.org/our-wins.
8. “Democracy & Voting Rights.” Ohio Organizing Collaborative. Accessed December 16, 2024. https://www.ohorganizing.org/democracy-voting-rights.
9. “Our Work.” Ohio Organizing Campaign. Accessed December 16, 2024. https://www.ohioorganizingcampaign.org/our-work.
10. “Members, Partners, and Coalitions.” Ohio Organizing Collaborative. Accessed December 16, 2024. https://www.ohorganizing.org/members-partners-coalitions.
11. Ohio Organizing Collaborative. Accessed December 16, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20180309131157/https://www.ohorganizing.org/members-partners/.
12. “Ohio Organizing Collaborative,” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2022. Page 1 Part 1.
13. “Grants Database.” Ford Foundation. Accessed December 16, 2024. https://www.fordfoundation.org/work/our-grants/awarded-grants/grants-database/?search=Ohio%2BOrganizing%2BCollaborative.
14. “Open Society Foundations – Awarded Grants, Scholarships, and Fellowships.” Open Society Foundations – Awarded Grants, Scholarships, and Fellowships – Open Society Foundations. Accessed December 16, 2024. https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/grants/past?filter_keyword=Ohio%2BOrganizing%2BCollaborative%2B.
15.  “Open Society Foundations – Awarded Grants, Scholarships, and Fellowships.” Open Society Foundations – Awarded Grants, Scholarships, and Fellowships – Open Society Foundations. Accessed December 16, 2024. https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/grants/past?filter_keyword=Ohio%2BOrganizing%2BCampaign.
16. “Telescope Fund,” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2022. Schedule I.
17. “New Venture Fund,” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2022. Schedule I.
18. “Windward Fund,” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2020. Schedule I.
19. “Hopewell Fund,” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2018. Schedule I.
20. “Tides Foundation,” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2023. Schedule I.
21. “Wellspring Fund,” Return of Private Foundation Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990PF) 2023. Page 11 Part XIV.
22. “Alliance for Youth Organizing,” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2023. Schedule I.
23. “NEO Philanthropy,” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2022. Schedule I.
24. “Marguerite Casey Foundation,” Return of Private Foundation Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990PF) 2022. Page 11 Part XIV.
25. “Voter Registration Project,” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2021. Schedule I.
26. “Whitman Institute,” Return of Private Foundation Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990PF) 2019. Page 11 Part XIV.
27. “Solidago Foundation,” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2018. Schedule I.
28. “National Employment Law Project,” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2016. Schedule I.
29. “Ohio Federation of Teachers,” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2021. Schedule I.
30. “Communications Workers Of America Afl Cio Clc,” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2016. Schedule I.
31. United Food And Commercial Workers International Union,” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2015. Schedule I.
32. “Service Employees International Union Local 1,” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2010. Schedule I.
33. “Molly Shack.” Ohio Organizing Collaborative. Accessed December 16, 2024. https://www.ohorganizing.org/molly-shack.
34. “Our Network.” Alliance for Youth Organizing. Accessed December 16, 2024. https://allianceforyouthorganizing.org/our-network/.
35. “Prentiss Haney.” Ohio Organizing Collaborative. Accessed December 16, 2024. https://www.ohorganizing.org/prentiss-haney.