We the People Michigan

Created in July 2019, We the People Michigan is a left-of-center advocacy and organizing group that conducts voter canvassing and engagement operations in the state of Michigan. We the People Michigan has advocated for a number of left-wing policies, including the abolition of national borders, the implementation of government-run healthcare, the provision of a universal basic income, race-based reparations, and the cancellation of all student loan debt. 1

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At-A-Glance

Type: Non-profit, 501(c)(3)
Issue Areas: Multi-Issue Advocacy
Website: www.wethepeoplemi.org
Location: Detroit, MI View on map
Tax ID: 84-3520391
Most Recent Filing: 2024
Budget (2024): Assets: $7,008,603 Revenue: $5,144,086 Expenses: $3,951,877

Contents

    Connections

    We the People Michigan does not list its president and board of directors on its website, though they are listed on the organization’s registration filings. Top leadership at We the People Michigan have several connections to other left-of-center organizations. 23

    Branden Snyder is president of We the People Michigan. Snyder works as the executive director of Detroit Action, a left-of-center voter mobilization network based in Detroit that also includes the Detroit Action Education Fund and Michigan Action, a political action committee. 45 Detroit Action and the Education Fund are fiscally-sponsored projects of the left-of-center Tides Network. 6 Tides Advocacy also made a $150,000 donation to the Michigan Action PAC in 2020. 7

    We the People Action Fund is led by Stephanie Arellano. Arellano is currently employed as a Service Employees International Union (SEIU) campaign director in Detroit. 8 9

    Support for Radical Policies

    On February 15, 2021, We the People Michigan posted a tweet advocating for the end of Title 42 deportations, an immigration policy created by former President Donald Trump’s administration in 2020 in response to the COVID-19. The statement claimed that the organization would “not rest until everyone can live with dignity & with no borders.” 10 1

    On  February 17, 2021, We The People Michigan called on the Biden administration to cancel all student loan debt, apparently by way of an executive order. 11 The organization also called on Michigan to implement “free or affordable college and vocational programs,” funded by taxpayers. 1

    Leadership

    We the People Michigan is led by its president, Branden Snyder. 2 Snyder has extensive experience with left-of-center activism in Michigan and works as the executive director of Detroit Action, a left-of-center voter mobilization network based in Detroit. 4 Snyder has also worked on voter mobilization initiatives for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s failed presidential campaign in 2016, and as state director for Organizing for Michigan United, a left-of-center organizing nonprofit. 4

    Art Reyes is the executive director of We the People Michigan. Reyes formerly worked as the organizer training director for the left-of-center Center for Popular Democracy (CPD) and was previously a leader at Flint Rising and Michigan Voice. 3 Reyes also worked as a teaching fellow at Harvard University and taught a class with outspoken left-wing organizer Marshall Ganz. Ganz worked closely with left-of-center labor activist Cesar Chavez and has been credited as the designer of the grassroots organizing scheme that backed former President Barack Obama’s successful presidential campaign in 2008. 3

    Financials

    As of March 2021, We the People Michigan had not filed any public financial information with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), as it reported filing the “e-postcard” for organizations with gross receipts not greater than $50,000 in 2019. 12

    Financial Statistics

    Total Assets

    Total Revenue

    Total Expenses

    YearTotal AssetsTotal RevenueTotal ExpensesFiling
    2024 $7,008,603 $5,144,086 $3,951,877 View
    2023 $7,410,606 $3,453,592 $3,947,415 View
    2022 $6,178,318 $3,572,661 $2,706,336 View
    2021 $6,009,373 $7,093,160 $2,070,904 View

    Revenue Detail

    Expenses Detail

    Employee Compensation

    Highest Earning Employees

    EmployeeTitleTotal Compensation
    Maria Ibarra-FrayreCo-Executive Director$47,032
    Megan HessCo-Executive Director$42,260
    Arturo ReyesExecutive Director$35,261

    Grant Activity

    All-time grants received statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $17,819,485
    • Number of Grants: 92
    • Number of Funders: 41

    Selection of highest value grants received from the last seven years:

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $2,724,9292021 Progress Michigan Education IncTO SUPPORT MISSION
    $1,400,0002021 The Ford FoundationGeneral support for to build statewide organizing capacity, develop a proactive narrative and policy agenda, and unite Michiganders in an effort to build economic and racial equity and core support for institutional strengthening.
    $1,025,0002023 Telescope FundGENERAL SUPPORT
    $885,0002021 New Venture FundCIVIL RIGHTS, SOCIAL ACTION, ADVOCACY
    $850,0002022 New Venture FundCIVIL RIGHTS, SOCIAL ACTION, ADVOCACY
    $755,0002024 New Venture FundCIVIL RIGHTS, SOCIAL ACTION, ADVOCACY
    $665,0002023 New Venture FundENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS
    $550,0002024 Silicon Valley Community Foundation
    $475,0002024 Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, Inc.EDUCATION
    $470,2502022 Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift FundFor grant recipient's exempt purposes
    $419,2002024 NEO PhilanthropyProgram Grant
    $376,0002022 TIDES FOUNDATIONEQUITY, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT
    $376,0002022 United States Energy FoundationTO SUPPORT EDUCATION AND OUTREACH TO BUILD AN EQUITABLE CLEAN ENERGY FUTURE.
    $350,0002022 Telescope FundGENERAL SUPPORT
    $335,0002021 Amalgamated Charitable Foundation IncGeneral operating support
    $310,0002023 Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, Inc.GENERAL
    $300,0002025 The Ford FoundationGeneral support to build multi-racial, working class community organizing infrastructure across the state of Michigan that can build a proactive vision of the communities we deserve and contend for the grassroots power necessary to achieve that vision.
    $255,5002023 Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift FundFor grant recipient's exempt purposes
    $250,0002024 TIDES FOUNDATIONEQUITY, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT
    $250,0002024 The Hearthland Foundation C/o Breslauer Rutman & Anderson IncCIVIC ENGAGEMENT
    $250,0002023 NEO PhilanthropyProgram Grant
    $205,0002024 Windward FundENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS
    $200,0002022 NEO PhilanthropyProgram Grant
    $200,0002022 Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Inc.For general support
    $200,0002021 TIDES FOUNDATIONEQUITY, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT

    All-time grants given statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $1,625,000
    • Number of Grants: 13
    • Number of Recipients: 9

    Selection of highest value grants given from the last seven years:

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $300,0002024 Miigwech IncProgram Support
    $300,0002023 Michigan VoicesProgram Support
    $205,0002022 TIDES FOUNDATIONProgram Support
    $150,0002024 Michigan VoicesProgram Support
    $150,0002023 Miigwech IncProgram Support
    $120,0002022 Mothering JusticeProgram Support
    $80,0002021 482 ForwardPROGRAM SUPPORT
    $60,0002022 482 ForwardProgram Expenses
    $60,0002022 Michigan Environmental Justice CoalitionProgram Support
    $60,0002022 Michigan UnitedProgram Support
    $60,0002021 TIDES FOUNDATIONPROGRAM SUPPORT
    $40,0002021 ALLIED MEDIA PROJECTSPROGRAM SUPPORT
    $40,0002021 Tides CenterPROGRAM SUPPORT

    Contact InfluenceWatch to report errors, suggest edits, or provide tips for additional profiles.

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    Financials, employee compensation, and grant information provided by Candid.

    Mentioned in this Article

    References

    1. “The People’s Agenda.” Accessed March 1, 2021. https://www.wethepeoplemi.org/peoplesagenda.
    2. “We the People MI Summary State of Michigan Corporations Division,” 2020. https://cofs.lara.state.mi.us/CorpWeb/CorpSearch/CorpSummary.aspx?ID=802344061&SEARCH_TYPE=3&CanReturn=True.
    3. “Team – We the People.” Accessed March 1, 2021. https://www.wethepeoplemi.org/team
    4. “Staff & Board.” Detroit Action, December 7, 2020. https://detroitaction.org/staff-and-board/
    5. “Donate.” Detroit Action, December 7, 2020. https://detroitaction.org/donate/
    6. “Detroit Action, a Project of Tides Advocacy!” ActBlue. Accessed March 2, 2021. https://secure.actblue.com/donate/detaction
    7. “Browse Receipts.” FEC.gov. Accessed March 2, 2021. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/?committee_id=C00753640&two_year_transaction_period=2020&data_type=processed
    8. “We the People MI Summary State of Michigan Corporations Division.” Search Summary State of Michigan Corporations Division, 2020. https://cofs.lara.state.mi.us/CorpWeb/CorpSearch/CorpSummary.aspx?ID=802344071&SEARCH_TYPE=3&CanReturn=True.
    9. “Stephanie Arellano.” LinkedIn. Accessed March 1, 2021. https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-arellano-5708834a/
    10. Michigan, We the People. “We the People Michigan Twitter.” Twitter. Twitter, February 15, 2021. https://twitter.com/WeThePeople_MI/status/1361383453560868866
    11. Michigan, We the People. “We the People Michigan Twitter.” Twitter. Twitter, February 17, 2021. https://twitter.com/WeThePeople_MI/status/1362070871603621891
    12. “IRS.gov Applications.” Details about We the people – mi. Accessed March 2, 2021. https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/detailsPage?ein=843520391&name=We+the+People+-+Mi&city=Detroit&state=MI&countryAbbr=US&dba=&type=CHARITIES%2C+EPOSTCARD&orgTags=EPOSTCARD.