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Songs for Good

Website:

www.songsforgood.org
Fiscal Sponsor:

Social Good Fund
Type:

Community Advocacy Project
Founded:

2019
Founder:

Nate Dewart

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Songs for Good is a left-of-center organization that attempts to engage youth voter turnout through music. The group is financially sponsored by the left-of-center Social Good Fund. 1 In 2020, Songs for Good held a songwriting contest, the “2020 Challange,” seeking contestants to write an anthem for voting in order to, “crowdsource a new soundtrack for democracy.” 2 This was followed by social media videos to engage youth in get-out-the-vote efforts claiming the freedom to vote is under attack. 3

Songs for Good claims the American political and economic system perpetuates oppression and has advocated defunding the police, nationalizing election administration, other left-of-center social and economic policies, and using music for protest, revolution, and activism. 4

History and Activity

Songs for Good’s mission is to amplify left-of-center civic engagement through music. 5 In 2020, Songs for Good conducted a songwriting contest, “2020 Challange,” sponsored by Social Good Fund to award prizes to the best anthems for the 2020 election as a means to, “crowdsource a new soundtrack for democracy. 6 7 The contest produced almost 300 entries. 8 The 2020 winner was a 16-year-old from Indianapolis who received a $5,000 prize, music video production, and a professional recording of her winning song. 9 Five runner-up songs received $1,000 each for their submissions. 10 The winning songs were also played at events hosted by Songs for Good partner organizations. 11

Following the songwriting contest, in 2020 Songs for Good worked with Cultural Influencers for Good to promote #MyJamMyVote consisting of short social media videos using winning songs from the contest educating young people on how to vote by mail and drop-off ballots, posting what it looks like to vote, and promoting increased voting in the 2020 election. 12

Claiming that the freedom to vote is under attack, Songs for Good advocated for passing H.R.1, the “For the People Act,” during the 117th Congress in 2021-2022 to federalize state voting laws. 13 Songs for Good has supported the Black Lives Matter movement, defunding the police, the critical race theory-influenced concept of equity, and left-wing racial and social policy. 14 Songs for Good has posted “no justice, no peace” until the police are defunded. 15

Songs for Good is an advocate for the “3.5% theory,” which states that if 3.5% of the population joins a movement then government must respond to it. 16 Songs for Good attempts to use music to make social change and songs for protest, revolution, change, democracy, activism, justice, and good. 17 Songs for Good has stated that our political and economic system “perpetuates injustices of oppression.” 18

Partner Organizations

Songs for Good is fiscally sponsored by the Social Good Fund. 19 Songs for Good lists left-of-center partner organizations such as March for Our Lives, RepresentUs, climate and environmental justice group Zero Hour, PolicyLink, National Children’s Campaign, Sunrise Bay Area, Cultural Influencers for Good, and Access the Polls. 20 Songs for Good is also a member of the Declaration for American Democracy coalition. 21

Leadership

Nate Dewart founded Songs for Good in 2019. 22 As of 2024, he is listed as a “founder, catalyst, and co-creator of the organization.” 23 In addition, Dewart works as a Fellow for Energy Solutions, an environmental advocacy firm, since July 2023. 24 He has previously served in several positions with Energy Firm including Senior Manager, Senior Project Manager, and Project Manager since joining in 2010. 25 Beforehand, Dewart worked as an external affairs consultant for campaign advocacy group RepresentUs and was a consultant for the University of California, Berkeley 26 In 2016, Dewart worked as policy advisor and communications manager for the Coalition for Police Accountability in Oakland, California. 27 Dewart has a master’s degree from UC Berkeley and a bachelor’s from Washington University. 28

References

  1. Songs for Good, Accessed March 8, 2024. https://songsforgood.org/
  2. “Current Projects.” Social Good Fund, Accessed March 8, 2024. https://www.socialgoodfund.org/fiscal-sponsorship/current-projects/
  3. “Current Projects.” Social Good Fund, Accessed March 8, 2024. https://www.socialgoodfund.org/fiscal-sponsorship/current-projects/
  4. Songs for Good, Accessed March 8, 2024. https://songsforgood.org/
  5. “Current Projects.” Social Good Fund. Accessed February 27, 2023. https://www.socialgoodfund.org/fiscal-sponsorship/current-projects/.
  6. “Current Projects.” Social Good Fund, Accessed March 8, 2024. https://www.socialgoodfund.org/fiscal-sponsorship/current-projects/
  7. “Songs for Good Presented By Nonprofit Social Good Fund Announces 2020 Songwriting Challenge Top Songs.” Songs for Good. September 30, 2020. Accessed February 27, 2023. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/songs-for-good-presented-by-nonprofit-social-good-fund-announces-2020-songwriting-challenge-top-songs-301142216.html.
  8. “Songs for Good Presented By Nonprofit Social Good Fund Announces 2020 Songwriting Challenge Top Songs.” Songs for Good. September 30, 2020. Accessed February 27, 2023. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/songs-for-good-presented-by-nonprofit-social-good-fund-announces-2020-songwriting-challenge-top-songs-301142216.html.
  9. “Songs for Good Presented By Nonprofit Social Good Fund Announces 2020 Songwriting Challenge Top Songs.” Songs for Good. September 30, 2020. Accessed February 27, 2023. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/songs-for-good-presented-by-nonprofit-social-good-fund-announces-2020-songwriting-challenge-top-songs-301142216.html.
  10. “Songs for Good Presented By Nonprofit Social Good Fund Announces 2020 Songwriting Challenge Top Songs.” Songs for Good. September 30, 2020. Accessed February 27, 2023. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/songs-for-good-presented-by-nonprofit-social-good-fund-announces-2020-songwriting-challenge-top-songs-301142216.html.
  11. “Songs for Good Presented By Nonprofit Social Good Fund Announces 2020 Songwriting Challenge Top Songs.” Songs for Good. September 30, 2020. Accessed February 27, 2023. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/songs-for-good-presented-by-nonprofit-social-good-fund-announces-2020-songwriting-challenge-top-songs-301142216.html.
  12. Bray, Rebecca. “Unstoppable Voters Projects. Center for Artistic Activism. October 13, 2020. Accessed February 27, 2023. https://c4aa.org/2020/10/unstoppable-voters-projects.
  13. “Songs for Good.” Instagram. January 14, 2022. Accessed February 27, 2023. https://www.instagram.com/p/CYuaAoHvfjX/; “Songs for Good.” Twitter. August 9, 2021. Accessed February 27, 2023. https://twitter.com/songsforgood/status/1424765712308916224.
  14. “Songs for Good.” Instagram. June 1, 2020. Accessed February 27, 2023. https://www.instagram.com/p/CA6f5GSBWGJ/.
  15. [1] “Songs for Good.” Twitter. June 4, 2020. Accessed February 27, 2023. https://twitter.com/songsforgood/status/1268731337302736899?cxt=HHwWhoCwtbybuJsjAAAA.
  16. “Songs for Good.” Twitter. May 20, 2020. Accessed February 27, 2023. https://twitter.com/songsforgood/status/1263254439835680768.
  17. “Songs for Good.” Twitter. January 17, 2020. Accessed February 27, 2023. https://twitter.com/songsforgood/status/1218283896686538753?cxt=HHwWgsCjmfqvm-ghAAAA; “Songs for Good.” Twitter. June 25, 2020. Accessed February 27, 2023. https://twitter.com/songsforgood/status/1276346701738115073?cxt=HHwWgoC89YKkv7YjAAAA.
  18. “Songs for Good.” Twitter. May 28, 2020. Accessed February 27, 2023. https://twitter.com/songsforgood/status/1266113292185018368?cxt=HHwWgIC1oZjVkZIjAAAA.
  19. Songs for Good. www.songsforgood.org. Accessed February 27, 2023. https://songsforgood.org/.
  20. “Songs for Good Presented By Nonprofit Social Good Fund Announces 2020 Songwriting Challenge Top Songs.” Songs for Good. September 30, 2020. Accessed February 27, 2023. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/songs-for-good-presented-by-nonprofit-social-good-fund-announces-2020-songwriting-challenge-top-songs-301142216.html; Bray, Rebecca. “Unstoppable Voters Projects. Center for Artistic Activism. October 13, 2020. Accessed February 27, 2023. https://c4aa.org/2020/10/unstoppable-voters-projects; “Songs for Good.” Instagram. October 21, 2020. Accessed February 27, 2023. https://www.instagram.com/p/CGnDjFCFN36/.
  21. “About the Coalition.” Declaration for American Democracy. Accessed February 27, 2023. https://dfadcoalition.org.
  22. “Nate Dewart.” LinkedIn. Accessed February 27, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ndewart.
  23. Nate Dewart. LinkedIn, Accessed March 8, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ndewart
  24. Nate Dewart. LinkedIn, Accessed March 8, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ndewart
  25. Nate Dewart. LinkedIn, Accessed March 8, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ndewart
  26. Nate Dewart. LinkedIn, Accessed March 8, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ndewart
  27. “Nate Dewart.” LinkedIn. Accessed February 27, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ndewart.
  28. “Nate Dewart.” LinkedIn. Accessed February 27, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ndewart.
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