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Turnout Nation

Website:

www.turnoutnation.org
Location:

Atlanta, GA
Type:

Get-out-the-vote (GOTV) Organization
Formation:

2018
Executive Director:

Kendall Lareau

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Turnout Nation is a get-out-the vote advocacy organization that focuses on peer-to-peer persuasion to increase voter turnout. 1 Though the organization claims to be nonpartisan, it is managed by self-described democratic socialist Kendall Lareau, a former field organizer for the Democratic Party and for the 2020 presidential campaign of U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT). 2

Turnout Nation is sponsored by the Social Good Fund, a left-of-center nonprofit and donor advised fund, as well as Empower Project, an explicitly left-wing community organization supporter and funder. 3 4 5

Partnerships

Turnout Nation claims to be nonpartisan but is sponsored by the Social Good Fund, a left-of-center nonprofit organization and donor-advised fund provider that serves as a fiscal sponsor to numerous left-leaning activist organizations, including the Climate Disobedience Center, the Marsha P. Johnson Institute, the ClimateMusic Project, the Kavod Jewish Social Justice House, The Joy of Consent, Nice Queer Pals, Dykes with Drills, and the Collaboratory for Black Feminist Health and Healing. 6

Turnout Nation Organizing Fellows receive training and mentorship from Organizing Empowerment, also known as the Empower Project, an explicitly left-wing community organization supporter and funder. 7 8 Turnout Project Voting Captains also use an app provided by the Empower Project. 9

The Empower Project partners with a large number of left-of-center organizations, including the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, Black Voters Matter, For Our Future, Rock the Vote, 2020 Vision, The Rhode Island Democratic Party, multiple state affiliates of the AFL-CIO, Battleground Texas, Move Texas, and the SEIU. 10

Turnout Nation focuses much of its get-out-the-vote activities in Texas, Georgia, Arizona, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina, states regularly targeted in elections by left-of-center activists and the Democratic Party. 11 12 13 Texas is the only state in which Turnout Nation employs a devoted organizer on staff. 14

Activities

Turnout Nation is a get-out the vote advocacy organization that focuses on peer-to-peer persuasion to increase voter turnout. The organization recruits “Voting Captains” who volunteer to encourage ten of their friends to vote. 15 As of 2021, Turnout Nation claimed to have 256 Voting Captains in 17 states with an average age range from 18 to 25 years old. 16

Turnout Nation claims its peer-to-peer method increases voter turnout by 13.2% and is 10 times more effective than door-to-door canvassing. 17

Beyond volunteer Voting Captains, Turnout Nation also has paid Organizing Fellows who recruit Voting Captains and find volunteers in their local communities. 18 Turnout Nation Organizing Fellows receive training and mentorship from Turnout Nation and Organizing Empowerment. Fellows are required to devote three to ten hours per week to recruiting Voting Captains and researching, planning, and organizing get-out-the-vote efforts. Fellowships last three to six months, and fellows receive a monthly stipend of $300. 19

History

Turnout Nation was founded in 2018. In 2019, the organization engaged in elections in Colorado, Connecticut, Ohio, and California to test its peer-to-peer get-out-the-vote model. In 2021, Turnout Nation organized voters in the Atlanta mayoral election, and in 2022, the organization conducted get-out-the-vote operations in Texas for the November midterm elections. In 2023, Turnout Nation engaged in the May municipal elections in Dallas County, Texas. 20 21

People

The executive director of Turnout Nation is Kendall Lareau. Lareau is from Houston, Texas, and joined Turnout Nation in 2022 after working as a field organizer for both the Texas Democratic Party and for the Bernie Sanders for President campaign. 22 23

The founder of Turnout Nation is Mark Mullen. 24

Sponsors and Partners

Turnout Nation is a project of Our Democracy, an organization located in Great Falls, Virginia, that received its nonprofit status in February 2023. 25

Turnout Nation has been fiscally sponsored by Social Good Fund, a left-of-center nonprofit organization and donor-advised fund provider. 26 27

References

  1. “Turnout Nation.” Turnout Nation. Accessed March 14, 2024. https://www.turnoutnation.org/.
  2.  “Kendall Lareau.” LinkedIn. Accessed March 14, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/kendall-lareau-49b2b246/.
  3.  “Turnout Nation Organizing Fellowship.” Turnout Nation. Accessed March 14, 2024. https://www.turnoutnation.org/fellowships.
  4. “About us.” Empower Project. Accessed March 14, 2024. https://empowerproject.us/about/
  5. “Current Projects.” Social Good Fund. Accessed March 14, 2024. https://www.socialgoodfund.org/fiscal-sponsorship/current-projects/.
  6. [1] “Current Projects.” Social Good Fund. Accessed March 14, 2024. https://www.socialgoodfund.org/fiscal-sponsorship/current-projects/.
  7. “Turnout Nation Organizing Fellowship.” Turnout Nation. Accessed March 14, 2024. https://www.turnoutnation.org/fellowships.
  8. “About us.” Empower Project. Accessed March 14, 2024. https://empowerproject.us/about/
  9. “Turnout Nation 2020-2021 At a Glance.” Turnout Nation. Accessed March 2024. https://www.turnoutnation.org/_files/ugd/2c1dbc_80324044ceda4fdf97adc0c87845b447.pdf.
  10. “All Partners.” Empower Project. Accessed March 14, 2024. https://www.turnoutnation.org/_files/ugd/2c1dbc_80324044ceda4fdf97adc0c87845b447.pdf.
  11. “The Reports.” Turnout Nation. Accessed March 14, 2024. https://www.turnoutnation.org/thereport.
  12. “Turnout Nation’s Voter Engagement Strategy A Monumental Success, Columbia University Study Finds.” Turnout Nation. February 2020. Accessed March 14, 2024. https://www.turnoutnation.org/_files/ugd/c2b504_0721a317ec7a47ebaca7460be393b93a.pdf.
  13. “Turnout Nation 2020-2021 At a Glance.” Turnout Nation. Accessed March 2024. https://www.turnoutnation.org/_files/ugd/2c1dbc_80324044ceda4fdf97adc0c87845b447.pdf.
  14. “Team.” Turnout Nation. Accessed March 14, 2024. https://www.turnoutnation.org/team.
  15. Turnout Nation.” Turnout Nation. Accessed March 14, 2024. https://www.turnoutnation.org/.
  16. “Turnout Nation 2020-2021 At a Glance.” Turnout Nation. Accessed March 2024. https://www.turnoutnation.org/_files/ugd/2c1dbc_80324044ceda4fdf97adc0c87845b447.pdf.
  17. “Turnout Nation.” Turnout Nation. Accessed March 14, 2024. https://www.turnoutnation.org/.
  18. “Turnout Nation Organizing Fellowship.” Turnout Nation. Accessed March 14, 2024. https://www.turnoutnation.org/fellowships.
  19. “Fellowship FAQs.” Turnout Nation. Accessed March 14, 2024. https://www.turnoutnation.org/fellowship-faqs.
  20. “The Reports.” Turnout Nation. Accessed March 14, 2024. https://www.turnoutnation.org/thereport.
  21. “Turnout Nation’s Voter Engagement Strategy A Monumental Success, Columbia University Study Finds.” Turnout Nation. February 2020. Accessed March 14, 2024. https://www.turnoutnation.org/_files/ugd/c2b504_0721a317ec7a47ebaca7460be393b93a.pdf.
  22. “Team.” Turnout Nation. Accessed March 14, 2024. https://www.turnoutnation.org/team.
  23. “Kendall Lareau.” LinkedIn. Accessed March 14, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/kendall-lareau-49b2b246/.
  24. “Team.” Turnout Nation. Accessed March 14, 2024. https://www.turnoutnation.org/team.
  25. Letter of tax-exempt determination for Our Democracy. Department of the Treasury Internal Revenue Service. February 2, 2023. Accessed March 14, 2024.
  26. “Current Projects.” Social Good Fund. Accessed March 14, 2024. https://www.socialgoodfund.org/fiscal-sponsorship/current-projects/.
  27. “Turnout Nation.” Turnout Nation. Accessed March 14, 2024. https://www.turnoutnation.org/.
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Turnout Nation


Atlanta, GA