Start a project | Get inspired | Watch a webinar | Explore project tips | Register to vote
In the heat of the moment, it can sometimes be easy to lose sight of the longer journey. And it's true that this election cycle is unprecedented: from a global pandemic, to enormous tech challenges and beyond. But the journey that begins today with actions big and small builds over the course of months, years, and decades. Even though the elections are behind us, there is still much to do.
We're pulling together a few projects on this page to inspire you, as well as tools and resources to help you, on your journey towards strengthening our democracy. While projects crowdfunding on ioby must be non-partisan because of our non-profit status, there's much that you can do to get involved with democracy and elections on ioby. Explore this page to see how.
Start a Project
Inside and outside an election cycle, there's much you can do to strengthen our democracy. If you need funds to help bring it to life, we can help make it happen. When you crowdfund with ioby for a non-partisan project that boosts civic engagement or participation in elections in your community, you'll get an ioby Success Strategist dedicated to you who can offer personalized coaching to help you work through developing your project idea, fundraising for it in your community, and bringing it to life.
Remember, to be eligible to crowdfund with ioby your project must take place in the United States, be local to where you live, work, or play, and have a clear community benefit. Your project must be non-partisan, and cannot benefit a political or lobbying campaign or party of any kind. Eligible projects related to an election could include, but are not limited to: toolkits to help neighbors understand their voting rights; flyers or campaigns to register voters; creating public art that celebrates and encourages voting; tactical urbanist interventions like street chalk, planters, or ramps that make it physically easier and safer to vote.
Wondering if your idea is eligible? Share your idea with us above, or send us an email at hello@ioby.org or call us at 917-464-4515, and we'll talk through your project with you.
Get inspired
We pulled together a few projects that have crowdfunded this year and in the past to help inspire your own election project!
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City Council School - Year TWO!
City Council School is a free bootcamp for residents who are interested in running for Cincinnati City Council or want a deeper understanding of the City’s government systems and practices to champion new policy.
NEEDS: $0 of 10,345 + Volunteers -
Civic Health First Aid Kit
Taking the guesswork out of civic participation leading up to the 2020 election.
NEEDS: $0 of 3,124 -
Creating the Vote
Art on the Streets is distributing coloring kits so kids and adults can make it easy for everyone to vote safely in 2020.
NEEDS: $0 of 3,129 + Volunteers -
Vote At 17
We're a grassroots, youth-run organization dedicated to improving youth engagement and representation in politics.
NEEDS: $0 of 1,090 -
Y2K Votes Northside
We are a grassroots nonpartisan organization dedicated to improving millennial and Gen-Z engagement in elections in Pittsburgh's Northside.
NEEDS: $0 of 2,755 + Volunteers -
Fighting for Clean Air and Votes
Help us charter two buses to Albany to take high schoolers lobby for bills for climate and young voting!
NEEDS: $0 of 1,150 + Volunteers -
Vote Everywhere
The Andrew Goodman Foundation is seeking donations for its Vote Everywhere Ambassadors in the tri-state area. The funds will be used to support the work of 3 Ambassadors and will have an impact on over 300 students.
NEEDS: $0 of 1,100 -
Feeding Hope in Manchester
We are here to provide hope and encouragement to come into community and realize they are not alone.
NEEDS: $0 of 6,140
Watch a webinar
Voting on the Block: How to boost civic participation and safe voting in your neighborhood
Democracy is a living thing. Everyday actions—like starting a community garden, organizing a pop-up bike lane, or registering to vote—are crucial to strengthening our civic muscles and keeping our democracy strong and vibrant. In the face of an unprecedented election year, we'll need to summon up all that practice we've done and work together to ensure everyone is heard, and everyone is safe along the way.
In this recorded webinar, we hosted a conversation with Mike Lydon of Street Plans and Kyle Lierman of Civic Advisors, moderated by ioby's CEO Erin Barnes where we talked about boosting civic participation and engagement in our neighborhoods, quick and easy interventions you and your neighbors can do to help make poll sites accessible and safe, and more.
From Community Projects to Running for Office
Are you looking for ways to get you and your neighbors involved in voting and elections? Are you thinking of running for elected office yourself one day soon? If you’ve started a community project before, you’re already halfway there! In this pre-recorded webinar, get tips from ioby project leaders who have been there before! Get answers to your questions, hear about the deep connections between neighborhood projects and elections, and learn how to stand up for your community during the election cycle.
Beyond Voting: Flexing Your Civic Muscle
To strengthen our democracy, we'll need to look both inside and outside the election cycle to build year-round relationships and build lasting people power. In this webinar recording, you'll hear from neighbors who are using ioby to crowdfund for community projects that bring their neighbors together to listen, create dialogue, and make meaningful, lasting change across differences.
Explore project tips
5 ideas to get involved in local elections and boost civic engagement
We know that while voting is powerful and important, our civic duties don’t end there. So we rounded pulled together five ways that you can get involved in local elections, increase voter participation where you live, and boost civic engagement in your community. In doing so, you’ll be helping yourself and your neighbors build the habit of becoming lifelong civic doers!
Register yourself and your neighbors to vote
It might be a bit of a cliché, but it’s true—elections aren’t just about the issues that get all the national airtime! They’re also about who sits on your local school board, or the local water board—the folks in your neighborhood who help decide how schools are run, how the watershed down the block is protected, and maybe even your local dog catcher. Make sure you're registered to vote in your election, and get all the details you need for voting in your state and county at vote.org.