'Every Voice, Every Vote' to invest $1.5 million in news coverage and voter engagement for Philadelphia’s 2023 elections

More than 50 media & community organizations have formed the citywide Every Voice, Every Vote coalition to put Philadelphia voters & key issues at the center of the elections for mayor & city council

December 7, 2022

As Philadelphia prepares to elect new political leadership in 2023, dozens of the city’s news media and community organizations have joined Every Voice, Every Vote, a new coalition committed to informing Philadelphians and ensuring their voices and interests are central to the campaign. The coalition is one of the largest collaborative journalism and community engagement efforts ever launched for election coverage in Philadelphia.  

Every Voice, Every Vote is a project of The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. The Institute is awarding $1.5 million in grants to 52 news media and community organization partners. Lead support is provided by the William Penn Foundation with additional funding from The Lenfest Institute, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Peter and Judy Leone, Harriet and Larry Weiss, and the Wyncote Foundation, among others. A full list of coalition partners is below, and to view a full list of supporters, visit www.everyvoice-everyvote.org.

The participating media and community organizations will serve every neighborhood in Philadelphia with nonpartisan, collaborative, issues-oriented journalism; gatherings with candidates; voter guides; listening sessions; and more. Every Voice, Every Vote partners will publish news stories, create voter resources, and hold events throughout the city in more than 13 different languages. The initiative is designed to help make the electoral process more accessible and to make certain that all Philadelphians have the information and tools they need to participate in a system that is intended to support everyone. 

“Every Voice, Every Vote is one of Philadelphia’s most significant philanthropic investments ever in local journalism and civic engagement. Our work is focused on catalyzing the citizens of Philadelphia, from every neighborhood and community, to lift their voices and determine their own future,” said Lenfest Institute Head of Philadelphia Programs Shawn Mooring, who is leading Every Voice, Every Vote.   

Twenty-five media partners will receive funding through Every Voice, Every Vote. News outlets such as ¡Presente! Media, Al Día News, Impacto, Fun Times Magazine, Love Now Media, New Mainstream Press, Philadelphia Gay News, The Philadelphia Tribune, Resolve Philly, and more will amplify the concerns and issues of importance of traditionally underserved audiences. 

WURD Radio, WHYY, Billy Penn, The Philadelphia Citizen, and The Philadelphia Inquirer will provide issues-oriented news coverage, candidate interviews, debates, and town hall meetings. Green Philly and Grid Magazine will each devote reporting to sustainability issues. 

Major television broadcasters including 6abc and NBC10/Telemundo62 have joined Every Voice, Every Vote to provide ongoing coverage of key issues and community engagement activities to connect with Philadelphians both on-and-off air.

All reporting produced by Every Voice, Every Vote partners will be free to access and be shared on everyvoice-everyvote.org. Every Voice, Every Vote’s editorial strategy is led by Kristin Traniello, a former public media engagement strategist, who will coordinate with media partners and support collaborative reporting.  

“We are extremely excited about being a part of the Every Voice, Every Vote initiative,” said Sara M. Lomax, president and CEO of WURD Radio. “Philadelphians deserve a robust examination of all the mayoral candidates running to govern this diverse and dynamic city as it confronts tremendous challenges that are in need of creative, urgent solutions.” 

The 27 Every Voice, Every Vote community group partners represent Philadelphia’s true diversity. They will play an integral role in engaging prospective voters as they launch projects that will provide voter education, promote civic engagement, and host events that will provide numerous opportunities to amplify voices. The Urban Affairs Coalition, PA Youth Vote, The Committee of Seventy, Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church, Congreso de Latinos Unidos, and Philadelphia Parks Alliance are just a few of the community organizations that will leverage their deep community relationships to connect with Philadelphians.  

Portia Fullard is leading Every Voice, Every Vote’s community engagement work. A lifelong Philadelphian, Fullard has deep experience working with community and civic organizations across the city.  

“With its explicit commitment to amplifying and centering community voices, the potential impact of Every Voice, Every Vote is significant,” said Urban Affairs Coalition CEO Sharmain Matlock-Turner. “Too often, the voices of communities with low-to-moderate income or of BIPOC communities are drowned out in the din of partisan politicking, silenced through marginalization, or not even sought. The Urban Affairs Coalition and our partners have more than a half-century of experience serving these very communities. With Every Voice, Every Vote, we will leverage that experience to assure everyone has a say in determining the issues that will be our next mayor’s priorities.”   

Every Voice, Every Vote news coverage and community engagement work will begin in early 2023 ahead of the May 16 primary election. The Lenfest Institute and its partners have already undertaken comprehensive public opinion research efforts to help inform the coalition’s work. Over the past few months, Temple University’s Institute for Survey Research conducted focus groups with Philadelphia voters that informed the design of a public opinion poll by SSRS, a leading Philadelphia-based market research firm, which will be deployed across Philadelphia early this winter. The Pew Charitable Trusts partnered on the development of the survey. 

Learn more about Every Voice, Every Vote and sign-up for email updates about the project at everyvoice-everyvote.org. Others interested in learning more about how to join Every Voice, Every Vote or support the project can email [email protected].  

Here are the community and media organizations receiving funding through Every Voice, Every Vote:  

MEDIA PARTNERS:

AL DÍA News  

Media Partner  

A series of town halls, roundtable discussions, and reporting in partnership with several hyper local media entities and Latino-serving organizations  

Chalkbeat Philadelphia

Media Partner  

Education voter guide and reporting on education and voter turnout efforts  

Community Voice PHL  

Media Partner  

Radio broadcasts and recordings of voter education content and community conversations with seniors and people with disabilities   

FunTimes Magazine  

Media Partner  

Events centering the voices and issues of Philly’s West African and Caribbean communities  

Green Philly  

Media Partner  

Social media campaign and events on election and sustainability topics  

  Grid Magazine  

Media Partner  

Mayoral candidate voter guide on sustainability topics  

 Kensington Voice  

Media Partner  

Civics reporting and community engagement activities for North Philly’s Fairhill, Harrowgate, Kensington, and Norris Square neighborhoods  

 Love Now Media  

Media Partner  

Pop-up storytelling booths that fuel community-centered reporting  

New Mainstream Press  

Media Partner 

Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese-language voter guides and election coverage; voter engagement via public events and publishing on the WeChat messaging platform

Nueva Esperanza – Impacto  

Media Partner  

“Tu Eliges/You Decide” project, including candidate forums, podcast, and Spanish-language service, solutions, and participatory journalism distributed via print, digital, and social media  

Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists  

Media Partner  

Candidate forum on issues important to the Black community  

Philadelphia Gay News  

Media Partner  

Voter guides, town halls, community engagement activities and events, and reporting on issues important to the LGBTQ+ community  

PhillyCAM  

Media Partner  

Workshops helping youth create media about civics and local elections  

¡Presente! Media  

Media Partner  

Documentary-style videos and articles showcasing the diverse experiences of Millennial and Gen-Z Latinx voters   

Resolve Philly  

Media Partner  

“Shake the Table”, a collaborative reporting and community engagement initiative focused on the experiences of city residents with Philadelphia’s operating departments; and the Documenters program, which trains residents to document and report on public meetings  

Scribe Video Center  

Media Partner  

Five ongoing radio programs serving the West Philly community  

Technical.ly Media  

Media Partner  

Election reporting and a community-created mayoral candidate questionnaire focused on “Skills of the Future” and how to support inclusive entrepreneurship and an equitable workforce   

The Philadelphia Citizen  

Media Partner  

“The Ultimate Job Interview”, including candidate interviews, a voter guide, political reporting, and canvassing sessions  

The Philadelphia Hall Monitor  

Media Partner  

Reporting driven by the questions of low-income Philadelphians and broadcast via web, podcast, radio, and TV  

The Philadelphia Inquirer  

Media Partner  

Candidate interviews; reporting on public opinion polling; community events and town halls; election reporting in multiple languages  

The Philadelphia Tribune  

Media Partner  

Election reporting and candidate debate focused on the issues of the Black community  

Unified Partnerships, iHeartMedia  

Media Partner  

Audio and social media content that amplifies community voices and encourages civic participation  

We Talk Weekly  

Media Partner  

Town halls and video and audio content amplifying the voices and serving the information needs of low-income Black and brown Philadelphians 

WHYY  

Media Partner  

WHYY News, Billy Penn, and the 14 News and Information Community Exchange (N.I.C.E.) community partners will host a mayoral debate on gun violence and safety and create the “Meet Your Mayor” app, bilingual voter guides, business reporting, and multi-platform election reporting and community engagement activities  

WURD Radio  

Media Partner  

Journalism, forums, candidate interviews, and voter engagement broadcasts mobilizing the city’s Black community   

COMMUNITY PARTNERS:  

Alliance for a Just Philadelphia  

Community Partner  

Developing, translating, and distributing the People’s Platform to reflect the top issues of racially diverse working-class Philadelphians.  

Asian American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia  

Community Partner  

Community engagement activities with Asian-American associations and creating a voter guide translated into several languages.  

Athletic Club of Fairhill  

Community Partner  

Two community engagement and civic information events with families in the Fairhill neighborhood   

Ceiba  

Community Partner  

Collaboration with Latino community-based organizations in Eastern North Philadelphia’s Barrio to enhance civic education, increase voter participation, and combat misinformation  

Committee of Seventy  

Community Partner  

Continue and expand robust suite of voter engagement activities, including WeVote, Studio C70, Poll Worker Project, BYOBallot, and How Philly Works

Congreso de Latinos Unidos  

Community Partner  

Social media content, digital and in-person surveys, and community ambassadors to deliver bilingual voter education and facilitate community conversations  

 DiverseForce  

Community Partner  

Two live events and a comprehensive marketing campaign to engage Black and Brown professionals and entrepreneurs  

East Point Breeze Neighbors  

Community Partner  

Produce and distribute a nonpartisan voter guide in six languages for East Point Breeze residents  

Easterseals of Southeastern Pennsylvania  

Community Partner  

Community listening sessions and surveys will inform an informational campaign to amplify the voices of people with disabilities. 

Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church  

Community Partner  

A series of community outreach events to increase voter engagement and interact with candidates  

Friends of FDR Park  

Community Partner  

One-day City Civic Fair to provide accessible voting information, engage with candidates, and bring diverse communities together   

Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance  

Community Partner  

A mayoral candidate forum and PHL Arts Voter Guide  

Greater Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce  

Community Partner  

A civic education campaign and candidate town halls for diverse entrepreneurs and business owners  

Humanature – The Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation at Drexel University

Community Partner  

Capturing the perspectives of 18-29 year old Black Philadelphians through multimedia content creation and community events  

One PA Activists United  

Community Partner  

Voter registration, issue education, and candidate forums to engage Caribbean and West African immigrant communities     

PA Youth Vote  

Community Partner  

One-year intensive project focusing on youth voter education and engagement 

Pennsylvania Prison Society  

Community Partner  

Voter guides for incarcerated Philadelphians, their families, and people newly released from prison  

Project HOME  

Community Partner  

Voter guides for people who have experienced or are at risk of homelessness  

Philadelphia Parks Alliance  

Community Partner  

Forums and events addressing the impact of parks and recreation spaces on the lives of Philadelphians  

Southwest Community Development Corporation  

Community Partner  

Two voter guides focused on issues important to residents of Southwest Philadelphia  

The Philadelphia Crosstown Coalition  

Community Partner  

Host mayoral forum in several neighborhoods in partnership with a coalition of 38 community organizations  

Why Not Prosper  

Community Partner  

Listening sessions, civics education, and social media campaign to increase civic engagement among current and formerly incarcerated Philadelphians   

Urban Affairs Coalition  

Community Partner  

Community listening, public forums, public sentiment polling, community content creation to amplify community concerns and drive civic engagement  

we REIGN  

Community Partner  

Civic information internship program for high-school-aged Black girls from West and Southwest Philadelphia  

William Way LGBT Community Center  

Community Partner  

A series of LGBTQ+ community engagement and Know Your Rights events, peer influencer social media campaign, and activities to educate incarcerated trans folks on their voting rights    

Woori Center  

Community Partner  

Voter registration and GOTV activities for Asian American communities  

YOACAP  

Community Partner  

Engaging barbers and youth ambassadors as trusted community messengers  

  

ABOUT EVERY VOICE, EVERY VOTE

Every Voice, Every Vote is a citywide coalition of Philadelphia news and community organizations committed to informing Philadelphians and ensuring their voices and interests are central to the 2023 campaigns for mayor and city council. The coalition is the largest collaborative journalism and community engagement effort ever launched for election coverage in Philadelphia.  

Every Voice, Every Vote is a project of The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. The Institute is awarding $1.5 million in grants to 52 news media and community organization partners. Lead support is provided by the William Penn Foundation with additional funding from The Lenfest Institute, the Wyncote Foundation, and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, among others.