INDIANAPOLIS – With the presidential election around the corner and Bicentennial celebrations in full swing, patriotism and civic duty are top of mind for many Hoosiers. Spirit & Place, alongside Indiana Humanities, aims to keep this momentum going by drawing attention to the importance of participating in Central Indiana’s long-term civic health.
One important aspect of Spirit & Place’s initiative is centered on engaging nonprofit organizations with local and regional influence to encourage voter engagement during this momentous year and beyond.
To kick off this notion of encouraging its nonprofit peers to participate in the important work of voter engagement, Spirit & Place and Indiana Humanities hosted a luncheon for nonprofit leaders earlier this year, and a civic reflection training and nonpartisan voter engagement workshop for additional nonprofit leaders.
The following local organizations have committed to facilitating their own voter engagement activities:
• Christian Theological Seminary – Making voter registration forms available to students
• IndyReads – Making sure clients are registered and know their Election Day rights
• Sociedad Amigos de Colombia (SADCO) – Seeking opportunities that promote citizenship amongst Hispanics as well as voter participation among Hispanic citizens
• Indiana Disability Rights – Sharing web-based PSAs on voting rights with local nonprofits to disseminate
• Big Car – Working with college students this fall during Spark II to offer voter registration services
• The Athenaeum – Planning to register voters during Germanfest
• IndyHub – Registered voters at IndyVolved in June and is incorporating voter registration work into its “The Dinner Series” programming
• Freetown Village – Developing curriculum for its summer students focused on civic engagement and responsibility