Engagement
Helping those in government better share information with and receive input and ideas from the public.
A government that works for everyone requires a democratic process with active engagement from both citizens and policymakers. POPVOX Foundation promotes engagement and empowers citizens to participate effectively in the democratic process. By developing innovative methods and tools, the foundation enables citizens to take an active role in shaping their communities and influencing policy decisions. The foundation's efforts also encourage government officials to actively solicit and leverage public engagement, fostering a more transparent, accountable, and responsive government.
Engagement-Focused Projects
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Empowered Engagement
Initiated by POPVOX Foundation Senior Fellow Nicole Tisdale and managed by Program Assistant, Jason Bahena, the Empowered Engagement project will help funders, stakeholders, and individuals better understand the regulatory process and how/why to engage through public comment periods and in response to formal requests for information.
Notable: Co-hosting a webinar with the White House Office of the National Cyber Director on the Cyber Workforce, Training and Education RFI and hearing later that a significant amount of comments submitted were directly attributable to POPVOX Foundation outreach.
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Earmarks Education and Outreach
When the House and Senate announced the return of Congressionally-directed spending (AKA “earmarks”) for FY23, POPVOX Foundation partnered with Bipartisan Policy Center to provide resources for Congressional staff and constituents to help them deploy and navigate the new program. This included guides for Congressional staff, journalists, and applicants; webinars; op-eds; and consultations.
Notable: POPVOX Foundation hosted the first post-Covid in-person briefing on Capitol Hill in March 2022, in collaboration with the House Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress.
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Casework Navigator
Casework Navigator is a training and professional development series to help Congressional caseworkers build skills and connections through webinars, publications, a newsletter, and a new subscription-based resource offering. The project is led by POPVOX Foundation Deputy Director Anne Meeker and Katherine Long, a Senior Fellow.
Notable: Casework Navigator launched in February 2023 through a series of successful webinars that received overwhelmingly positive reviews from attendees. The program builds on the recommendations provided by Anne Meeker, in her June 2022 testimony to the House Select Committee on Modernization of Congress.
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Civic Engagement Practice
The Civic Engagement Practice connects conversations happening among government employees, political scientists, lawyers, advocacy groups, and the public about citizen engagement to improve and strengthen our democracy.
Notable: POPVOX Foundation researcher Samantha McDonald convened stakeholders around the launch of the POPVOX CivX Metrics toolkit. The toolkit offers government leaders at all levels actionable insights into measuring civic engagement beyond standard customer service metrics.