“For many, the immediate demands of survival create significant barriers to participating in civic life.”
Founded in 1970, Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest (LSSSW) has compassionately provided quality services and resources to promote wellbeing and stability for Arizonans. Supporting advocacy for a government responsive to the needs of Arizona’s communities are part and parcel with that mission, but as LSSSW began to expand its civic engagement programming several years ago, they noticed a disconnect.
The communities they worked with every day were deeply affected by policy decisions affecting housing, services, and public resources—-yet many people felt disconnected or, worse, left out of the civic process that shaped those very decisions. For people dealing with instability and/or crisis, voting and civic participation often seemed out of reach, despite being a necessary step to establish a new foundation. “It became clear that there is much more to be done to create equitable pathways for participation and that much more work needs to be done to address barriers and create more opportunities to engage,” said a spokesperson from LSSSW.
The challenges that arose from trying to address that gap drove leaders to think differently about civic engagement. The outcome of that process entailed a partnership with Nonprofit VOTE in 2023 and a change of approach: focusing on integrating civic engagement into their work by empowering their staff.
Partnership with Nonprofit VOTE equipped the organization with the resources and expertise they needed to support their staff’s engagement. Through trainings, webinars, voter education materials, and ongoing support, LSSSW was able to grow its internal capacity and to create more accessible opportunities for staff to engage the communities they served.
It starts with the data. Each year, the organization surveys staff to understand what questions or interests they have about civic engagement. That feedback shapes the training and educational opportunities that they provide throughout the year. Resources are shared through email and staff meetings, and while participation is encouraged, it’s always voluntary. The organization also hosts webinars on ballot propositions and brings in outside experts to help staff better understand the issues affecting their communities, cultivating better messengers in the process.
LSSSW sees civic engagement as part of a larger commitment to social justice and equity. Staff describe the work as helping communities amplify their voices and build stronger connections with decision-makers and each other.
Ultimately, as LSSSW points out, this isn’t about agendas: “It is about equipping individuals with the knowledge, tools, and confidence to engage in the democratic process in ways that are informed, inclusive, and rooted in community voice.”
For other nonprofits hesitant to step into civic engagement, LSSSW’s message is straightforward.
