We believe engagement needs to happen year-round and connect as whole people, seeing one another in our full humanity.
Our unique research has identified 49.7 million moderate white women who are not ideologically entrenched, meaning they are open to new ideas and perspectives and movable on issues such as reproductive freedom, healthcare, gender equity, climate, and the economy. Engaging with this audience is critical to combat the rising social and ideological polarization taking hold of this country. We’re moving the margins where it matters most—using a cutting-edge approach that’s rooted in science—to build a durable, multiracial democracy.
Data science tells us who we need to reach, right down to individuals who share a vision of an America that works for everyone.
Neuroscience tells us how people make decisions and how we can work with the brain’s internal mechanisms to be persuasive.
Behavioral psychology helps us understand the hidden drivers behind civic behavior, allowing us to effectively engage with our audience.
Our unique impact comes from the fact that we:
- Deeply understand the women in our audience and what drives their civic engagement.
- Meet them at their values with ads and messages that we are testing with randomized controlled trials.
- Share knowledge with partner organizations to help get the right messages to the right people to scale impact.
We’re not trying to convince people to change their core beliefs. Rather, we’re identifying women who want progress on things like access to healthcare and climate so that we can support them to take action in ways most likely to advance that progress.
These strategies have had proven success. For example, leading up to the 2022 midterms, a randomized controlled trial conducted by Galvanize Action and Grow Progress showed persuasion programming increased agreement that public officials should take action to ensure all women have the freedom to make their own decisions about abortion by 5pp, an outcome significantly higher than the average persuasion impact.
where we work
We root our work in the Rust Belt, with a focus on Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. In these four states, white women make up 42% to 44% of the vote share and over four and a half million women are in our target audience. Engaging and persuading just a small percentage of this group makes a big impact in local communities, on state policies (e.g., reproductive freedom ballot initiatives), and in our country. In all of these states we’re identifying who to reach, developing and testing messages, and sharing what we learn with the field to maximize our collective impact. We are currently exploring expansion opportunities across the country to reach even more women in our audience.
At our nonprofit, nonpartisan affiliate, Galvanize USA, we’re in community with women day in and day out, learning what matters most to them, and supporting them to use their civic power to create an America that works for everyone. In this way, we ensure the work is transformational, rather than transactional.
digital communitY
Our research found that 49% of moms in our target audience say they feel stupid when they talk about politics. We’re changing that reality because our democracy relies on conversation. Galvanize USA has built a unique digital community where women can ask any question and talk honestly about the things that matter most. The programming connects with women via text and online, creating a non-judgmental space and opportunities for women to grow their civic knowledge, confidence, and agency.
Deep Listening Program
In order to build a healthy, vibrant democracy we must decrease the toxic polarization around us. Experts agree: authentic listening is the way forward. That’s why Galvanize USA conducted a Deep Listening Program in 2021 to call women in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, chat about what was keeping them up at night, and really hear what they had to say. When we truly understand one another, it gives us the best possible chance to build support for policies that protect our democracy and help us all thrive.