Civil Rights & Civic Empowerment
SOULS TO THE POLLS • CENSUS • VOTING RIGHTS
Organize voter registration drives, mobilize for census participation, and host Souls to the Polls events to protect political power and secure federal resources.
What's Inside:
Solid Rock AME Zion (GA)
Extended voting hours after machine failure
Sample Budget
$1.5K–$7.5K per election cycle (grant-funded)
90-Day Plan
Register 50 voters or host Census Sunday
The Promise
Your church can secure millions in federal funding for your community by hosting a single Census Sunday, or protect the voting rights of 100+ neighbors through a Souls to the Polls van.
This is the economic shield — low-barrier civic ministries that mitigate systemic extraction (fines, fees, underrepresentation) and maximize resource inflows (accurate census counts, voter-driven policy changes).
Churches Making It Happen
Solid Rock AME Zion Church
Lithonia, Georgia • Rapid Legal Response
When voting machines failed in 2022, delaying opening by hours, Solid Rock AME Zion successfully petitioned the court to extend voting hours. This emergency intervention protected the franchise of hundreds of voters who might otherwise have been disenfranchised due to work schedules.
Strategy
Utilized legal networks to secure court order within hours
Scale
Protected 300+ voters from disenfranchisement
Church Size
Mid-sized congregation • Urban precinct hub
New Birth Missionary Baptist Church
Lithonia, Georgia • Mega-Precinct Hub
Positioned as a super-precinct hub, New Birth hosts Vice Presidential rallies and mobilizes thousands for early voting. This elevates the church's regional status, attracting resources and attention to specific economic needs of the surrounding community.
Budget
$5K–$10K per election cycle (corporate & foundation grants)
Mobilization
2,000+ voters transported per election
Church Size
Mega-church (10,000+ members)
Church of God in Christ (COGIC Counts)
Nationwide • Denominational Census Campaign
COGIC launched a nationwide campaign partnering with Vote.org and census bureaus to ensure 6 million members were counted. The initiative used a standardized toolkit, allowing local pastors to execute sophisticated outreach without building programs from scratch.
Network
12,000 congregations • 6M members
Tools Provided
COGIC Counts Toolkit • Training videos • Sample sermons
Federal Impact
Secured $100M+ in formula funding for Black communities
Souls to the Polls Wisconsin
Milwaukee • Community-Centered Organizing
Explicitly links voting to community issues like affordable housing, education, economic development, and gun violence. Mobilizes voters to attend budget hearings, ensuring "social wages" (libraries, parks, sanitation) are protected.
Strategy
Policy-first organizing • Budget advocacy • Coalition building
Outcomes
Protected $2M in library funding • Increased transit routes
Model
Multi-church coalition • Interfaith partners
How This Ministry Works
Souls to the Polls
Organize transportation (vans/buses) to early voting sites on Sundays. Absorb costs (gas, food, childcare) that make voting prohibitive for low-income workers.
Budget: $500–$2,500 per event
Census Ambassadors
Train trusted messengers to help families complete census forms. Set up digital kiosks after service. Every undercount costs the community millions in Medicaid, school funding, and infrastructure.
Budget: $250–$1,000 (printing, tablets)
Voter Registration Drives
Host quarterly drives with sample ballots, ID clinics, and rights education. Partner with national orgs (Black Voters Matter) for tablets, data tools, and legal hotlines.
Budget: $200–$500 per drive
Budget Breakdown
| Expense Category | Estimated Cost | Funding Source |
|---|---|---|
Transportation Van rentals, gas, driver stipends | $500 – $1,500 | Power Coalition Mini-Grant ($2,500) |
Marketing & Print Sample ballots, voter guides, flyers | $250 – $1,000 | General budget or Black Voters Matter toolkit |
Event Logistics Food, tents, celebration rally | $500 – $2,000 | Special offering or local sponsor |
Technology Tablets for registration, SMS tools | $200 – $500 | Loaned from partner org or general budget |
| Total Per Campaign | $1,500 – $7,500 | Mixed external & internal |
Funding Sources: Power Coalition Faith Mini-Grants ($2,500), Black Voters Matter grants ($5K–$25K), denominational Social Action budgets, and local corporate sponsors.
90-Day Launch Plan
Days 1–30: Build Coalition
- Week 1–2: Recruit 3–5 key volunteers (civic chair, transportation lead, data coordinator)
- Week 3: Register with local Board of Elections as voter registration site
- Week 4: Apply for Power Coalition Faith Mini-Grant or contact Black Voters Matter for toolkit
Days 31–60: Execute First Event
- Week 5–6: Print 200 sample ballots, secure van rental/insurance
- Week 7: Host "Census Sunday" (if census year) or "Registration Sunday" with pulpit announcements, kiosks in lobby
- Week 8: Track outcome — How many new registrations? Census forms completed?
Days 61–90: Scale or Pivot
- Week 9–10: Partner with 2 neighboring churches for joint Souls to the Polls event during early voting
- Week 11: Host post-voting celebration ("Party at the Mailbox") — food, music, testimonies
- Week 12: Submit impact report to grant funder — document 50+ voters transported, 100+ registered
Return on Investment
Federal Funding Secured
A single Census Sunday preventing a 1% undercount in a county of 100K Black residents secures $169M in Medicaid and child care funding over 10 years (Texas example).
Voters Mobilized Annually
New Birth Missionary Baptist transports 2,000+ voters per election. By mobilizing a bloc vote, the church influences local elections that impact sheriff, judges, and school boards — directly affecting community economics.
Volunteer Economic Value
When a church mobilizes 100 volunteers for Souls to the Polls (4 hours each), that represents $13,400 in donated labor (valued at $33.50/hour). This sweat equity allows asset-poor communities to exert political influence disproportionate to financial capital.
Formula: 100 volunteers × 4 hours × $33.50/hour = $13,400 in civic infrastructure
Before You Start: What They Didn't Tell You
The Partnership Friction
Power Coalition grants take 4–6 weeks to process. Don't launch your first Souls to the Polls event assuming the $2,500 mini-grant will arrive in time for van rental. Budget from general funds first, then reimburse.
The Volunteer Reality
Census Ambassadors burn out after 2 election cycles. Atlanta organizers report "constant cycle of recruitment and retraining." Budget for care-for-caregivers: post-election debriefs, stipends ($100–$250), and recognition events.
The Legal/Liability Landmine
IRS Rule: Churches can engage in issue advocacy, voter registration, and GOTV — but CANNOT endorse candidates from the pulpit without risking 501(c)(3) status. Separate "educational" funds from "lobbying" funds in your budget.
What Would Break This Ministry
- Attempting solo church launch without coalition partners → You'll reinvent the wheel on sample ballots, voter guides, and legal hotlines that Black Voters Matter provides free.
- Forgetting insurance for transportation → One accident = catastrophic liability. Ensure church van policy covers "civic activity" or rent commercial vans with coverage.
- Losing data on registrations → If you can't prove you registered 100 voters, you won't get re-funded next cycle. Use Vote Force or similar CRM to track every interaction.
Funding Sources
Power Coalition Faith Mini-Grants
Up to $2,500 for Souls to the Polls transportation, food, and marketing.
Apply Now →Black Voters Matter
Distributed $9.1M in 2024 across 700+ partners for GOTV operations, texting tools, and legal support.
Partner Toolkit →United Methodist Human Relations Day Grant
$2K–$5K for advocacy and restorative justice ministries, including voter education.
Learn More →Denominational Social Action Budgets
AME, COGIC, and NBC allocate 2–5% of general budgets to social action commissions that fund local civic ministries.
Contact Your Regional Office →Ready to Launch?
Download the full Civil Rights & Civic Empowerment Starter Kit — including sample ballots, ambassador training scripts, and budget templates.
All Sizes Welcome: This playbook works for storefront churches (50 members) and mega-churches (5,000+)