Civic engagement is key to empowering Texans to advocate for a more just and sustainable future. Whether sharing thoughts about plans for a new park, submitting comments on proposed air quality regulations, or casting a ballot for a candidate committed to climate action, Texans can have a say in addressing the environmental challenges that matter to them. The Jacob and Terese Hershey Foundation has long supported nonpartisan groups that empower those who care about the environment to participate in civic life, and recently awarded additional funds to key partners so that they can deepen this work in the coming years.
For example, the MOVE Texas Civic Fund, Jolt Initiative and the Texas Freedom Network Education Fund equip young Texans to engage civically and nurture a new generation of environmental and climate justice leaders. MOVE mobilizes youth to advance decarbonization strategies and energy democracy, centering voter engagement and access as tools for influencing policy outcomes. Jolt unites cultural pride and democracy, training young Latinos on organizing strategies and voter participation to advance strategies that will mitigate climate change. Texas Freedom Network’s Texas Rising initiative trains young people on organizing, voter mobilization and direct-action strategies, and uses digital communications to amplify the voices of youth most impacted by climate change.
Houston in Action, a coalition of over 80 community groups, uses hyper-local organizing to boost civic engagement and action across greater Houston, where environmental issues are a part of everyday life. It is now expanding its model across Texas, starting in El Paso, where neighborhood groups are advancing climate justice by fighting data centers, utility rate hikes and highway expansions, while also working with partners to implement green infrastructure.
The Foundation’s support for civic engagement includes a commitment to ensuring that eligible Texans have an equal opportunity to vote and have their vote count. The Texas Civil Rights Project empowers voters with critical information about how to exercise their freedom to vote, sends nonpartisan poll monitors to voting sites across the state and files litigation when necessary to remove barriers to the ballot box. The ACLU of Texas fights anti-voter laws in the legislature and in court, advocates for fair electoral maps, represents people caught up in the legal system for honest mistakes while voting, and equips millions of Texans with information about how to make their voices heard at the polls.
According to Mia Balderas, Executive Director of MOVE Texas Civic Fund, “The Jacob and Terese Hershey Foundation is modeling what Texas needs: long-term multi-year funding and a deepening of investment in essential democracy work. Texas has many organizations, like ours, investing in scalable organizing models that do not have an off year. Texas requires all of us to work together. When we do, we create the strategy that Texas and young people deserve, rooted in connection, transparency and joy.”
As owner of an inland marine transportation business and former competitive sailor, Jake Hershey was vitally interested in the health of Galveston Bay and area waterways