Center for Common Ground

Name

Center for Common Ground

Legal name

Center for Common Ground

Website

https://centerforcommonground.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civic Engagement Services

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Civic and Social Organizations (81341), Human Rights Organizations (813311)

akta.pro primary industry

Democracy, Voting Rights & Civic Participation Advocacy (BPAGAFAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Civic Education & Community Engagement (Voting, Local Government) (EDAAAFAC), Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)

Keywords

• Voter mobilization services
• Civic engagement programs
• Voter education outreach
• Grassroots voting rights
• Community organizing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Ladysmith

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Center for Common Ground is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN #82-4589218). The primary revenue stream is donations from individuals, which are tax-deductible as allowed by law. The organization accepts donations via its Givebutter online portal, mail-in checks, Donor Advised Fund (DAF) contributions, IRA transfers (for donors aged 70½ or older), appreciated stock gifts, employer matching gifts, and planned gifts via will, trust, or beneficiary designation.
2. Postcard Sales: The organization sells branded postcards through its PostcardStore. Postcards are priced by quantity: $10 for 50 cards, $15 for 100, $25 for 200, $35 for 300, $45 for 400, and $55 for 500 cards. A board member's woman-owned print shop (Sir Speedy Richmond) handles fulfillment. These postcard sales are restricted to CFCG and ERA campaigns only, not for use in other campaigns.
3. ActiVote Partnership Revenue: Through a partnership with ActiVote, a non-partisan election app, any time someone creates an account using the Center for Common Ground's referral link, the organization receives a donation from ActiVote.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Center for Common Ground is a 501(c)(3) non-partisan, Black and women-led voting rights nonprofit that mobilizes voters of color in voter suppression states. It runs the Reclaim Our Vote campaign (handwritten postcarding, texting, phone banking), operates year-round Democracy Centers in BIPOC communities that provide voter education alongside material resources (food, clothing, internet), and runs the Students for Voting Justice paid internship for college students.

Product overview

Center for Common Ground operates a multi-pronged voter mobilization platform focused on increasing Black voter turnout in voter suppression states. The organization's core offerings include the Reclaim Our Vote campaign (handwritten postcards, texting, and phone banking), the Democracy Centers program (year-round community-based civic engagement centers), and Students for Voting Justice (paid college internship). Supporting tools include voter information cards by county, an ActiVote partnership for voter education, and state-specific HR1 impact resources. The organization uses phone banking platforms (Impactive and PDI) and coordinates with Mobilize.us for event management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Reclaim Our Vote A grassroots, primarily volunteer-run voter mobilization campaign focused on increasing BIPOC voter turnout through handwritten postcarding, texting, and phone banking in voter suppression states.
• Democracy Centers
• Students for Voting Justice A paid internship program for college students that trains participants in voting rights organizing while conducting voter outreach in communities of color and on college campuses in the South.
• Postcard Store Online e-commerce store selling branded voter-mobilization postcards in quantity bundles of 50 to 500 cards, with proceeds supporting the Center for Common Ground's voter engagement work.
• Virginia Voting Locations Tool A non-partisan web app built with Democracy Labs that helps Virginia voters find early voting locations, check voter registration status, and apply for absentee ballots.
• Make a Plan to Vote Cards Downloadable voter information cards for 18 Virginia counties that help voters plan their vote by providing early voting locations, times, and polling information specific to each locality.
• HR1 State Resources State-specific educational resources explaining how HR1 will impact individual states, covering changes to Medicaid, SNAP, and other federal programs.
• Phone Banking Service Phone banking operations using third-party dialers (Impactive, PDI) to contact voters with election information through guided phone banks and self-service volunteer training.

Quantifiable outcome

• 8.2 percentage point increase in Black voter turnout during the 2024 Virginia general election compared to non-postcarded voters within the same group
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

37 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• ActiVoteminorGTM or Marketing PartnerActiVote is a non-partisan election app that educates voters on important issues and ballot information. The Center for Common Ground promotes ActiVote on its Resources page with a referral link. Any time someone creates an account using the referral link, Center for Common Ground receives a donation from ActiVote.
• Democracy LabscoreTechnology or IntegrationDemocracy Labs is a nonprofit that connects progressive groups with free and affordable technology solutions to run better campaigns. Deepak Puri, co-founder of Democracy Labs, also serves on the Center for Common Ground's Board of Directors and leads the organization's IT team. Democracy Labs built the Virginia voting locations tool for the organization.
• Black Voters MattercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlack Voters Matter is a key partner organization. Carol Blackmon, Senior State Organizing Manager at Black Voters Matter Mississippi, was a guest panelist at the December 2023 virtual event 'How Voter Suppression Works Today and What We Can Do About It' hosted by the Center for Common Ground and Workers Circle.
• The Workers CirclecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Workers Circle is a national, secular, Jewish social justice organization. It co-hosted the December 2023 virtual panel 'How Voter Suppression Works Today and What We Can Do About It' with the Center for Common Ground, bringing together panelists from across the voting rights movement.
• Alabama ForwardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlabama Forward is a partner organization of the Alabama Democracy Center. Together with the League of Women Voters AL, they successfully defended the new minority-majority Congressional District 2 in court and have been active in mobilizing voters in the district.
• League of Women Voters ALcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe League of Women Voters AL partnered with the Alabama Democracy Center and Alabama Forward to uphold the new minority-majority Congressional District 2 in court.
• More Perfect UnionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMore Perfect Union is listed among the organization's partner organizations, indicating collaborative work in the civic engagement and voting rights space.
• Declaration for American DemocracyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDeclaration for American Democracy is listed among the organization's partner organizations in the civic engagement coalition.
• Power the PollsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPower the Polls is promoted on the Resources page as a tool to recruit poll workers. The organization sends volunteers to sign up as poll workers through this channel to support election administration.
• Vote RidersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVote Riders is promoted on the Resources page as a voter ID information tool. Every state has different voter ID rules, and Vote Riders provides a tool to find requirements for voting in person or by mail in each state.
• Vote Equality UScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVote Equality US, co-founded by Board Member Kati Hornung, is a nationwide campaign to add the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution. The organization's postcards can be used for CFCG and ERA campaigns only, indicating a strategic partnership around gender equality and voting rights.
• Primary Wave Music / James Brown EstatecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary Wave Music and the James Brown Estate partnered with Center for Common Ground in August 2024, launching several initiatives to help mobilize Black voters ahead of Election Day. The partnership included a James Brown postcard campaign (artwork by Shepard Fairey) and voter empowerment initiatives.
• Newberry Foundation / The Newberry InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Newberry Institute houses the Plow & Pew Democracy Center in Georgia, promoting democratic engagement and preserving rural history. Key programs include Rosa's Food Pantry, Annie Lee's Porch, and Ameenah's Interfaith Center.
• The Lighthouse (Lighthouse Community Center)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Lighthouse Community Center in Lynchburg, VA is a faith- and community-based, trauma-informed care provider that runs the Lynchburg Democracy Center. It provides food, clothes, hygiene supplies, and bicycles, and helps restore voting rights.
• The UnionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Union is listed among partner organizations of the Center for Common Ground.
• Amp AmericaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAmp America is listed among partner organizations of the Center for Common Ground.
• Music VotesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMusic Votes is listed among partner organizations of the Center for Common Ground, reflecting a music industry civic engagement partnership.
• Criminal Injustice NetworkminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCriminal Injustice Network is listed among partner organizations.
• Divine 9minorGTM or Marketing PartnerDivine 9 (the nine historically Black Greek-letter organizations) is listed among partner organizations, representing a network of Black fraternity and sorority civic engagement chapters.
• Omega Psi Phi (Alabama)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerOmega Psi Phi fraternity's Alabama chapter is listed as a partner organization.
• Prince Hall MasonsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPrince Hall Masons are listed as a partner organization.
• Religious Action Center of Reform JudaismminorGTM or Marketing PartnerReligious Action Center of Reform Judaism is listed as a partner organization.
• United Church of ChristminorGTM or Marketing PartnerUnited Church of Christ is listed as a partner organization.
• Unitarian Universalists (UU the Vote Campaign)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerUnitarian Universalists are listed as a partner organization, specifically through their UU the Vote Campaign.
• SCLC Cobb CountyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSouthern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) Cobb County chapter is listed as a partner organization.
• Rock Spring United Church of ChristminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRock Spring United Church of Christ is listed as a partner organization.
• Partnership for Southern EquityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for Southern Equity is listed as a partner organization.
• S.E.E.D. for AllminorGTM or Marketing PartnerS.E.E.D. for All is listed as a partner organization.
• SMART ElectionsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSMART Elections is listed as a partner organization. Lulu Friesdat, Executive Director of SMART Elections, was a guest panelist at the December 2023 voter suppression education event.
• Students for JusticecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudents for Justice is listed as a partner organization, reflecting collaboration around HBCU and college campus civic engagement.
• New Alpha Community Development CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew Alpha Community Development Center is listed as a partner organization.
• The People's AgendaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe People's Agenda is listed as a partner organization.
• Trek The VoteminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTrek The Vote is listed as a partner organization.
• ZionessminorGTM or Marketing PartnerZioness is listed as a partner organization.
• Sisters of St. Joseph in Brentwood, NYminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSisters of St. Joseph in Brentwood, NY is listed as a partner organization.
• American Ethical UnionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAmerican Ethical Union is listed as a partner organization.
• The Democracy LabscoreTechnology or IntegrationDemocracy Labs connects progressive groups with technology solutions. Deepak Puri, co-founder, serves on CFCG's Board and leads its IT team. Built the Virginia voting locations Glide app for the organization.

Scale indicators20 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Mi Familia Vota: Mi Familia Vota is a national civic engagement organization mobilizing Latino voters through registration, education, and GOTV. Closely comparable to CFCG on community-led voter mobilization in voter suppression states; CFCG board member Dr. Gabriela Lemus serves as President of Mi Familia Vota Education Fund.
• Voto Latino: Voto Latino is a civic engagement organization empowering Latino youth to vote and engage in the democratic process through registration, education, and culturally relevant content. Directly comparable to CFCG on mission, target demographics (young voters of color), and use of digital + community-led outreach.
• Rock the Vote: Rock the Vote is a longstanding nonpartisan organization focused on voter registration and mobilization of young and diverse voters. Comparable to CFCG on target demographic (younger, racially diverse voters), volunteer-driven outreach, and use of digital tools for voter contact.
• When We All Vote: Founded by Michelle Obama, When We All Vote is a nonpartisan voter mobilization nonprofit focused on increasing participation in every election. Directly comparable to CFCG in mission, target audience (including voters of color), and use of volunteer-led voter contact (texts, calls, canvassing), though operating nationally and at larger scale.
• HeadCount: HeadCount is a nonpartisan nonprofit that registers and mobilizes voters at concerts, events, and online, with a focus on young voters. Comparable to CFCG on nonpartisan voter mobilization, use of cultural/community partnerships (CFCG partners with Primary Wave/James Brown Estate), and volunteer-driven field operations.
• Fair Fight: Fair Fight is a voting rights organization founded by Stacey Abrams focused on voter registration, education, and combating voter suppression, primarily in Georgia and the Southeast. Directly comparable to CFCG on mission, regional focus, voter suppression-state targeting, and use of litigation and grassroots organizing.
• Black Voters Matter: Black Voters Matter is a voting rights organization explicitly focused on increasing Black voter participation in Southern states through canvassing, phone banking, and grassroots organizing. Confirmed CFCG partner and the most directly comparable peer given overlapping Southern geography and BIPOC voter focus.

Broad incumbents

• Brennan Center for Justice: Brennan Center for Justice is a nonpartisan law and policy institute at NYU focused on voting rights, election administration, and reform. Comparable to CFCG on voting rights policy advocacy (HR1, SAVE Act opposition) but operates as a think tank with research, litigation, and policy expertise rather than direct voter mobilization.
• League of Women Voters: The League of Women Voters is a longstanding nonpartisan civic organization providing voter registration, education, and advocacy nationwide. A broad incumbent peer with overlapping voter information and GOTV programming; confirmed CFCG partner at the Alabama state level for redistricting defense.
• Common Cause: Common Cause is a national nonpartisan watchdog and voting rights organization focused on government accountability, redistricting, and election reform. Comparable to CFCG on voting rights advocacy and policy work (e.g., HR1 advocacy) but operates at national scale with a litigation and lobbying emphasis.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ctr4cmnground
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCgJdBh1-zpXeDhDLT1F7dow
• Facebookfacebook.com/center4commonground
• Instagraminstagram.com/centerforcommonground

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Center for Common Ground