What Cleveland VOTES does

Cleveland VOTES is a nonpartisan, democracy-building nonprofit organization founded in 2014 in Cleveland, Ohio by co-founders Erika Anthony (Executive Director) and Crystal Bryant (Advisor). Headquartered at 2111 Center St., Cleveland, OH, the organization serves voting-age residents of Greater Cleveland and Cuyahoga County through a portfolio of civic engagement programs including voter registration, civic education, grantmaking, leadership development, and creative activism. It is not a technology company and does not develop proprietary software; rather, it operates a stack of community-facing programs — the Voter Resources Hub, Democracy Glossary, video series "Voting in the Land" and "Democracy in Reel Time," the 9-month Democracy Collective (DemCo) leadership incubator, the More Than My Art (MTMA) creative activism initiative, Civic Holidays programming, and the annual Democracy in Review report.

The organization's revenue model is entirely donation- and grant-funded. Individual charitable donations are processed through the GiveLively platform, and institutional funding comes from a base of foundations including the George Gund Foundation (lead funder of the Equitable Civic Engagement Fund), Cleveland Foundation, National Basketball Players Association Foundation, St. Luke's Foundation, HealthComp Foundation, and Cleveland Black Futures Fund. All programs, voter resources, and educational materials are provided free of charge; the organization disburses a portion of its funds downstream through the Equitable Civic Engagement Fund (ECEF), which in 2026 supports approximately 20 nonprofit grantees working on civic engagement, voter education, fair elections, and community organizing across Northeast Ohio.

Go-to-market is community-led: Cleveland VOTES reaches voters through direct field engagement, partnerships with nonprofit and community organizations, civic education workshops, grant programs, and events such as National Voter Registration Day celebrations, Vote Early Day, Election Hero Day, and the annual "Pull Up to the Polls" early-voting event. A core team of approximately 9 staff members is supplemented by consultants (grant writing, creative activism cultural strategy), Democracy Fellows, a Creative Impact Fellow, and a Board of Directors of roughly 15 community leaders. The organization pursues a 2022-2026 Strategic Plan and a 2025-2029 Policy Blueprint, and participates in coalitions including Cleveland Power Alliance alongside national partners such as Liberation in a Generation, Ohio Voice, and the Center for Artistic Activism.

Name

Cleveland VOTES

Legal name

Cleveland VOTES

Website

https://clevotes.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cleveland VOTES is a Cleveland-based nonpartisan nonprofit founded in 2014 that strengthens democratic participation through voter registration, civic education, leadership development, creative activism, and grantmaking to local nonprofits serving Greater Cleveland and Northeast Ohio residents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civic Engagement and Voter Education Services

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Civic and Social Organizations (81341), Civic and Social Organizations (8134), Other Social Advocacy Organizations (813319)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Democracy, Voting Rights & Civic Participation Advocacy (BPAGAFAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Civic Education & Community Engagement (Voting, Local Government) (EDAAAFAC), Civic Literacy (Voting, Rights, Community Participation) (EDAAAAAH), Civic, Citizenship & Community Engagement Education (EDAAAEAI)

Keywords

• Civic engagement services
• Voter registration support
• Democracy education
• Community organizing
• Nonprofit civic programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Cleveland

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: Individual charitable donations from supporters seeking to empower voters and reclaim democracy. Donations are processed through GiveLively platform.
2. Grantmaking Funders: Funding from foundations including George Gund Foundation (lead funder for ECEF), Cleveland Foundation, and individual donors to support democracy-building programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Cleveland VOTES is a nonpartisan, democracy-building nonprofit that provides voter education, voter registration support, and civic engagement programming to residents of Greater Cleveland and Cuyahoga County. Its core offerings include a Voter Resources Hub, a Democracy Glossary, multimedia civic storytelling projects, the Democracy Collective cohort program for community leaders, the Equitable Civic Engagement Fund grantmaking program, and Civic Holidays Programming. The organization was founded in 2014 by Co-Founders Erika Anthony and Crystal Bryant.

Product overview

Cleveland VOTES is a nonpartisan, democracy-building movement that operates as a program-centric organization rather than a technology product company. The organization offers a portfolio of interconnected civic engagement programs: the Voter Resources Hub provides foundational voting information; the Democracy Glossary offers educational content; and media series like 'Voting in the Land' and 'Democracy in Reel Time' communicate voting information creatively. The Democracy Collective (DemCo) is a 9-month leadership incubator launched in 2023, while More Than My Art engages creatives through artistic activism. The Equitable Civic Engagement Fund provides grants to partner nonprofits, and Civic Holidays Programming coordinates celebration events around election-related observances. Together, these programs work toward equitable civic engagement, movement capacity building, grantmaking, and power shifting in Greater Cleveland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Democracy Collective (DemCo): A 9-month collaborative leadership incubator program that gives participants hands-on experience in making a difference in their communities, building skills for equitable civic engagement.
• Equitable Civic Engagement Fund (ECEF)
• More Than My Art (MTMA)
• Civic Holidays
• Voting in the Land
• Democracy in Reel Time

Products and services

• Voter Resources Hub Online resource hub providing voter information, registration support, and civic resources to Greater Cleveland residents. It is designed for individual voters and community members seeking plain-language access to voter procedures and civic information.
• Democracy Glossary Educational reference tool that defines civic and democratic terminology for Greater Cleveland residents. It supports civic literacy and is used by individuals seeking to better understand civic processes and vocabulary.
• Voting in the Land Multimedia civic storytelling project that highlights voting and democratic participation in Greater Cleveland communities. It is intended for residents and the broader public to engage with place-based civic narratives.
• Democracy in Reel Time Video-based civic storytelling content produced for Greater Cleveland residents to engage with democratic participation in real time. It serves individuals and community members seeking multimedia civic education.
• Democracy Collective (DemCo) Cohort-based program for community civic leaders in Greater Cleveland, providing capacity building, peer networking, and civic engagement training. It is designed for local civic leaders and community-based organizations seeking to strengthen their civic engagement work.
• More Than My Art Initiative that connects local artists with civic engagement work in Greater Cleveland. It is designed for artists and community members seeking to use creative expression as a vehicle for civic participation.
• Equitable Civic Engagement Fund Direct grantmaking program that funds community-based civic engagement work in Greater Cleveland. It is targeted at community organizations and civic leaders seeking financial support for local civic engagement initiatives.
• Civic Holidays Programming Year-round civic engagement programming tied to civic holidays and observances for Greater Cleveland residents. It is designed for individual residents and community members to participate in civic moments throughout the year.

Quantifiable outcome

• National recognition for voter registration efforts through National Voter Registration Day community partnerships
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

33 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Liberation in a GenerationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational and statewide partner collaborating with Cleveland VOTES on policy landscape work and advocacy framework. Also developed the curriculum in partnership with Cleveland VOTES for the Democracy Collective program.
• Ohio VoicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide partner collaborating with Cleveland VOTES on advocacy efforts and shaping strategic, data-informed frameworks for future advocacy work.
• Signal ClevelandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the 'Elections Unfiltered' community events initiative to engage voters directly, gather insights on residents' priorities, and educate community on upcoming elections.
• Cleveland Power AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNewly formed coalition of value-aligned organizations committed to building a bold, community-driven vision for multiracial democracy in Cleveland. Cleveland VOTES is part of this coalition working to unify local efforts and strengthen civic ecosystem.
• Center for Artistic Activism (C4AA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerContracted partner supporting assessments, evaluation, and curriculum development for the More Than My Art initiative. C4AA helps organizations understand how to use creativity and culture for sustained social impact.
• Shooting Without BulletssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the 'Hope is in Our DNA' public art initiative created in partnership with ThirdSpace Action Lab and Cleveland VOTES to elevate Black history and catalyze racial equity and civic engagement.
• ThirdSpace Action LabsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the 'Hope is in Our DNA' public art initiative along with Shooting Without Bullets and Cleveland VOTES.
• Cleveland DocumenterssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in research to understand civic culture in Cleveland during development of 2022-2026 Strategic Plan.
• Policy Matters OhiosupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in research to understand low-propensity voters in Cleveland, including focus groups and text polls to assess Clevelanders' perspectives toward civic engagement.
• HIT StrategiessupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in research on Cleveland voters' perspectives toward civic engagement through focus groups and text polls.
• Ohio Progressive Collaborative Education FundsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in analysis of recent elections in the City of Cleveland (2014-2020) examining voting trends to help partners understand how best to target voter engagement efforts.
• Clarity CampaignssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in analysis of Cleveland voting trends (2014-2020) to help democracy partners target voter engagement and outreach efforts.
• Social Justice AcceleratorsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferenced model for DemCo's incubator approach to cultivating Cleveland leaders' ideas into action.
• Civic Engagement CollaborativecoreOthers2026 Grantee of the Equitable Civic Engagement Fund, working on civic engagement in Greater Cleveland.
• Democracy Lab: Civics Under the MicroscopecoreOthers2026 Grantee of the Equitable Civic Engagement Fund focusing on civic education and voter engagement.
• Haus of TranscendentsupportingOthers2026 Grantee partner doing LGBTQ+ advocacy and civic engagement work in Cleveland.
• League of Women Voters of Greater ClevelandcoreOthersLong-standing 2026 Grantee focused on voter education and democratic participation.
• M-PAC ClevelandsupportingOthers2026 Grantee focused on civic engagement and political organizing in Cleveland.
• Northeast Ohio Coalition for the HomelesscoreOthers2026 Grantee working on voter engagement for homeless populations through NuPoint program.
• We Are Deep RootssupportingOthers2026 Grantee focused on community engagement and civic participation.
• Hands That Speak VolumessupportingOthers2026 Grantee focused on civic engagement and accessibility for deaf community.
• Fair Elections CentersupportingOthers2026 Grantee working on voting rights and fair elections.
• Greater Cleveland CongregationssupportingOthers2026 Grantee faith-based civic engagement organization.
• Lutheran Metropolitan MinistrysupportingOthers2026 Grantee providing social services and civic engagement programming.
• Mobilize the Vote NEOcoreOthers2026 Grantee focused on voter mobilization in Northeast Ohio.
• Ohio Voter FundsupportingOthers2026 Grantee of Promise of Democracy Foundation focused on voter engagement.
• Towards EmploymentsupportingOthers2026 Grantee combining employment services with civic engagement.
• Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Greater Cleveland Alumnae ChaptersupportingOthers2026 Grantee combining sorority civic service with voter engagement.
• Fairfax Renaissance Development CorporationsupportingOthers2026 Grantee focused on community development and civic engagement in Fairfax neighborhood.
• Metro West Community Development OrganizationsupportingOthers2026 Grantee focused on community development and civic participation.
• OCA Greater ClevelandsupportingOthers2026 Grantee focused on Asian Pacific American civic engagement.
• Northeast Ohio Voter AdvocatessupportingOthers2026 Grantee focused on voter advocacy in Northeast Ohio.
• Assembly for the ArtssupportingOthersPartner supporting More Than My Art initiative and creative activism work in Cleveland.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• When We All Vote: A high-profile national voter registration and civic participation nonprofit; broader celebrity-driven brand but overlapping programmatic offerings (voter registration drives, civic education).
• Policy Matters Ohio: An Ohio-based policy research nonprofit and Cleveland VOTES research partner on low-propensity voter analysis. Broader economic-policy focus, but overlapping civic-engagement research agenda.
• Ohio Voice: Statewide civic engagement coalition in Ohio and a core strategic partner of Cleveland VOTES. Operates at the state policy and advocacy level; broader scope, but overlapping mission and partner network.

Direct peers

• HeadCount: A national nonpartisan voter registration organization that uses cultural and creative channels to register voters; comparable creative-engagement approach to Cleveland VOTES' More Than My Art initiative.
• Fair Elections Center: A national voting-rights nonprofit that is also a 2026 Cleveland VOTES grantee. Comparable mission around voting access, voter registration, and election administration.
• Mobilize the Vote NEO: A Northeast Ohio voter mobilization nonprofit. Also a 2026 ECEF grantee partner; operates the same voter-engagement model and serves overlapping Cuyahoga County audiences.
• Center for Artistic Activism: An organization that trains and supports activists to use creativity and culture for sustained social impact; contracted curriculum partner for Cleveland VOTES' More Than My Art program.
• Liberation in a Generation: A national organization focused on equitable civic engagement and democracy-building; co-developed the DemCo curriculum with Cleveland VOTES. Direct programmatic peer on the leadership-incubator model.
• League of Women Voters of Greater Cleveland: A long-standing Cleveland-area civic engagement nonprofit focused on voter education and democratic participation. It is both a structural peer and an active Cleveland VOTES grantee partner, operating in the same geography on overlapping programming (voter registration, civic education).

Emerging players

• New Era Colorado: A young-voter-focused civic engagement nonprofit running a similar voter registration, leadership development, and creative-activism portfolio in a different geography; comparable programmatic structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/clevelandvotes
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC2ur96rYyXI2oTDxta8XACA
• Facebookfacebook.com/ClevelandVOTES
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cleveland-votes
• Instagraminstagram.com/clevelandvotes

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Cleveland VOTES