Partner With Us

Yes, we’re staunchly nonpartisan. Andrew Goodman Ambassadors are expected to serve the interests of their campus community — regardless of party affiliation. Our students bridge the party divide, uniting all students. Democracy works best when everyone is at the table.

We’re experts in the field of campus voter engagement and organizing, and we use time-tested and research-backed structures to develop and administer the program. We work hands-on with college students and higher education professionals to develop powerful relationships, and we utilize their feedback to constantly improve the program. Andrew Goodman Vote Everywhere is unique because we are, by design, best able to promote long-term change on campuses. This is our platform: [1]

Official Home on Campus: With every election cycle, voter registration and engagement organizations appear and disappear on campus. This does not result in a sustainable model of voter engagement. In contrast, AGF enters into a contractual agreement with each university, thereby creating an enduring partnership. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to fostering civic and political engagement. That is why Andrew Goodman Vote Everywhere is designed to meet each campus community’s unique needs, perspectives, and cultures.

Leadership Pipeline: Students typically enter the program early in their college career and are encouraged to continue throughout their time on campus, building strategic organizing skills while advocating for their community’s voting and civil rights. Andrew Goodman Ambassadors receive training on leadership, voter engagement, community organizing, and campaigning for the purpose of influencing the larger community on their respective campuses. Once Andrew Goodman Ambassadors enter their final year in the program, they train their replacements to continue the leadership pipeline and preserve institutional memory.

Voting is Just the Beginning: Because voting is seen as the first step in the civic engagement process, many organizations seek to register voters. But Andrew Goodman Vote Everywhere goes beyond voter registration. Our students become campus organizers who form coalitions with other campus groups and take action alongside their peers to awaken and deepen a lifelong commitment to participatory democracy.

Centralization of Campus Efforts: Our partners recognize the power of our program model. At most campuses, the institution tasks our Andrew Goodman Ambassadors and staff advisor with organizing and coordinating all voter engagement groups and committees on campus. Andrew Goodman Ambassadors ensure an effective use of resources because they’re trained, experienced, and tactical.

[1] In 2015, the Tufts University Institute for Higher Education and Democracy released an action guide reiterating the importance of a programmatic structure like that used by AGF. We unite key stakeholders and maintain a constant relationship with students.

No. We believe that voting is a fundamental expression of our role as global citizens, and that all forms of social action can be seen as a form of voting. Every day, the decisions we make reflect the type of society we want to live in.

Voting is the gateway to civic engagement, but the many barriers to voting inhibit student participation. And these barriers are multiplying. We define a barrier as any issue, law, or procedure that inhibits, in some way, voter registration and/or the actual act of voting. As a mobile and transient population, students face unique challenges when registering, voting, and participating in democracy. This is because our nation’s political and voter engagement framework is designed for an average citizen: stationary with traditional documentation and living arrangements.

College students lack information on how to successfully vote, they may have no place to get involved on campus, and they sometimes face outright opposition to electoral engagement from local officials and residents. Andrew Goodman Vote Everywhere is providing thousands of students with the information and skills necessary to effectively engage in the political process.

Andrew Goodman Ambassadors register voters, organize their campus, form coalitions, and take actions alongside their peers. With our training and ongoing support, Andrew Goodman Ambassadors lead, develop, and amplify impactful and independent community-oriented projects across the nation. Our students research and disseminate information that makes voting easier, find creative solutions to voting problems imposed by state law, and lead advocacy campaigns that are the product of careful thought, targeted research, and strategic planning.

Generally, our students lead voter engagement and outreach initiatives in the fall, and public policy or social justice campaigns in the spring. Here’s a sample timeline:

• August: Andrew Goodman Ambassadors attend our Andrew Goodman National Civic Leadership Training Summit, where they train and strategize for the coming academic year.
• August/September: Andrew Goodman Ambassadors register first-years during student orientation, registering hundreds of students in a short period of time.
• September: Andrew Goodman Ambassadors continue registering voters and begin hosting campus events to inspire, educate, and mobilize their peers.
• October: Andrew Goodman Ambassadors host a week-long voter registration blitz prior to their state’s voter registration deadline.
• November: Andrew Goodman Ambassadors disseminate information about polling locations, and engage in get out the vote activities that are tailored to their campus.
• Election Day: Andrew Goodman Ambassadors serve as a go-to resource for voter information. At some schools, Ambassadors organize polling place shuttles and volunteer as poll monitors.
• December: Andrew Goodman Ambassadors begin thinking about campaigns to lead in the spring.
• January: Andrew Goodman Ambassadors receive training on organizing. They learn about choosing a winnable issue, and the importance of planning and research prior to the launch of a campaign.
• February: Andrew Goodman Ambassadors finalize their formal campaign proposals with the help of AGF staff, and begin to carry out their targeted issue-based campaigns.
• March/April: With their campaigns underway, Andrew Goodman Ambassadors begin planning for the next academic year to ensure a smooth transition.

Grassroots organizing is key to community empowerment, and that is why our students lead an advocacy campaign of their choosing during the academic year. Given the electoral timeline, with major elections occurring in November, most of our students choose to lead a campaign during the spring semester. To accommodate this timeline, we focus our campaign development training in January and February. Andrew Goodman Ambassador-led campaigns fall into three broad categories: public policy campaigns, social justice initiatives, or voting policy projects.

Universities make student Andrew Goodman Ambassador hiring decisions. The Andrew Goodman Campus Champion selects students who participate in the program. If necessary, AGF staff will assist and advise during the selection process.

AGF’s partnership agreement must be signed by a President, Vice President, Dean, or Director. Each Andrew Goodman Campus Team then appoints an Andrew Goodman Campus Champion, a staff or faculty member who oversees the Andrew Goodman Ambassadors and the program on campus. Andrew Goodman Campus Champions are committed to increasing student civic engagement, and they work in various offices or departments. Some examples from the Andrew Goodman Network include:

• Bard College: Erin Cannan; VP Student Affairs and Deputy Director, Center for Civic Engagement
• Elon University: Bob Frigo; Associate Director, Center for Service Learning
• Louisiana State University: Len Apcar; Wendell Gray Switzer Endowed Chair in Media Literacy
• Stony Brook University: Ellen Driscoll; Assistant Dean of Students
• Simpson College: Seth Andersen; Director, Public Policy Center