Grant Programs

The Indigo Oak Fund has supported the Transformative Justice Coalition. Founded in 2015 by renowned Voting Rights Attorney, Barbara Arnwine, the Transformative Justice Coalition (TJC) is a 501(c)(3) national, non-partisan organization that helps to advance racial justice. TJC’s primary programming focuses on voting rights and voter justice. TJC utilizes public education, public policy, and direct voter engagement to reach its target demographic, GenZs and Young Millennials (GenZ/YM), between the ages of 18 and 35 years old.

Understanding the power of peer to peer influence, TJC works with a network of 200+ national, state, local and grassroots organizations on voter justice activations. Recognizing that the GenZ/YM population is the largest potential voting bloc in America, TJC has designed innovative programs to emphasize, lift up, and activate GenZ/YM voters with the goal of creating a more robust, diverse, inclusive and just Democracy.

Using a “train the trainer” module, TJC holds annual intensive GenZ/YM training education programs for 100+ young leaders focused on voting rights that is designed to enhance their skills in developing innovative, effective, and unique strategies to protect and promote GenZ/YM voting rights.

Our alumni are the measure of our success. They have contributed greatly to promoting voting rights in their communities across America. Alumni have created innovative voter engagement programs, resulting in registering thousands of voters; conducted voter education programs; performed voter canvassing; engaged college campus voters; created “rides to the polls” programs; participated as “Freedom Bus Riders” aboard the “John Lewis Good Trouble Bus” in Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Ohio; and organized TJC sponsored Election Day Command Centers to address voter complaints about voting difficulties experienced by real time voters. Many now serve as leaders and staff of national, state and local community based organizations which support voting rights.

A favorite story exemplifying TJC’s impact in assisting voters is from 2023 where in Louisville, Kentucky, the TJC Fellows encountered at a polling site 2 elderly Black women, who were dressed in their Sunday best clothes but were crying and sobbing because they had walked across the street from their apartment building together to their regular polling site of 20 years and were denied the right to vote as their polling place had changed and was now 10 miles away and they had no available transportation. Our TJC Fellows immediately informed us of this dilemma. We offered to take the two women to the correct polling site which was already on our travel list. Once we arrived at the correct polling place, there was more confusion with the poll workers. One of the women confided to us that she had never learned to read or write. Our Fellows were able to work with the women and poll workers for 30 minutes until the women were able to vote. In addition, our other Fellows formed a “Thank You” “soul train” styled line and saluted voters at the poll for participating in our democracy. After the women voted, TJC gave the joyful women rides back home.

On the other side of town at the Louisville Election Protection Command Center, other TJC Fellows were able to field calls from numerous voters who were having problems voting due to a systemwide database error, including incorrect polling place data. This problem was reported and solved and voters were able to vote.

The ultimate goal of TJC is to build a multiracial, robust, and inclusive electoral democracy that fully welcomes and encourages all citizens to equally access voting and the power of elected governance.